Facebook Page Keeps Lawyer's Services Top of Mind and Brings Him Business

miskin-facebook.jpg

The use of Facebook - which is getting bad publicity lately (including a potential class action law suit here in Canada) - totally fascinates me when it is utilized to promote professional services.

But when you boil everything down to the fundamentals, growing your business is all about developing relationships. Many years ago a mentor once told me, "People buy people, not things", and I will carry that philosophy with me to my grave.

So with this fundamental business thought in mind, it makes perfect business sense to become a "citizen" in the biggest "country" on the internet.

Murray Miskin, an Ontario lawyer, is an example of a legal industry professional who is actively using several forms of social networking tools to develop relationships with people and promote his practice.

I had an opportunity to chat with Mr. Miskin the other day and I asked him a few questions about his successes with Facebook, his approach. This is what he shared with me:

I recently restructured my law firm and thought it would be a good time to set up a new Facebook page for the firm ...[it is] a good way to communicate about our new services, locations and our new way of doing business.

I have definitely gotten clients and referrals from people who are Facebook friends (eg. real estate agents) who might otherwise not have thought of me.

Mr. Miskin is using this free tool to ultimately bring more existing and potential clients to his website and to his blog. He runs two accounts on Facebook; his business account, and then a personal account where he allows his personal opinionated side to come out. The personal account is only open to "friends", but anyone visiting the Facebook-World can view his business account.

His advice to lawyers who ask him about using Facebook?

  • Don't be shy.
  • Get out there and you will see that it really helps and it is fun to do.
  • It is important to understand how social media and search engines work and to have a strategy for this type of marketing.

Online directories or referral services: which option provides biggest bang for buck?

There has been a lot of international talk in the social media about the value of online legal directories. So much so I thought it warrented discussion here in Canada.

I Googled “legal directory” in Google.ca. The were 920,000 results. Searches for  “legal referral service” came back with only 50,300 results. Big difference. Not only in these numbers, but I also think a big difference in the results a lawyer can get from each of these services.

bigstock_Business_success.jpgIn the case of Directories (like Canadian-lawyers.ca by LexisNexis, Canadian Law List, or even the ever popular YellowPages) they typically offer a generic listing of the lawyer’ s name, firm name, address, contact information, etc. In some case there are extra fees to have a small biography, photographs, and email and website links.  But no referrals to speak of, and no real search engine optimization techniques directed specifically at the listers’ profile page.

Online referral services (like LawyerLocate.ca and LawyerShop) typically offer a great deal more. You often receive a “minisite” for yourself to list your practice details, contact information, etc. and you are provided referrals to individuals searching for your specific type of practice in a specific geographic area. Some referral services are specific to a certain practice area, such as the Canadian Family Law Lawyers Network, which charges not only a “registration fee”, but also a referral fee should you be retained.

Now,  some of you are already aware that I work for LawyerLocate.ca. So you may be thinking that this post is self-serving. Well it is…to a point. But it is also a post to inform you that there are differences between Directories and Referral Services, and to make you aware of this point. And to even make you aware that there are differences from one referral service to the next.

With so many online marketing/advertising options out there for you to choose from, it is important to your research first.  You all work hard for your money. So my question is this: Do you want to put that money into services that mirror the “Listing Book” of old, or do you want to invest in something that puts you and your practice on the cutting edge of internet information technology? Something that gets you internet exposure,  referrals to potential clients,  as well as something that can lead to superior search engine positioning?

Best advice: Search online for those referral services that rank high in the results. Research. Ask questions. Look for references from happy clients. And don’t put your eggs all in one basket.

Mobile Yellow Pages Results Not the Same as Yellow Pages Online

Last week I wrote a post about the Yellow Pages print directory. Today I discovered what I would consider a "major flaw" in their internet advertising packages, and I feel compelled to share it with you all.

yellowonline.jpgI am not here today to provide my insights or comments on whether or not I think a listing in the Yellow Pages online directory is an effective strategy in link development for your website. That topic, which would be a "loaded" conversation, I will save for a later date. This post is strictly about something I observed with their Sponsored Listings.

Over the past few years the Yellow Pages have had several advertising "programs" to allow advertisers to appear at or near the top of the directory pages. The programs have changed, and so have the names. You might remember them as Priority Listings, Provincial Leaders, or some variation of. Several months ago they auctioned off positionings to exisiting advertisers. It is hard to keep up with it all; but the bottom line is the advertiser pays a premium price for a premium location.

Pay more, get more. Sounds fair to me.mobileyp.jpg

But I just did a search online in their directory for lawyer in Vancouver BC. Up comes the results page with two "Sponsored Listings"; Bronson Jones & Company being at the top.

Then I did the same search on my phone using their mobile site. Bronson Jones & Company were no where to be found. I gave up after searching past the first 150 lawyers in the list! It appears to me that someone who is paying a premium for yellowpages.ca is treated like a "free lister" when it comes to the mobile version of their site.

Does this still sound fair to you?

And if you are a premium online advertiser with yellowpages.ca, were you aware that your priority positioning is not currently carried over to the mobile version of their directory?

 

 

 

Do you think the Yellow Pages are still "The Way" to promote your practice?

Think again.

This photograph was taken this morning in the lobby of our offices. I have literally walked by this stack of Yellow Pages every single day for the past several months.

yellowpages.jpgThe building where we work is “home” to several law firms and sole practitioners. Even they do not feel compelled to pick up the copy that was designated for delivery to their office – despite the fact that many of them have paid to be advertised in them. 

It is becoming clear that the days of printed phone books are numbered. The Yellow Pages Group recently announced that the residential book is only delivered on request to those who live in major Canadian cities. But did you know that they also have an “opt-out” program for delivery of those printed Yellow Page directories? The questions to consider are:

  • How long until that opt-out program becomes an “opt-in” program similar to the residential book delivery?
  • With their physical distribution numbers trending downwards, are you paying less for that printed advertisement?

Even the Yellow Pages Group have recognized that peoples’ search methods are switching to online/mobile sources.  Stop and think about the last time you asked your assistant to source something for the firm. Where did they begin their search?  My bet is they started it online with Google, Yahoo or Bing.

So before you sink more of your hard earned money into your printed Yellow Pages advertising, consider these facts:

  • Your target audience may have opted out of receiving a copy of the book, and
  • Your advertisement may stay “trapped” inside a stack of unopened books (like the ones in our lobby).

My advice to you: consider spending your dollars on online advertising and marketing. Create a search engine optimized website. Combine that with an effective online marketing strategy. And don’t listen to your account executive from the Yellow Pages who continues to insist year after year that you still need a full page, full colour print ad in one of their books.

 

Saskatchewan Lawyer Launches Potential Class Action Lawsuit Against Facebook

bigstock_Use_At_Your_Own_Risk_4972326.jpgTony Merchant. A Canadian lawyer whose name has become synonymous with high profile class action lawsuits. Maple Leaf Foods. Vioxx. Fisher Price. Honda. Now you can add Facebook to his long list of active class action suits.

Last week Merchant Law Group launched class proceedings litigation against Facebook Inc. for improper handling of confidential information and privacy issues. The suit (which still needs to be endorsed by the courts to move forward as a class action) alleges that Facebook revised its terms of service in February 2009, "asserting broad, permanent, and retroactive intentions to reveal users' information...without proper communication to or agreement by its users."

"Facebook shamelessly breached the privacy of people who trusted it, is what this claim asserts," lawyer Tony Merchant said in announcing the action.

"Everything from naked teenage pictures sent to boyfriends to confidential business and family secrets sent six or 10 years ago and likely forgotten now goes into the public domain is what the claim will establish," Merchant alleged.

For more information or to join the class action against Facebook Inc., visit Merchant Law Group's website, and fill out the required form.

 

Toronto Lawyer Provided Pro-Bono Services at G20 Bail Courts

With the media reporting more than 900 G20-related arrests, it is no wonder we have a huge backlog in bail court this morning.

513.jpgThankfully, the Province of Ontario had the foresight to set up the courthouse at 2201 Finch Avenue to process those individuals arrested in the G20 protests. These courtrooms were staffed with extra crown attorneys, security and legal aid to help process thoses charged more quickly.

And thankfully there are people like Adam Goodman in this world to help those who have been charged. For many of those charged over the weekend, it will have been their first introduction to the criminal justice system. And I am sure having counsel readily available to them for guidance during this process will have been invaluable service.

Adam selflessly spent much of Sunday giving his time and knowledge to assist those who had been charged as a result of the G20.

 

Ontario Young Lawyers To Have Fun & Fundraise for a Great Cause

baseball.jpgAll work and no play is no fun. And in the throughs of the all G20/G8 "hoopla" this week and into next, we will all be in need of some fun when the downtown core gets back to "normal".

The Young Lawyers' Division of the Ontario Bar Association is, once again, throwing a fundraiser in support of the Jays Care Foundation. This year's Summer Social is scheduled for Thursday, July 8 at the Rogers Centre. (a.k.a. The SkyDome, as some of us still like to refer to it as.)

This is a unique way to have fun, support an important cause, while networking and enjoying a major league baseball game.

The Jays Care Foundation has been empowering children and youth in need, inspiring them to make positive choices and helping them realize their dreams by providing access to programs that support physical activity, education, and life-skill development.

You can register online for the Blue Jays Care Fundraiser Social Event.

Look out RCMP; here comes Bill Gilmour (again)!

biker_bill.jpgWilliam Gilmour. A Brampton lawyer whose name has become synonymous with law suits and the RCMP.

Recall the 2007 RCMP Scandal over alleged corruption and cover-up within the organization? Bill Gilmour, himself a former RCMP officer, went public saying he has a dozen clients waiting to share stories of serious wrongdoing within the force if they were given protection from reprisals.

Today, Bill is making international headlines (Gay Mountie's $13M lawsuit says RCMP ruined his reputation) as counsel for Donald Cooke, a senior RCMP investigator. Mr. Cooke, who is gay, claims in the $13M lawsuit that a "homophobic culture" in the force, unfounded assault allegations, a public arrest, and a lengthy suspension has ruined his reputation.

I had the honour of meeting Bill in 2002, while I was working at the Osgoode Hall Law Library in Toronto, Ontario. My initial impression was that he was a "Gentle Giant". To this date, I still view Bill in this light. But something tells me that the RCMP's legal team may not think of him this same way!

New Canadian Law School Hopes to Improve Access to Justice

Earlier this week Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and University of Calgary announced a partnership to begin the first new law school Canada has seen in thirty years.

The new law school, to be located in Kamloops, BC will adapt the University of Calgary's law school curriculum, allowing the new school to begin teaching in the fall of 2011. The initial class size is expected to be about 60 students.

"There is a growing crisis over the lack of legal representation and access to justice in Canada,” said U of C law school Dean Alastair Lucas. "For the most part, law school graduates are going into direct or indirect corporate roles that will make them good livings and support their communities, but not enough serve the legal needs of individuals, particularly in smaller centres. So getting more law graduates out there is important and we're in a unique position to help make that happen."

lawbookstack.jpgThere is great hope that the graduates of this new law school will remain in the Interior of BC for the duration of their careers and help contribute to the community by providing everyone with critical access to legal services.

Based on my eight years experience of helping individuals in Canada find appropriate lawyers for their specific situation, I can attest to the definite need for more lawyers and legal services outside of major city centres. And I applaud this partnership for contribution it will make towards achieving "Justice for All".

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto Criminal Lawyer Labelled "Web Hero"

Craig Penney, a Toronto criminal lawyer, has a very enviable website presence.  I actually had another criminal lawyer once tell me in an email: I really like his site and you should see how effectively he pops up in Google searches without sponsorship. He is my web hero.

Strong words from a colleague hoping to mimic his online presence.

I had an opportunity to chat with Mr. Penney the other day and I asked him a few questions about his website, his approach, and why he thinks it has been so successful. This is what he shared with me:

I realized very quickly that, for potential clients, hiring a criminal lawyer is a very personal decision. Potential clients needed to know not only how I could help, but "who" I was. Before the web, that information had to be conveyed either on the phone or in person.The web changed all that.

M735_mod.jpgr. Penney's website does not specifically educate people about the law. It was purposely designed to introduce himself to his potential client and allow them to get a feel for who he is as a person and as a lawyer.  Clients can spend as much time as they want reading about Mr. Penney and his cases, in order to assist them in making an informed decision about whether to hire him or not.

He attributes his website's success to the site's ability to allow potential clients to get a real feel for who he is as a person and lawyer.

His advice to lawyers who ask him about creating a website?  Start, he says, by realizing that clients want to know who you are, and then ask yourself the following:

  1. What kind of person are you?
  2. What kind of lawyer are you?
  3. How can I best convey that information in a website?
  4.