The Legal Intelligencer Blog

Measuring a Lawyer's Use of Social Media Marketing

By Gina F. Rubel
Special to the Legal

On the legal marketing and public relations side of social media, the industry is abuzz with trying to determine how to measure the value of engagement. There are a ridiculous number of articles, blogs, conversations and metrics surfacing -- all trying to tell us how to measure the return on investment (ROI) as it relates to an attorney's time spent online networking.

So let's do the math. Attorney A works in the area of business transactions. She writes a blog called BizLawTrends (a fictitious and available URL at the time I drafted this post). The marketing department helps her market the blog. The blog is cross-linked to the firm website and vice versa.

Attorney A blogs about the legal issues facing businesses today. She then shares those posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, JD Supra,  Google Reader, etc. There are links added in the firm's electronic newsletter sending traffic to the firm’s blog.

Attorney A receives comments and queries to which she responds. Journalists call for interviews because she appears to be a subject matter expert. Eventually, all this lands two new clients who, when asked how they heard about Attorney A state that they read her blog but have no idea how they got there.

Now, in the first year of the engagements, those two clients are worth $80,000 in billable hours to the firm collectively. How does one go back and measure the ROI? What are all of the touch points and how much time and money was invested to land those two clients? Suffice it to say that we don’t know exactly how they heard about the blog to begin with. Sometimes this can be discerned, sometimes it cannot.

In this scenario, the ROI is virtually impossible to measure, but Attorney A landed two new clients worth substantial revenue in the first year. Those clients then become referral sources because they are so satisfied with the legal services provided. More new clients come in the door. Are you still trying to measure the ROI?

Think of it this way: every time you attend a networking function, do you track every minute of time spent, along with the cost to attend? To some extent you should -- but the question is, do you? Then do you compare that to every person you spoke with and everything that happened as a result of every single conversation? If you answer yes to these questions, you are absolutely in the minority. Again, I'm not saying lawyers shouldn’t track. I'm saying that many don't and many won't.

Ask the following questions. As a result of our social media efforts:
- Are we getting more hits to our website (i.e. where is the traffic coming from)?
- Does our website rank higher (this can be measured)?
- Are the lawyers in our firm being invited to speak at more events?
- Are our lawyers being asked to share their opinions with the media?
- Are others sharing our content via social media (re-Tweeting, sharing, commenting, etc.)?
- Have new relationships formed?
- Do our attorneys’ names come up when typed into a search engine query in places other than our website (I truly hope they come up on your website -- if not, you have even more work to do)?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then your firm's time is well spent in social media engagement.

Gina F. Rubel is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications Inc., a public elations nd marketing agency with a niche in legal communications. A former Philadelphia trial attorney and public relations expert, Rubel is the author of "Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers." Rubel and her agency have won numerous awards for legal communications, public relations, media relations, strategic planning, corporate philanthropy and leadership. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com and is a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer blog. You can find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ginarubel.  For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com.

Getting to Know Us: Meet The Legal Staff!

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Some days, I wish I lived in Harry Potter’s world -- where we could wave a magic wand, chant an incantation and poof! The work would be done perfectly.

But putting together a daily newspaper (not to mention a weekly statewide section, a weekly Delaware newspaper, a weekly Delaware-focused e-newsletter, regular special sections and yearly magazines) is not exactly like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. 

The Editorial Department of The Legal is relatively small, but each person plays an integral role in bringing you the latest legal news through our printed products and online content. Many of you have probably had some kind of contact with us, but just as we want to get to know our audience as best we can to provide the coverage you want, we want you to get to know us.

Our goal in doing this is to help you understand what we all do here, so that if you ever have a question, you’ll know who to ask about what. Hopefully, you'll feel better about picking up the phone if you know you're calling the right person.

This will be the first of three blog posts about our staff, so be sure to watch for new updates tomorrow and Wednesday, when you’ll meet the copy desk (the editors) and the reporters. 

Today, we’d like you to meet our Editor-in-Chief, Hank Grezlak.

Hank is the Editor-in-Chief of The Legal Intelligencer and the other Pennsylvania-based products of ALM, its parent company.

Hank has worn many hats in his 18 years as an employee with The Legal. Prior to becoming the Editor-in-Chief in 2005, Hank served as associate publisher of the Pennsylvania division since 2001, with responsibility for managing editorial development for a wide range of print and online products.

He originally joined the company in 1993 as a staff reporter for The Legal and served as managing editor of newspapers and director of new product development and research. He has won five Keystone Press Awards and five Schnader Print Media awards for his investigative reporting and columns. A Bucks County native, Hank received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Hank frequently writes for the paper, and some of his most recent “From the Chief” columns can be read here:

"On Marcellus Shale Policy, DEP's Krancer Should Have Known Better"
"If Pa. Supreme Court Won't Reform JCB, Then Someone Else Should"

He and reporter Leo Strupczewski have been the primary writers on the Luzerne County courthouse scandal, and you can read some of their best stuff here:

"Ex-Luzerne Judges Created Culture of Fear, Corruption"
"Judicial Conduct Complaint Was Filed Against Conahan in 2006"

Hank is the one to contact if you have questions or comments about our coverage or other big-picture sorts of matters. He can be reached by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 215-557-2386. Follow him on Twitter at @HGrezlakTLI.

Tomorrow, we’ll introduce you to the other editors, and on Wednesday, meet the reporters!

Front Page Flashback

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

You've probably glanced over the words so many times that they've disappeared, but they're on the front page of every printed issue of The Legal Intelligencer: "The Oldest Law Journal in the United States 1843-2011."

Ever wondered what that very first issue looked like? Well, that's it, to the left - Vol. 1, No. 1, dated Saturday, December 9, 1843.

Look carefully at it: No photos of judges or lawyers; no colorful charts tracking law firm growth; two wide columns instead of four. It's mostly taken up by the Sheriff's Sale notices (the entire right column and bottom third of the left), but I think the introduction bears repeating here:

"This sheet is intended as a medium for the publication of all legal notices; and it is believed it will tend in a great measure, if not entirely to remove an inconvenience which, from the want of such a paper, has long been felt by the bar and suitors.

"The subjoined rule of court will ensure the publication of all Auditors' notices; and it is our intention to furnish an Abstract of all the Sheriff's Sales, and all such information as will render the paper useful to our subscribers.

"As it will circulate very generally among the members of the bar, conveyancers, and owners and dealers in real estate, it will afford an eligible vehicle for advertisment for booksellers, auctioneers, real estate brokers, etc. etc."

Clearly, it is a gross understatement to say that times have changed. (We no longer publish on Saturdays, for one thing!)

What strikes me more strongly, though, is what remains the same. The paper's mission remains what the first editors wrote in 1843. We at the Legal still strive every day to fill this "medium for the publication of all legal notices" with "all such information as will render the paper useful to our subscribers." That continues to be our purpose -- how you get that information is the biggest difference.

The fact that you're reading this (probably from your smartphone) on a blog, the link to which will be posted on Twitter and Facebook, is proof that the Legal intends to keep up with the times. We hope to continue the tradition of delivering the news you need and want for your business for another 168 years, even if you're receiving it telepathically by then.

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal Intelligencer. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].

The Benefits of Twitter for Lawyers: A Strategy for Engagement

 By Gina Rubel
Special to the Legal

There are many benefits of lawyers using Twitter. In fact, I know many lawyers who have met both referral sources and new business contacts using Twitter.

As far as having a plan to engage in Twitter communications, I recommend taking the following approach: Define Purpose > Follow > Listen > Create > Engage. Here’s how:

1. Define your purpose in using Twitter. Identify what you want to accomplish by using Twitter as a vehicle for communication.

2. Follow: Identify the target audiences you want to reach: business and community leaders, referral sources, colleagues, experts, media, prospective clients and other thought leaders. Research those within your target audience who are using Twitter. Search for them by name, company name, topic, hashtag, etc. Start by following those people who are thought leaders in your industry.

3. Listen: Pay attention to what others are saying online. Add each person you follow to a defined list. Keep the lists private. For example, you can have lists for colleagues, legal media, experts, etc. Be careful, however, how you name your lists, as nothing is every truly "private" online. For example, I don’t recommend naming a list "clients" or "referral sources." Consider that T.M.I. (too much information).

4. Create: Create and or share content and information of value, such as breaking news, important news stories, upcoming events, resources, interesting observations, industry trends, articles, blogs posts, valuable website content (articles, practice area information), etc.

5. Engage: Engage in two-way conversation by direct messaging, mentioning others and retweeting information of value to your target audiences.

Twitter is an excellent tool to add to the mix of communication vehicles that you are using to build or reinforce your brand, increase referrals, build community relations, share information and build your network. Other benefits include crisis management, issue advocacy, marketing, public relations, media relations, reputation management and thought leadership. Just be smart about using social media, encourage the implementation of a social media policy in your firm and always be sure to adhere to the rules of ethics proscribed by the states within which you practice law. 

  Gina F. Rubel is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications Inc., a public elations nd marketing agency with a niche in legal communications. A former Philadelphia trial attorney and public relations expert, Rubel is the author of "Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers." Rubel and her agency have won numerous awards for legal communications, public relations, media relations, strategic planning, corporate philanthropy and leadership. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com and is a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer blog. You can find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ginarubel.  For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com.

Automobile Accidents and the Practice, on 'The American Law Journal'

Twenty years ago, every personal injury practice included a fair share of auto accident cases. Not so today. Aside from significant insurance options, what else has changed the face of this area of practice?

On Monday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. on Philadelphia CNN-News affiliate WFMZ-TV 69, "The American Law Journal" presents “Auto Accident Claim? No Thanks.” Host Attorney Christopher Naughton welcomes defense counsel James C. Haggerty of Swartz Campbell, plaintiffs lawyers Jamie L. Sheller of Sheller P.C. and J. Robert Bratman of Stark & Stark, and Harris T. Bock of The Dispute Resolution Institute.

The program examines the critical decisions consumers must make before and after an accident and the approach of lawyers in auto-related legal matters today.

“I can tell you that we are not taking cases today that years ago we would have taken,” said Bratman. Sheller concurred, “People are ending up not getting justice.”

"The American Law Journal" is the weekly talk-feature program on the CNN-News affiliate WFMZ-TV 69 and streaming on www.WFMZ.com. View programs, schedules, lawyer profiles and more on the new website, www.LawJournalTV.com or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/AmericanLawJournal. Next week: “Accelerating Your SSD Claim.”

Tips from Journalists: How to Avoid Being Blacklisted by the Media

By Gina F. Rubel
Special to the Legal
 
During the past 20 years, I have interviewed hundreds of journalists. Without fail, they share the same “pet peeves” and stories of what often leads to additions on their blacklists. Some of the most common offenses include:

· Sending a press release or media pitch that has nothing to do with the reporter’s beat;
· Misspelling the reporter’s name;
· Not returning a call or having a secretary call to say, “We have no comment;”
· Contacting the journalist or producer at the time of their deadlines;
· Thinking your story is newsworthy when indeed, no one really cares;
· Sending gifts with the expectation of media coverage in return;
· Not reading, listening or viewing the media outlet being pitched;
· Being CC’d on an e-mail that goes to every other reporter as opposed to tailoring the story to the individual outlet; and
· Sending faxes (they’re a thing of the past).

I recently reached out to some journalist friends via social media (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) asking, “What are your pet peeves?” Here’s is what they said (anonymously):

“Not giving sufficient heads-up for an event. Please don't call us Friday afternoon and expect us to be there Saturday morning to cover an event you've been planning for months. Give us as much lead time as possible. With smaller staffs and a shrinking news hole, it's difficult to get events covered, especially on a last-minute basis.”

“The desire to share information or complain about someone or something that has wronged you while refusing to share your name or answer questions. We can't help you without knowing who you are and the full scope of your problem. Media outlets use unnamed official sources all the time but we know their identities and have vetted them before they ever make it to publication.”

“Smokers. I just don't understand how in this day and age people continue to smoke! I get especially annoyed when I have to interview a smoker face-to-face during my television program. Blacklist!”

“Asking us to cover confidential settlements or not to share the names of the parties. Why on earth would someone think we could cover a story where they can’t share the specifics? If it’s confidential, don’t try to capitalize on it through media relations.”

Although more focused on product pitches, for an interesting blog about the do’s and don’ts of media pitching, check out David Pogue’s “Perfect PR pitches: NYT tech columnist picks his favorites” post for Ragan Public Relations.

So with all of this, do you have something to add?

Gina F. Rubel is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications Inc., a public relations and marketing agency with a niche in legal communications. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com, is a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer’s blog and blogs for The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-furia-rubel). You can find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ginarubel. For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com or e-mail [email protected].

Pittsburgh Firm Leaders: Get Firm Management Advice with a Side of Breakfast

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Calling all Pittsburgh-area firm managing partners and executive committee members! What are the big questions you have about the coming year? How can you address the issues at the forefront of how you manage your firm? What do you expect the legal landscape to look like in 2011?

The Legal Intelligencer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette invite you, as the leader of your firm, to hear the answers to those questions and more at our first annual Pittsburgh-area Managing Partners Breakfast, being held on Tuesday, Jan. 25, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at McCormick & Schmick’s, located in Piatt Place in downtown Pittsburgh (Entrance: Wood St. and Oliver Ave.).

You’ll get all those questions and more answered by Altman Weil principal Ward Bower, while also enjoying a fantastic breakfast on us, perusing the new 2010 issue of PaLAW: Annual Report on the Legal Profession, and networking with your fellow regional law firm leaders. The presentation will recap the results of the Managing Partners Survey, which are included in the PaLAW magazine, and also include Ward’s personal take on what lies ahead for 2011 and how our Pennsylvania findings compare to national trends.

If you cannot personally attend, please feel free to invite another member of your management committee. You can register for the event online at www.thelegalintel.com/mpb, or by phone to Diane McCollum at 215-557-2335. We hope to see you there!

Get Firm Management Advice with a Side of Breakfast

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Calling all firm managing partners and executive committee members! What are the big questions you have about the coming year? How can you address the issues at the forefront of how you manage your firm? What do you expect the legal landscape to look like in 2011?

The Legal Intelligencer invites you, as the leader of your firm, to hear the answers to those questions and more at our annual Managing Partners Breakfast, being held on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Morton's Steakhouse in Philadelphia.

Not only will you enjoy a fantastic breakfast on us, and get to peruse the new 2010 issue of PaLAW: Annual Report on the Legal Profession, but you’ll also get those questions and more answered by Altman Weil consultant Tom Clay. The presentation will recap the results of the Managing Partners Survey, which are included in the PaLAW magazine, but it will also include Tom’s personal take on what lies ahead for 2011.

Here’s a taste of what to expect. In the article Tom wrote for the PaLAW magazine, he said, “In reviewing the PaLAW Managing Partners Survey, as well as a number of other economic studies, it’s clear that 2009 was a year for law firms to cut costs.  This was necessary triage to counteract the effects of the recession in 2009. ... However, I believe that too many firms believe the work is done. It is not. Law firms are still too expensive to operate and will need to take some very innovative, and perhaps extremely difficult, approaches to reducing costs even more significantly.  New strategies will be needed to improve — or even maintain — profitability.

“This may seem harsh, but gone are the days when law firms could raise billing rates each year at twice the rate of inflation or more. Firms also are not going to be able to make large profits on inefficient work. Even if volume returns, the profit levels and margins will not be the same as in the past. These two things will force law firms to reduce overhead costs even more.”

If you’re interested in attending the complimentary Managing Partners Breakfast or have any questions, contact Diane McCollum at [email protected] or 215-557-2335. We hope to see you there!

Law Firm Confidential: What Do You Wish Your Colleagues Knew?

By Stephanie Baum
Of the Legal Staff

Earlier this month, the Legal published an article titled, "What Do Attorneys Wish Their Paralegals Knew?"
The article, an informal survey of a handful of lawyers contributed by Kim Walker, senior litigation paralegal with Berger & Montague, generated a long list of desires both practical and not so much.

Some of the items on the "wish list" ranged from practical knowledge, like proofreading and researching, to behavioral issues like dressing professionally and getting along with others in the firm. One attorney said, "I wish my paralegal knew that I don't like to work on the weekends either, but sometimes it's just necessary."

The point of the article wasn't just for attorneys to vent, though. As Walker wrote, "Some of the wishes seem to be common sense, but all too often paralegals get complacent, especially if they've worked for a firm for a long time. Take the time to look at the list and highlight some of the areas where you may be weak."

But why stop there? We'd like to open this up to other positions with a law firm. What do attorneys wish their associates knew? What about your managing partners? And by the way, paralegals, what do you wish your attorneys knew?

We're inviting your comments! Send us your own "wish list" for your colleagues, either by e-mailing me or leaving a comment below.

Social Media for Lawyers: Legal Updates on LinkedIn Expands JD Supra Reach

By Gina F. Rubel

A few weeks ago, the social networking site LinkedIn and legal content distributor JD Supra announced a new partnership that helps legal professionals to increase marketing exposure. The idea is that by posting and sharing their legal writings on JD Supra, the posts also get shared directly on the 70-million-member LinkedIn.

I wrote about LinkedIn and JD Supra  last year in my “Social Media for Lawyers” series on this very blog. I have recommended that lawyers use both platforms to increase their visibility online. That recommendation still stands. In fact, even more so.

LinkedIn is no longer just a professional profile-resume that does well in Google when people search your name. Although that is still a huge benefit, the days of the website being used only for human resources purposes are long gone. Daily, LinkedIn grows as a source of relevant business news and information from within your network and, increasingly, beyond your network. In fact, this new partnership received a good amount of positive coverage at time of launch – with Robert Ambrogi on his Lawsites blog , going so far as to call it a potential game changer for lawyers on LinkedIn.

But I want to focus on one particular aspect of the collaboration. This partnership is especially valuable for lawyers who are using written materials to showcase their professional skill and promote their services online.

A Targeted Audience of Professionals on LinkedIn

JD Supra has always allowed any lawyer or law firm to post and distribute their written work online: a great online vehicle for public relations. Covering many industries, information on JD Supra includes everything from analysis of the latest legislative developments, to guidance and legal commentary for business owners and consumers, to favorable court decisions, and marketing for lawyers (something I am quite passionate about). The core of the service is targeted delivery which is exactly why I think the partnership is such an exciting development.

According to Adrian Lurssen, vice president of strategic development at JD Supra, “We have real estate content for real estate professionals, employment law updates for anyone needing to stay informed about workplace legal issues, banking and finance content with its own audience – insurance, IP, tax law, the list goes on.” Lurssen added, “The partnership was a no-brainer.” They are now able to deliver content to subscribers/readers in the very fields their contributors are writing about.

The basis of the partnership is a new application called Legal Updates, (freely available to anyone in LinkedIn’s directory.

(Kudos to JD Supra for the exclusivity of this deal; there are only 16 applications on the LinkedIn platform.)

The application allows lawyers to include a portfolio of their content directly on their LinkedIn profile and to be found in the site’s first and only searchable, browsable collection of legal information — a new development. But what really sets Legal Updates apart is that anyone on LinkedIn who installs the application now receives a custom feed of legal information matched to their professional interests and needs.

“We provide legal content to a person based on the industry noted on their LinkedIn profile,” said Lurssen. “Insurance professionals get insurance work, financial services professionals get banking and finance work, etc. And beyond that, Legal Updates can be customized with any subjects the user wants.”

This is a significant offering for any lawyer who is looking for an audience of people in the industry (or industries) they serve. Legal Updates has been created not just as another “app” for lawyers looking to promote themselves online. It is has been created, and is being marketed, as something valuable to all professionals.

The offering is in line with what we hear from LinkedIn these days about the company’s role as a “dashboard for business intelligence” for everyone on the site. (For more on this subject, listen to veteran journalist Kara Swisher’s recent interview with LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner.)

Every document in Legal Updates includes the ability to add the lawyer who wrote or uploaded it to your own LinkedIn network, with the click of a link. What starts as a legal update continues as a new network connection, the beginning of a relationship.

But, with the arrival of Legal Updates as a means for lawyers to connect with people in the industries they serve, what’s more important are the segments such as insurance, real estate, tech  and  financial services. JD Supra appears to understand the value of targeted delivery. One month into launch, the job over the long haul will be to get professionals to install the application. The social network’s sheer size and exclusivity are bound to help.

Gina F. Rubel, Esq., is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications, Inc., apublic relations and marketing agency with a niche in legal communications. A former Philadelphia trial attorney and public relations expert, Rubel is the author of Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers . Rubel and her PR and marketing firm have won numerous awards for legal communications, public relations, media relations, strategic planning, corporate philanthropy and leadership. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com, is a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer Blog and blogs for The Huffington Post . You can find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ginarubel.  For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com .