Lawyers: Now you can get legal marketing videos on youtube

November 1, 2010 by
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legal marketing videosOkay, this first video isn’t specifically about legal marketing, but I’ve got a youtube channel now and will be posting videos you can watch while sorting email or having your morning coffee.

Actually, I’ve got some good things planned and when you subscribe to my channel you’ll be notified when there’s a new video posted. I also added social media badges to the blog for youtube and linkedin.

What’s this first video about? Well, social media. I wanted to have a simple page where people can find the links (badges) to all my social media accounts so they can friend/follow/like me. Since I have another business and blog, this was even more important. I was getting to the point where even I couldn’t remember how to find me. Anyway, this short video explains what I did in case you want to do the same.

Please leave your comments (or questions) below. Since this is my first video (imagine that), I’ve probably left out something important and I’m sure you’ll want to mention it (as my wife just did when she poked her head in the door to tell me about how I messed up “attorney marketing”.)

Oh, please also use the share button or tweet button to tell people about this post. They might want to show their spouse that they aren’t the only ones who can’t speak proper English.

[mc src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhZEpFTg8XI” type=”youtube”]How to create a personal social media hub page[/mc]

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Filed Under: Blogging, Social media, Social media marketing, Web traffic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Other ways lawyers may use social media (besides marketing)

October 26, 2010 by
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Lawyers are usually not early adopters. Although more and more lawyers are using social media for marketing, many others feel constricted by their employers’ policies (i.e., firms that insist the attorney promote the firm instead of themselves), by concerns about ethical issues, or, simply, by their natural tendency to “play it safe”.

Many attorneys who have no objection to using social media but are either overwhelmed by the myriad of choices or (believe they) just don’t have the time.

I see social media as nothing more than an electronic extension of the “real world”. It’s still just communication with people you know and people you want to know. We’ve been networking all our lives; why should networking online be any different?

True, the Internet provides reach and permanency that do not exist at a Chamber of Commerce dinner, although the presence of cameras on our phones tends to blur that distinction. But if we mind our P’s and Q’s (does anyone use that expression anymore?) it isn’t difficult to stay out of trouble. And let’s face it, it’s a lot easier and less time consuming to interact via your iPhone than it is to press the flesh, although, arguably, not as effective.

Whatever your viewpoint and experiences with social media, one thing we can all agree on is that it’s here to stay. Like any trend that changes the way people communicate, we ignore social media at our peril.

Social media is starting to be used as evidence, for example.

So, like it not, use it not, we all have to pay attention. Experts say, “lawyers already tuned into social media are not only on the right track, but will have a head start on the competition.”

How about you? How are you using social media in your law practice? Please add your comments below.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Relationship marketing, Social media, Social media marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Poll results and NEW poll: What are you doing to increase your income?

October 25, 2010 by
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Last week’s poll provided some interesting results. The numbers themselves were as predicted–most who responded said their income and/or number of new clients was down. You can see the results and add your vote if you’d like–the poll is still open.

There were some comments suggesting that attorneys are adapting to the current economic situation by taking on new practice areas.  How about you? If your income has suffered, what are you doing about it? If you’re doing better now than in the past, how did you go about it?

Please take this new poll to share with our readers what you are doing to increase your income. Feel free to add your comments as well.

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Filed Under: Attorneys fees Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The three things that matter most

March 24, 2008 by
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What are the three most important things you do in your career? Sure, you do a lot of things, but chances are, three of them are more important than the rest. We’ve talked about the 80/20 Principle before. These three things are the twenty-percent activities that deliver eighty percent of your results. They are worth identifying. If you can identity them, you can do more of them (and less of those things that aren’t of the three).

What’s more, if there are only three things, you can remember them. You don’t need a list. “These are the three areas I focus on,” you’ll say. “This is where I focus eighty percent of my time.” So what are they? If you could only do three things all day long, what would they be? Don’t think too much about this; you already know the answer.

When I was practicing (personal injury), I would have said that these are my three things:

  1. Marketing
  2. Settling Cases
  3. Managing staff

For me, litigation was not one of the three things that matter(ed) most. We did it, but the practice was a high-volume of smaller cases and litigation was not our primary focus. So, it was these three things that mattered most to my practice. If I was doing one of these three things, I was doing “twenty-percent activity”. Anything else was “eighty-percent activity” (which brings in only twenty percent of the results).

Let’s take things a step further, shall we? Once you have identified your “three things that matter most,” what about identifying the three things that matter most about each of those three things? This allows you to get more specific about how you are spending your time and how you are focusing your energy. You will perform “on purpose” instead of reacting to whatever presents itself. And, if you can recall the three things that matter most, you should also be able to recall the three things about each of those things, too. If they are truly important and you are doing them, they will be second nature to you.

In my case, I would have identified the three things about my three things, like this:

MARKETING

  • Ads in yellow pages
  • Network with referral sources
  • Client referral strategies

SETTLE CASES

  • Client interviews/evidence collection
  • Demand package
  • Negotiation

MANAGE STAFF

  • Interview/hire
  • Monitor work flow
  • Recognize and incentivize

What are your three things? And what are the three things about each of those three? Take the time to identity these crucial items and then focus eighty percent of your time and attention on them. You’ll get more done in less time and you’ll get more results. You’ll earn more and work less.

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Productivity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,