Legal Internet Marketing Blog

Is Advertising on Facebook Worth it for Your Business?

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:56:02 -0800

Social media marketing is a continually shifting field due to continual changes in demographics and policies from social media sites, which can make many businesses, including law firms, nervous about their current or future plans in these avenues. Over the last few months, many have become skeptical of whether or not promoting their business on Facebook is worth it. However, despite worries, advertising and marketing via Facebook is still valuable for your career as an attorney, you just have to find the right plan.

Major Companies and Facebook Advertising
On May 15, General Motors announced that it would be pulling its advertising from Facebook, calling it “ineffectual” according to The Wall Street Journal. GM spends approximately $40 million on marketing through Facebook, that’s right, $40 MILLION, $10 million of which is used for advertising while the rest is for content creation.

But this rather large denouncement of Facebook’s advertising has been offset by Ford and Chrysler, who have stated they will continue advertising on the site, with Ford stating, “We’ve found Facebook ads to be very effective when strategically combined with engagement, great content and innovative ways of storytelling, rather than treating them as a straight media buy.”

Anti-Facebook Sentiment and the Rest of the Social Media World
Much concern over the stability and lasting power of Facebook has been spurred on by the company’s initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange, which could net $12.7 billion. Additionally, a recent poll by the Associated Press and CNBC found that 46% of participants believed Facebook would fade out over the coming years. Such sentiment can make any company worried, but there are many reasons to stay positive about Facebook.

That same poll found that 43% of participants believed Facebook would find long-term success. Additionally, competitor site Google+ is putting up abysmal interaction numbers, with the average post receiving less than one reply, reshare, and +1. Additionally, active users average 12 days between posts and the average number of posts for users steadily declines every month.

Creating the Right Facebook Marketing Plan
Marketing on Facebook, like any social media site, requires more than simple advertisement, it needs a creative and well-executed marketing plan that creates organic interaction with users and fosters a community around one’s company. A law firm cannot simply find success through ads on social media sites; it must make social media a highly important aspect of its marketing.

At SLS Consulting, we understand the need for a well crafted legal Internet marketing plan tailor-made for each client that will help them reach the highest potential success online. This includes social media and many other aspects of online marketing. For more information on how we can assist you in developing your social media presence, call us today at (323) 254-1510.

Is Your Business Guilty of a "Flinchworthy" Social Media Presence?

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:16:26 -0800

Let’s get one thing straight before we jump in: Having a flinchworthy social media presence is absolutely not a good thing. It is true that infamy gets attention, but that does not necessarily lead to conversions. The trick is to have a praiseworthy social media presence. This takes a lot of work and does not happen overnight, but it is as much about not falling into flinchworthy territory as it is about focusing on best practices. If you find the line between praiseworthy and flinchworthy territory a bit blurry, these social media don’ts inspired by a Hubspot article, should help it become sharper.

Do NOT:

Launch a private social media account. The whole point of social media is to be “social.” If you make it harder for people to follow your business, they won’t bother.

Be just a giver or just a taker. Social media is all about balance. If you follow hundreds of people but only have a handful of followers on Twitter, there is a problem. Likewise, if you have thousands of followers but only follow 10 people yourself, there is also a problem.

Be long-winded. Keep your updates short and sweet. Just because Facebook now allows you to post updates around 63,000 words does not mean you should. It’s an update, not a novella.

Air your dirty laundry. Whether by employer or employee, hashing out personal issues on Twitter and other social media is inappropriate and won’t interest your audience in the way you want. As a business/brand, you have to keep a certain level of professionalism. Remember, Twitter can help market your business, but only if you use it correctly.

Put down competitors. It makes you and your business seem petty and unprofessional. Tell/show people why your business is great, not why others are bad.

Make insensitive comments. It is important to use newsworthy stories and information when relevant to your business, but be careful not to make off-color statements about controversial/sensitive subjects. Always remain within good taste.

Publicly use social media as customer support. Some general customer service issues can be handled over social media, but there is always a point when it should be directed offline or to a private channel.

Hijack hashtags. Using trending hashtags for their popularity when they have nothing to do with what you are tweeting is a definite no-no.

Overload tweets with hashtags. Including too many hashtags is spammy and makes your tweets harder to read.

Insult your audience/customer base. No business in their right mind would actually do this knowingly, but can inadvertently do so while joking around or making light of something. Know your audience well enough to know what will go over as a joke and what won’t.

Spam! Social media automation may save time but it can result in too many and/or irrelevant tweets/updates.

Rely solely on retweeting. Original content is essential.

A strong social media presence is critical to an effective Internet marketing campaign, but it can be easily sabotaged by the aforementioned mistakes. At SLS Consulting, we help our clients reach the highest potential of an effective online marketing strategy, including social media. If you are interested in developing a strong, praiseworthy, social media presence, contact our offices at (323) 254-1510 for more information.

Who Says Web Designers Can't Have All the Fun? SLS Consulting is 2012 Website Winner of Two 18th Annual Communicator Awards

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:12:59 -0800

It is with great enthusiasm that SLS Consulting announces winning not one, but two 2012 Website Winner 18th Annual Communicator Awards: one for Excellence in the Corporate Communications category and one for Distinction in the Law and Legal Services category. The Communicator Awards is a leading international creative awards program that makes honoring creative distinction among professionals in the communication industry its priority.

SLS Consulting has won the website design and development award for excellence for its work on and creation of the legal website for Nebraska personal injury law firm Cullan & Cullan, LLC, http://www.cullanlaw.com/. Considering that the Communicator Awards receives over 6,000 entries from around the world from public relations firms, in-house creative professionals, production firms, graphic designers, design firms, interactive agencies, and ad agencies, receiving recognition from this organization is an outstanding honor.

Those in charge of judging and monitoring Communicator Awards submissions are from the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), which boasts more than 500 members of professionals from the visual arts who work to uphold the value of traditional and interactive media evolution. Some current IAVA members include Disney, Coach, Condé Nast, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estée Lauder, HBO, Keller Crescent, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Tribal DDB, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, Yahoo!, and more.

Linda Day, IAVA’s executive director, reflected on the 2012 awards in declaring, “The pool of entries we received for this year’s Communicator Awards serves as a true testament to the innovative ideas and capabilities of communications and marketing professionals around the world.”

The legal website designers and the entire team at SLS Consulting are proud of being recognized by the Communicator Awards and IAVA. In working with law firms and lawyers throughout the United States to capture their unique qualities and successes on their legal websites, SLS Consulting integrates custom website design, search engine optimization (SEO), informative content, social media sharing, and other features and strategies. Learn more about the differences we’ve made for our clients by reading our testimonials.

Social Sharing, Business Leads, and the Zero Moment of Truth

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:03:07 -0800

Convincing consumers to trust your company and its services takes time, effort, and a strong marketing strategy. However, the continual evolution of the Internet and the way that consumers view and research law firms online has radically altered the way that legal services are marketed to consumers.

Consumers today often perform extensive research on lawyers and law firms before they ever make a call. This occurrence of trust in the online age has been called the “Zero Moment of Truth” by Google and has a direct impact on how attorneys market their services and how their sites are ranked by search engines.

One of the most important aspects to successful search engine marketing and having a higher likelihood of consumers choosing your firm is to share as much information as possible about your company online.

Sharing via your website and as many relevant social media outlets as possible will accomplish two important goals for your firm, as discussed by Inc.com:

Greater amounts of relevant information online concerning your company will allow Google to more favorably judge your business and increase its search engine ranking; and

Consumers will hold your company in higher esteem and be more likely to judge you as trustworthy in your field of practice; therefore leading to a greater chance they will buy your product or service.

Important knowledge to share online includes information concerning your practice areas, staff, and services, as well as insight into your business and tactics. For example, a marketing company can provide insider tips on how to better market your business, thus proving itself to be a trustworthy source in the field. Providing relevant knowledge and insight not available elsewhere can make your firm a highly regarded source of information that consumers are more likely to trust. Additionally, being highly informative can increase your site’s search engine rankings.

When a law firm shares its ideals, plans, and inner structure, it makes it easier for consumers to trust, and a greater likelihood of trust means a more quickly reached Zero Moment of Truth, thus creating a higher chance that you will be the firm they call for help.

Developing the right online marketing strategy for your firm is a difficult process. At SLS Consulting, our legal internet marketing team has been assisting law firms obtain successful search engine results for more than a decade. For a free consultation, call our offices today at (323) 254-1510.

Law Firms and the Wonderful World of Tweets: How to Improve Your Interactions on Twitter

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:00:53 -0800

Of the many social media networks available, Twitter is extremely unique, allowing individuals, businesses, organizations, and media outlets of all kinds to express themselves and let their voice be heard in 140 characters or less.

Twitter is ever-increasing in popularity and can certainly be a valuable marketing tool for all businesses, big or small. As a law firm, increasing your visibility on the Internet is vital in order to reach potential clients and make an impact on your colleagues, and as such, improving your interaction on this viable social networking platform is essential to making the most of your time and applying effective strategies.

The following are four practical tips for attorneys using Twitter:

Create a plan. Having a clear strategy and goals will help Twitter become an important digital channel for your law firm. Understand why you want to be a part of the Twitter universe by asking yourself certain questions, such as, how can you build your firm’s brand awareness, and, how can you stand out from other law firms in your field? After determining your goals, craft your strategy accordingly so what you’re tweeting is relevant, insightful, and helpful to your followers and will attract new followers.

ReTweet others, and thank those who take the time to retweet you.ReTweeting is an excellent way to increase your firm’s visibility and get the law firm’s name in front of consumers and those within your online community who may not have heard of you before. But be sure to retweet tweets that actually interest you or that you feel have an impact. Also, create a solid list of individuals or other groups you may want to target or interact with. Be sure to thank fellow Twitter users who have retweeted you - be personable and start a conversation! Your tweets will begin to gain more traction and will reach a broader audience.

Considering scheduling some of your Twitter use. Not everyone who may be interested in your law firm will be online at the same time, so scheduling will help ensure your Tweets travel and get good exposure. For example, try and set up Tweets when you’re out of the office or in court all day. Most importantly, scheduling can help you be around outside of your normal hours! Potential clients may be looking you up on evenings or a weekend, so scheduling will ensure your Twitter presence is not only during business hours. However, it is important to not solely rely on scheduled Tweets, otherwise you may neglect to apply live Tweets as well; therefore making your Tweets less genuine. After all, Twitter is accessible on Smartphones, iPads, etc., which makes being social and marketing your law firm easier while on-the-go.

Make yourself, and your tweets, stand out. Take a look at what the competition is doing and create a strategy that’s different than what others are offering. Also, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through! Though your account may be for your law firm and you have to be professional, being unique will remind others that they’re interacting with an actual person which will in turn make your Twitter use more successful.

Increasing your law firm’s presence on social media sites, such as Twitter, can help your business grow, help you create an online community, and help you get new clients who may be in need of legal representation or advice. For more information on strengthening your law firm’s social media presence, contact the legal Internet marketing team at SLS Consulting. Call (323) 254-1510 today for a free growth assessment.

SEO Says Clean Your Room: Do Your Inbound Links Lead to a Mess?

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:27:21 -0800

You want to market your business online, so you develop a website, as well as a blog, set up your Local profiles, and the essential social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and perhaps Pinterest.

You’ve implemented a great inbound marketing strategy to get traffic to your site in the hope of generating leads. Everything is set, your inbound link profile is strong, but there seems to be an anti-climactic end to all that hard work and preparation. Why?

In short, you should have made sure your house was clean and organized before you invited guests. So many people focus on building inbound links that they forget that where the inbound links are going has to be well-organized and presentable. If you neglect the internal linking of your website, then it is unlikely to be user or crawler-friendly. Who wants to go over to a house with messy rooms and a convoluted floor plan? No one, and why? Because people (and crawling robots) like clear, presentable, and easy access to all necessary areas.

According to an article on SearchEngineWatch.com, in order to make the most of your inbound marketing strategy, you have to first make sure the internal structure of your business website is both search engine and user-friendly. Here are some helpful tips to accomplish this:

Build a sitemap;

Use absolute URLs throughout your site;

Navigational linking should be CSS based or textual;

Anchor text should always be a relevant term, if not a keyword phrase. Never use “click here” as a primary link’s anchor text;

Use the four types of navigational linking: main, footer, breadcrumb, and supplemental/secondary;

Link to supporting content on your site or even on another site (using “target blank” links); and

Create clear calls to action in multiple areas.

Building a strong online presence is not all about inbound links, and neither is SEO. Everything is interconnected and you cannot afford to overlook anything. At SLS Consulting, we understand the importance of a clear and logical internal link structure to ensure that our legal clients’ inbound links lead to a well-designed and easy to navigate website. If you’re missing something in your online marketing strategy, we can help you find it. Feel free to call us at (323) 254-1510 to learn more.

So You Want to Rank Higher on Google Maps? Beware of Google Places Pitfalls...

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:25:39 -0800

The first thing we hear from almost every new client is something along the following lines:

“How much are my rankings going to improve?”

It’s no secret that a well-optimized website is going to rank well on the major search engines, but the days of relying strictly on optimization are long gone. Citations from credible sources, client reviews, regularly updated (relevant) content, and even a presence on social media sites are all aspects of Internet marketing campaigns that are carefully considered during the ranking process. What about a local marketing campaign though? Let’s examine Google Places to learn more about certain pitfalls that you should avoid at all costs if you want your address and website to have a strong showing in the SERPs and on Google Maps.

KEYWORD STUFFING is never a good thing when it comes to content. It often comes across as unreadable and very unnatural sounding. So why would it benefit you at all within Google Maps, particularly if you’re choosing to use keywords in your listing title? Short answer, there is no long term benefit to keyword stuffing your title. In fact, it violates Google's rules. While some companies may find momentary exposure and enjoy high rankings as a result of their “terms-of-use-violating keyword” titles, Google will penalize them in the long run. In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
PHONE NUMBER CONFUSION doesn’t help prospective clients trying to get into contact with your business, and is therefore a big no-no in the eyes of Google. Ultimately, Google wants one thing for its listings on Google Maps – accuracy. Google wants real phone numbers that are associated with real addresses so that real customers can communicate with and eventually travel to real, brick-and-mortar buildings.
Always submit a 100% COMPLETE PROFILE. Google allows users to list a certain amount of information about their companies so that Internet searchers can be better informed when researching a local business. Include relevant business categories when asked (try to choose completely from Google’s list of categories if at all possible), post photos and videos, and be sure to provide business hours and a search radius when you can.
Make sure that YOUR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER(S) are consistently displayed on the web. This means that your company contact page on your website lists your address in the same format that you listed it in Google Places. Remember, while Google will certainly take a business owner’s word for the business details you provide it, the search engine giant still relies heavily on scouring the web and cross-referencing business listing information with other credible sources (e.g. Better Business Bureau). Make sure these citations are accurate, that formats used are consistent, and your Google Places listing should begin to steadily move its way up the ladder of page one search.

Pay attention to those specific areas of your Google Places listing and you should be in pretty good shape. If you do it right the first time, it’s going to save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. For more information about how to obtain high search engine visibility, contact the legal Internet marketing team at SLS Consulting. Call (323) 254-1510 today for a free growth assessment.

What Are the Major Changes to Facebook Timeline Fan Pages?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:20:46 -0800

For many users, the transition to Facebook Timeline hasn’t been without its share of headaches. Whether it’s picking and choosing posts that you wish to be a public part of your Timeline, or authorizing applications to automatically post to your Wall, some individual Facebook users had a lot of work to do prior to their Timelines being ready for public viewing. For businesses and brands, however, the editing of posts hasn’t been as much of a problem as not having any posts to edit in the first place.

Previously, fan pages differed from each other in one major way: activity. That is, pages that had more activity were oftentimes considered more valuable than pages that didn’t have as many posts or comments. Even if a company or brand had only recently created a page, frequent/regular activity promoted discussion, would inevitably lead to more “likes” and page visits, and would ultimately bode well for the social media campaign at hand. However, Timeline changed things…if only just a bit.

Fan pages boasting the new Timeline feature not only can benefit from the visually appealing new features such as cover photos and increased screen width within iframe applications, but run the risk of hurting their credibility as well. Facebook fan page administrators now have two tasks at hand: keeping up the discussion in order to further promote new activity, and filling in the gaps where their Facebook activity was previously lagging (typically occurring around the time the fan page was initially created). To further complicate matters, companies also have the option (and really no choice, if you think about it) to post information about the early years of business, specifically from founding date onward. For media rich brands like Coca-Cola or the New York Times, filling in an entire company history (though daunting), shouldn’t be terribly difficult. However, for the smaller business that is new to the world of social media, but that has been in business for years, the pressure to thoroughly fill in all the gaps can seem downright overwhelming.

So what’s an administrator to do when faced with such a dilemma? Easy…work backwards. Begin populating your profile from your founding date onward. If you have old pictures of your first office, or products you used to carry, post them. If you don’t have a lot of material to work with and add to your fan page, be creative and try to post something anyway. Even if the backdated status updates you post aren’t terribly riveting, be assured that your fans will appreciate your effort, even if only for entertainment purposes.

Generally speaking, people want to learn more about the companies and brands that they like and do business with. If you’re worried that your company’s/brand’s history just won’t cut it, don’t worry. Your fans are there for a reason, and will continue to like your page anyway, regardless of how well you build out your Timeline. Just remember to always play off of your fans’ feedback and try to give them fresh content that they’d be interested to read. Good luck!

What Do You Look For In A Search Engine Optimization Company?

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:13:57 -0800

Generally speaking, there are two types of search engine optimization (SEO) companies out there. The first company - we’ll call this company “SEO 1” - is the one that randomly gets into contact with you, either by email, filling out a form on your site or a cold-call. The second kind of company – “SEO 2” - is the kind that you find out about yourself, either by doing your own research or from the recommendation of a trusted colleague. Let’s compare…

SEO 1 will frequently make promises that it has no intention of keeping - “No. 1 placement in Google”, “thousands of visitors” or a certain number of “guaranteed sales leads” each month. SEO 1 will often explain to its potential clients that they are not ranking as strongly as they used to and definitely not as strongly as the competition. SEO 1 will then claim to have the necessary know-how to correct those troublesome rankings. Essentially, SEO 1 is habitually prepared to tell you exactly what it is you want to hear. Even though there may be some (we use the word lightly) validity to SEO 1’s claims, such sure-fire, quick fix methods should always be approached with a certain degree of skepticism. Remember what your Mommy always told you… “If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.”

SEO 2, on the other hand, doesn’t rely on cold calling or randomly emailing potential customers. It doesn’t make false promises or guarantees, but instead offers insight into what rankings could be if the right amount of hard work is put into earning them. SEO 2 doesn’t need an alluring sales pitch to sell a potential client, it relies completely on positive word of mouth and referrals from past satisfied clients. Ultimately, SEO 2 doesn’t need to sell itself. SEO 2’s work sells itself.

While the sales tactics employed by SEO companies certainly vary greatly, past results should always be an indicator of future success. If an SEO company is able to refer you to satisfied clients, or even publicizes those referrals on its website as testimonials, you are on the right track. Remember, there is no better indicator of future success than past results. If past results cannot be provided, you might want to shop around a bit more for your next search engine optimization company.

"If I Only Had a Brain"...How We Respond to Content on the Web

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:54:40 -0800

Everyone has wondered what another person was thinking at one point or another. In fact, many marketers would say this would be the Holy Grail for knowing exactly what customers want and how to provide them with it (i.e. get them to “buy” or “convert”). While neuroscience doesn’t focus on mind-reading, and marketers can dream on, it does reveal how and why parts of our brains respond or become activated by what we are doing, seeing, or feeling, among other senses and cognitive functions.

You may have heard about The Premium Experience: Neurological Engagement on Premium Websites, a report created by NeuroFocus based on the results of a study that was co-sponsored by Facebook. Devices were used to measure the brainwaves of test subjects when visiting websites to establish how they responded to websites and website ads. Maybe marketers can read minds after all…

As described in a Search Engine Land article, researchers evaluated the reactions of test subjects, an even amount of men and women between the ages of 21 and 54, to the Yahoo! homepage, their personal Facebook news feeds, and The New York Times homepage. The main goal of the study was to identify how a website’s structure and ad campaigns influence how users react to a site as a whole. The specific reactions measured were attention, emotional engagement, and memory retention.

The results of the study are far too extensive to dive into here; however, in a nutshell, as outlined by HubSpot, The New York Times produced greater levels of attention and memory in the subjects than the other two pages, but lower levels of emotional engagement. The Yahoo! homepage produced greater levels of emotional engagement than The New York Times homepage, but lower levels than the Facebook page. With regard to all of the three pages, Yahoo! had the lowest degree of memory activation. On the other hand, test subjects looking at their personal Facebook news feeds had greater levels of activation for attention, emotional engagement, and memory.

Marketers can make several conclusions from the results of this study. One of the biggest takeaways is that a website or social media site that creates a personalized experience for a visitor by making interacting with the brand easy, engaging, memorable, and worthwhile is the key to conversion (getting new clients), maintaining clients, and making a name for yourself in your field among your peers and even your competition. How a website looks and what it contains (content, images, video, etc.) matters. You can have an awful site that offers nothing to write home about to visitors that ranks #1 on Google, but you will most likely have very few clients.

A great place to start for creating an experience online that captures the message of your company and provides visitors with something personal, meaningful, and helpful, is with content. Write it like you mean it and say what you know people need answers to.

This isn't Vegas - What Happens Online...Stays Everywhere!

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 -0800

Let’s clear something up. There seems to be a misconception that blog posts, Facebook wall posts, and Tweets are “secret.” Contrary to what they say about Las Vegas, what happens on the Internet, does not just stay on the Internet. It doesn’t even always stay in one place!

Most of us hope that people will share our content online – it’s a way to help spread valuable information while also helping establish yourself and/or your company as an authority in a particular field. But you have to be careful about what you publish online in your name or your company’s name.

Let’s focus on the fact that what you publish online, whether it’s on your website, in a blog post, in a Tweet, in a Facebook photo or even a comment, has the potential to jump off-screen and into a courtroom if at all necessary and deemed ethical and legal for the case at hand. But this isn’t all; under some circumstances, search results that come up for your name and any content you’ve published online can easily be accessed by a potential employer, client, or even by a university reviewing your, or a loved one’s, application.

As an example of just how transparent social media content can be, according to a recent MSNBC article, the Maryland Department of Corrections has been asking job applicants during interviews to log into their Facebook accounts and allow the person interviewing to watch the applicant click through wall posts, photos, friends, etc. While many would argue that this is pretty extreme, a person doesn’t need your Facebook login to necessarily access information about you online; information you may not even realize shows up in search results. That’s why it’s important to be professional, even if lighthearted, with social media.

As a Wall Street Journal report emphasizes, a study evaluating the Facebook profiles of 56 college students with jobs showed a noteworthy connection for characteristics such as conscientiousness, agreeability, and intellectual curiosity with regard to job performance and Facebook profiles. However, there are possible legal issues of using social media to screen individuals applying for jobs, as discrimination lawsuits could surface in relation to religion, gender, and race.

Social media does wonders for an Internet marketing campaign, but it also has the power to negatively influence a person’s job, marriage, friendships, and even their civil, family law, or criminal case, if it comes down to it.

You may be wondering why this topic is being discussed on a blog that mostly addresses legal Internet marketing matters. While most attorneys are on top of their Internet reputation management, sometimes it’s more about what an attorney’s clients are doing online that could come back to haunt them. But then again, we can all use reminders about the obvious from time to time, right?

5 DOs and DON'Ts for Attorneys Using Twitter

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:43:59 -0800

A day in the life of a lawyer is never finished; there is always something that needs to be done. Who has time for social media?

It’s true that social media is time consuming, but it’s more about remembering to stay active on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Avvo, just to name a few, and implementing these platforms into your daily routine when you’re already online anyway checking email. It pays to spend time on social media, especially for lawyers, since most social media platforms don’t cost you anything and are easy to use – think of it as an opportunity for free advertising! And, with most social media sites having mobile accessibility, using these platforms is all the more convenient for your on-the-go schedule.

While it’s quite common for an attorney to brush off social media, underestimating its power may leave you at the end of a competitive race. To emphasize this point, let’s take a closer look at Twitter.

Most of the time, lawyers don’t know what they should tweet about on Twitter or they are afraid how Twitter will affect their reputation. It’s not about being shy more than it’s about liability. Of course, you’re not going to tweet about confidential information, but even if you are simply expressing your opinion, social media is publicly available and you don’t want to offend anyone. A good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t say something to a current or potential client in a meeting, don’t tweet it!

So, how can you be interesting yet responsible on Twitter?

A recent HubSpot blog shares that from a survey of 1,443 Twitter users who rated 43,738 tweets during a 19-day period, only 36% of tweets were considered to be worth reading, 39% were thought to be mediocre at best, and 25% of tweets were not worth reading at all. With this in mind, here is our Twitter attorney DOs and DON’Ts list.

What You Shouldn’t Do

Share Private/Confidential Information

Tweet inside jokes

Talk only about yourself

Document your every move throughout the day

Complain constantly

What You Should Do

Respond to tweets directed at you, even if controversial/negative

Ask your followers questions

Retweet or tweet at others to start conversation

Share links to content of interest

Promote events, community involvement, offers

What Types of Results Should You Expect?
Twitter, and most social media, is all about keeping a balance. There is definitely a way to overuse Twitter if what you’re tweeting isn’t interesting or of importance to your audience and your followers. Twitter is a platform where you can build relationships, such as finding another law firm or attorney that will participate in guest blogging. It’s possible that Twitter can get you clients, but it can’t be used with that as a goal – followers will see right through you!

Gaining followers on Twitter takes time – be patient, be considerate, be intentional, and have fun!

If you’d like to learn more about how to leverage the power of Twitter for your law firm, the legal Internet marketing team at SLS Consulting can help. For over a decade, we’ve assisted attorneys and law firms throughout the country obtain successful search engine results through content development, search engine optimization (SEO), custom website design, and social media marketing. Call (323) 254-1510 today for a free growth assessment.

Have You Come Across Anything Pinteresting Recently on the Internet?

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:10:59 -0800

Nowadays, it seems as though a new social media site pops up every couple of months or so. At one point, Liking, Tweeting, and +1ing were all the latest social media crazes. Lately though, it’s all about Pinning. But, as with all social media sites, will businesses and brands be able to incorporate pinning into their online marketing campaigns?

Pinterest, a photo sharing site that can easily be set up to work in tandem with other popular social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, works in the exact way in which its name implies. Site users essentially “pin” images that they find of “interest” to their profiles. Like other social media sites, individuals can connect with, or follow, the profiles of their friends and other people whom they share similar interests with. However, while such a site certainly has its merits for the typical Internet user, businesses can only wonder whether or not having a presence on Pinterest will benefit their marketing campaigns.

In order for a business to determine whether or not creating a profile will benefit its marketing campaign, it need only ask one question: will we be active on this social network? For companies and brands, activity on social networking accounts is typically of primary concern, especially since conversation on social media sites tends to move rather quickly. So, regardless what type of business is contemplating whether or not to create a Pinterest account, the first thing that should be determined is whether or not there is enough time and manpower to commit to appropriately managing another social networking site. If the answer is yes, the company or brand should then ask whether or not posting images is even pertinent to its business. For example, a florist could certainly benefit by posting pictures of its arrangements, whereas an attorney would have little to choose from in terms of types of pictures that could even (tastefully) be posted.

Ultimately, when it comes to choosing which social sites your company should have a presence on, you need to determine whether not you will:

Have enough time to devote to another social media site, and

Ask yourself whether or not the social site will help your company gets its message across/promote is products.

And remember, even though a social site such a Pinterest may not seem as though it can effectively be used in your company’s Internet marketing campaign, there are always ways to creatively incorporate any social media site into one’s marketing efforts.

Facebook Timeline Now Available for Brand Pages, Almost...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:41:16 -0800

The countdown has begun and brands are working hard to prepare their Facebook fan pages for the transition to the Timeline. At the end of this month, all pages will (supposedly) be converted to Facebook’s new Timeline format, a blessing for some brands and a headache for others. Depending on the type of business you are in, populating your Facebook Timeline may be a piece of cake. However, there are many other companies that are going to have to be a little more creative in order to put together a well-rounded Timeline.

The Timeline structure is inherently flawed when it comes to local businesses and brands on Facebook. That is, whereas some businesses have been around for 50 years, Facebook has not. Furthermore, brand pages themselves have only been around for a few years, so whatever presence a company has on Facebook is typically going to be limited to but a fraction of the length of time the company has actually been in business. With the inception of Timeline for brand pages, companies must now deal with sizeable gaps of time that they (ideally) need to fill in in order for their Timelines to be complete. Like we stated earlier, this task will be relatively easy for some companies, and somewhat difficult for others.

Essentially, it could be said that the playing field is no longer as level as it once was. While two companies in the same industry, both with Facebook fan pages, could previously be judged solely according to the value of their posts and other original content, judgment may now possibly favor companies who have been in business longer, and who consequently have richer histories from which to draw posting material from. Essentially, the more information you have available for your Timeline, the better off your business is, which means that companies who have been in business longer are naturally going to have a leg up, right? Nope…not necessarily.

The number of years a company has been in business does not have to be detrimental to its social media presence, particularly its presence on Facebook. With rich wall posts consisting of interesting, original content that people want to read and share, any company can create a strong foothold on the world’s most popular social networking site. While it may not be as easy for a new company to fill in their Timeline with as much content as their older competitors, it is the value of the content that will ultimately lead to more likes and fan interaction. The more valuable the content, the more people will want to talk about it. Remember, even though company A may have been in business longer than company B, it does not necessarily mean that company B isn’t as good of a company. Or we can at least hope that people don’t interpret Timeline for brands this way.

Are Your Company's NAP's Consistent?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:16:25 -0800

NAP (more clearly referenced as “Name, Address, Phone Number”) is one of the most important aspects of an Internet marketing campaign, particularly when it comes to local place listings on sites such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo (and at a more micro level, Acxiom, Localeze, and InfoUSA). When it comes to NAP, consistency is imperative, and knowing where to look for your listing information is key.

First of all, you need to decide how you want your business listing information to read. For example, if you want to use the word “Suite” instead of the # sign when referring to individual office numbers, be sure to use the same format on all listing sites. If your company or brand has a dba, you need to decide which name you want your company searched for on the Internet. And as far as telephone numbers are concerned, you need to make sure to not only use the same number for each office location you are planning on listing, but you need to use local numbers, not toll-free (and preferably not tracking numbers if at all possible).

When it comes to local place listings and NAPs, consistency can make all the difference in the world. For instance, while one may assume that claiming your company’s business listing on a site like Google Places would allow you to edit and update NAP information with ease, the world of local search listings is not that simplistic. User provided information is but one component of consistent listings, while the other (sometimes more influential components) often stem from other local listing, review, or business registry (such as Better Business Bureau) sites.

What this means for companies and brands is that, when distributing information to listing sites, is it very important to understand which sites pull information from other sites on the Internet, and which sites certain local listing sites, review sites, or aggregator sites distribute their information to. Put bluntly, you need to be able to get to the root of your listing information, and take control of that information at the source so as to help ensure consistency across multiple sites.

So, be sure that your company’s NAPs are consistent. This will help allow your marketing team to rest a little easier when it comes to local search and focus its efforts on other avenues meant to bring in new business.

At SLS Consulting, our legal Internet marketing team has been assisting lawyers and law firms in obtaining successful search engine results for over a decade. We make it our priority to ensure that our clients’ local listings are accurate, consistent, and effective. To learn more and to receive a free growth assessment, call us today at (323) 254-1510.