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MARCH2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
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LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
Theuseofsocialmediacanbeaneffectivemeansofmarketing,conductingresearch,andgatheringcompetitiveintelligence,butitisimportanttoeducateyouremployeesabouthowtousethesetoolsinaresponsibleway.
LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
Althoughthetraditionalgolfgameremainsavaluabletoolforbuildingbusinessrelationships,socialmediaresourcesaremust-havesfordevelopingbusiness,retainingclients,remainingcompetitive,andperhapsevenplayingaroundofvirtualgolf.
TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia
Youmaybeanenthusiasticconverttothebenefitsofusingsocialmedia,butnowyoumustconvinceyourattorneystolearnhowtheyworkandhowtousethemeffectively.Herearesomeproventipsforstructuringasuccessfultrainingprogram.
CivilDiscourse?
CivicCommonsisanOhio-basedprojectthatexpandsthetraditionalcivicactionmodelbycombiningtechnologywithestablishedmechanismssuchasopenmeetingstolowerthebarforcivicengagement.Inthisarticle,CivicCommons'"curatorofconversation"describestheproject.
InnovatingAheadoftheCurve
Howdoyougetyourlatestinnovativeprojecttomarketfastenoughtokeepupwiththedemandsofyourcustomers,whilestillproducingaquality,full-featuredproductorservice?Onesolutionistobuildacommunity,orsocialnetwork,aroundyourproductsandservicesthatencouragesinteractionandsharingofideasandinformationwithyourcustomers.
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
IrecentlyhadthepleasureofinterviewingJayneNavarre,1authorofthebooksocial.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment,publishedbyThomsonWest.2NavarreisanInternetmarketingstrategistwithmorethan15yearsoflegalindustrymarketingandbusinessdevelopmentexperience.Hercompany,LawGravity,helpsclientscommunicateeffectivelyusingnewmediatools.SheblogsatVirtualMarketingOfficerandisaformerofficerandinternationaldirectoroftheLegalMarketingAssociation.Oure-mailinterviewisexcerptedbelow.
Q:Tellmeaboutyourbook.
A:Thebookisaboutusingsocialmediaformarketingandbusinessdevelopment.Itwalksthereaderthroughafictionalcasestudytodemonstratehowattorneyscanusespecificsocialmediatobuildanewpracticeorexpandanexistingone.Inaddition,thebookofferspracticaladviceontheethicaluseofsocialmedia,thecomponentsofapermission-basedsocialmediapolicy,andhowlawfirmscanproactivelydeployandmanagesocialmedia.
Beyondthatthereisalotofinformationthatcanhelpattorneyscreateameaningfulsocialmediapresence,adviceonhowandwhattopost,andanexplanationofspecifictoolssuchasblogs,Twitter,andLinkedIn.Thebookwrapsupwithsixtruestoriesoflawyerswhohavesuccessfullyintegratedsocialmediaintotheirmarketingandclientcommunications.(Intheinterestoffulldisclosure,JonathanHandelnotesthatheisoneoftheattorneysprofiled.)
Q:Howdidyoucometowritethebook?
A:AsastudentofnewmediasincethelaunchoftheWorldWideWebin1994,Ioftenfoundmyselfexperimentingonthecuttingedgeofmarketingtechnologyinlawfirms.Around2004,IbeganexploringthesocialWebasatoolforbusinessdevelopment.In2008,Ileftmy13-year,in-housemarketingcareertodevotemytimetoafocusedstudyofsocialmedia,seekingtodefineopportunitiesforlawfirms.Inthespringof2008IwasengagedbytheLegalMarketingAssociationtowriteanextensivewhitepaperonthesubject.Thepaperwaswellreceivedanditconfirmedthattheindustrywashungryforexperiencedandpracticalguidance.
Iwasfortunatetohaveastronggraspoflegalservicesmarketingfundamentalswhensocialmediaenteredthepicture.Itenabledmetooffercredibleguidance.Inlate2009,SilviaCoulter,vicepresidentofmarketingatHildebrandtBakerRobbins,approachedmewiththeideaofwritingabookonsocialmediabecauseshesawavoidandademandfortrustedinformationspecifictothelegalindustry.
Q:Specifically,whyisthebookimportantnow?
A:Socialmediatoolsarenotthefadthatmanyreluctantlawfirmshadhoped.Thewaveiscresting.So,whetherlawfirmsorlawyerschoosetouseasocialmediastrategyintheircommunicationstoolboxrightnowissecondarytothefactthattheyneedtounderstandsocialmedia—howtheyarebeingusedandespeciallytheimpacttheyarehavingontheworldaroundthem,i.e.,theirclientsandprospectiveclients.
Q:Whatarethebenefitsofsocialmedia?
A:Socialmediaofferscope,breadth,anddepth.Theygiveuscommunicationplatformsfewcouldhaveimaginedandallowanyonetobea"citizenjournalist,"weighinoncriticaltopics,andconnecttopeopleandinformationonascaleneverseenbefore.However,alongwiththisexpansioncomesagreaterneedforaccountabilityandcare.
Q:Howmuchadoptionofsocialmediahastherebeen?
A:eMarketerpredictsthat80percentofU.S.businesseswith100ormoreemployeeswilladoptsocialmediaformarketingpurposesby2011,risingto88percentby2012.Socialmediahavebecomethecommunicationschannelforcommerce.Ibelievesocialmediawillonlycontinuetoexpandandevolvewherelawfirmsandlawyersareconcerned,aswell.
Q:Whattoolsarefirmsembracing,andwhattoolsaretheynotyetemploying?
A:Therearedozensofnewsocialmediatoolsandserviceslaunchingdaily,butmostlawfirmsstillsticktothefirst-tiertools:blogs,LinkedIn,Twitter,andFacebook.
However,smartfirmsarealsotakingadvantageofdistributionsiteslikeJDSupra,Mondaq,andLexology,whichofferatargetedaudience,plentyof"Googlejuice,"andactionableanalytics.Othersareleveragingthepublishingtoolsanddiscussiongroupsonlegal-centricsiteslikemartindale.comConnectedandLegalOnRamp.
Onthenexttier,afewfirmsandindividuallawyersareusingserviceslikeLegalTalkNetwork,whichdoesagreatjobofsyndicatingaudiocontent.SomefirmsarepostingvideostoYouTubeandpresentationstoSlideShare,butformost,theseareuntappedresources.
OthersignificantopportunitiesthatdeserveattentioncanbefoundonsiteslikeAmericanExpressOPEN,whichoffersaccesstoabroadyetfocusedbusinesscommunity.And,frommyperspective,themostsignificantopportunityawaitingprogressivelawfirmsissocialbusinesscollaborationspaces."Private"socialnetworkingismorethanconnectionsandconversations,itisaproductivityspaceforclientsandteams.IhopetopersuademorefirmstoaddsomethinglikeBloomfire,asoftware-as-servicesocialtool,inthenearfuture.
Inaddition,afewprogressivefirmshavelaunchedmobileappsfortheiPhoneandBlackBerry.Theyareprimarilyfeedingblogandnewslettercontent,firmdirectories,andmapstotheirofficesviatheapps.
Q:Whohasbeenthemostinnovative?
A:NoncorporatelawfirmsarewhereI'mseeingthemostinnovation.Severalconsumerclassactionlawfirmsareusingsocialnetworkstoeducateandinteractwithpotentialclassmembers.Thisseemstobeworkingwellforthem.There'salsoanintellectualpropertyboutiquethatispublishingdozensofblogsusingahighlytargetedsearchtermstrategyandgettingnewclientinquiriesonaregularbasis.
Otherwise,thelegalindustryissortofslowtotheparty.
Q:Whatshouldmediumandlargefirmsthinkaboutastheydeveloppoliciesforuseofsocialmedia?
A:Lawyershavebeenbloggingforalongtimenow,inInternetyearsanyway,andmostoftheirfirmsseemcomfortablewithit.However,Istillrunintomidsizedandlargelawfirmsthatstrugglewiththeideathattheymaybe"exposed"tohiddendangersandliabilities.Withthehugenumberofattorneyssuccessfullybloggingtoday,Ifindthatfeartobegenerallyunfounded.
Q:Whataboutsolopractitioners?
A:Socialmediahavelittledownsideforsmallandsolopractitionerswithonecaveat—it'stimeintensivetodoitright.
Q:Socialmediahelppeoplecreateapersonalbrand.Whyisthisimportant?
A:Everyonehasapersonalbrand,offlineoronline.Thedifferenceiswhetheryoumanageitorjustletithappen.Forexample,asyoumoveaboutsociallyintheofflineworld,yourbrandisdefinedbyavarietyofthings,i.e.,you'readoctor,lawyer,orfirefighter,oryou'reamarathonrunner,orevenwhoyou'rerelatedto—you'reso-and-so'sfatherordaughter.Brandisintheeyeofthebeholder;howyouareperceivedwillvaryfromindividualtoindividual.
It'ssimilarwithsocialmedia,onlyyouronlinefootprint—thethingsyoupublish,thethingsyoupost,andthepeopleyouassociatewith—definesyourbrand.
Formostattorneys,theonlinebrandisanextensionofwhotheyareoffline.It'simportanttobeauthentic,butit'stotallyreasonable,and
smart,todoabitmoreplanning.Forexample,youronlinebrandcouldaccentuatecertainskills,attributes,orattitudestoattractthekindofbusinessyouseek.That'swhyit'sreallyimportanttothinkthroughhowyouwanttobeknown,whatyouwanttobeknownfor,andhowyourassociationwithotherswillbeperceived.
Q:Whatsocialmediaarehelpfulforresearchonpeopleandtopics?
A:Therearemanysolidresearchtechniquesthatcanbeemployedbutforabasicsearch,startwithGoogle,whichindexesallWebactivity,includingsocialmedia.YoucouldalsousesomeadvancedGooglesearchtechniques.Forexample,typewhatyou'researchingforfollowedbysite.Forexample,typeMexicosite:nytimes.comforstoriesaboutMexicoontheNewYorkTimeswebsite.Tofindblogcontent,typemexico:blog.Tofindimages,simplytypeMexicoimages.Anasterisk(*)inasearchstringisawildcard.Soforexample,Obamavoted*onthe*billwouldreturnstoriesaboutdifferentvotesondifferentbills.
Ifyouonlywantedtoseesocialmediaactivityforaperson,useasocialsearchenginelikesocialmention.com.Ifyouwanttopicalblogcontent,trysearchingAlltop,asitethataggregatestopblogcontent.Individualsocialmediasiteshave"on-site"searchingthatwillflushoutcontent.And,ifyou'relookingfordeepWebdata,photos,andarchivalinformation,youcansubscribetoserviceslike123peopleorSpokeo.Finally,ifyouwanttoseewhatawebsitelookedlikeinthepast,useWaybackMachine,whichisadigitallibraryofInternetsitesandotherculturalartifactsindigitalform.
Sources
2.JayneNavarre,social.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment(2010),http://www.sociallawyers.com/.
BacktoContents
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
WithWikiLeaks,wecannolongerassumethatsensitiveinformationissecuredfromtheeyesofthepublic.WereaddisturbingstoriesabouttragediesthatoccurredwhenhighlypersonalinformationwassharedontheInternetorsocialmedia.Statisticsshowthatsocialnetworkingaccountsfor25percentofactivityontheInternetandthatFacebookandTwitterhavehadtripledigitgrowth.1Further,one-fourthofemployeesusesocialnetworksattheirjobs2andthereisincreasedbusinessuseofsocialnetworkingsitesforexternalcommunications.Allthesefactsargueforthecreationofsocialmediapoliciesintheworkplace.Employeesneedtobeclearaboutwhatisappropriateandwhatisnotintheirwrittencommunications.
Apparently,lessthan30percentofemployerscurrentlyhavesocialnetworkingpolicies.3Whensocialmediausersarriveinthelawfirmenvironment,evenafterthreeyearsoflawschool,theymaystillneedguidanceastoappropriateuseofsocialnetworkingtools.Linesmaybeblurredandboundariesmissingbetweenwhatisacceptableforprofessionalasopposedtopersonalcommunications.IndividualsaccustomedtoopenlysharingaspectsoftheirpersonallifeonMySpace,YouTube,orTwittermaynotstoptothinkthattheycouldjeopardizetheircareersandtheirfirm'sreputationunlesstheyarediscriminatingaboutwhattheydiscloseandwhere.
Employeesmustalsorealizethatanyinformationtheyshareusingsocialnetworkingtoolsisdiscoverableandcouldbeusedagainstthematalatertime.OnceinformationisontheInternetitstaysthere.LawfirmpartnersRichardRaysmanandPeterBrownhavewrittenanarticleondiscoverabilityandtheethicsofsocialmediadata.Theywarnthatsocialnetworkingsitesarearepositoryofinformationthatcanbeusedasevidenceincivilmatters.4Socialnetworkingsitesandtheactivitiesoftheirusersare"provingtobevaluableresources—aswellaslegalminefields—foremployers,"pointsoutAndrewTanick.5Tanickalsoexplainsthatwhilemanystateslimitanemployer'srighttotakeactionagainstanemployeebasedonnonworkactivities,similarrestrictionsdonotapplywhentheactivitiesdirectlyimpacttheemployer.6VirginiaHenschel,inanotherarticleonthetopic,warnsthatdiscussionsaboutone'shealthorpersonallifemayberelevanttoapersonalinjuryclaim,adiscriminationorEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommissionclaim,oraFamilyandMedicalLeaveActrequest.Lawyersarecurrentlydebatingissuesofprivacyasopposedtoadmissibleevidence.Definingtheparametersofprivacywillbethehote-discoveryissueof2011,Henschelpredicts.7
Asidefromtheissuesofdiscoverabilityandprivacyistheoverarchingissueofconfidentiality.Lawyersareethicallyboundtopreserveconfidentialityofclientinformation,whichprohibitspublicairingofclientmatters.Individualsmustbeextremelycarefulnotonlyofwhattheysayinelevators,butwhattheyrevealinane-mailortheirpersonalentryon
Facebook.EvendetailsinentriesindirectorieslikeLinkedInrequirejudgment.
Wherecanonelookforsampleguidelines?Barassociationwebsitesareonepossibility.TheAmericanBarAssociationDivisionforMediaRelationsandCommunicationServiceswebsitelistsMaryleeAbrams'suggestionsforelementsofagoodsocialmediapolicy.8Theyincludethefollowing:
Custom-fitthepolicytothefirm'sbusinessandtechnology.
Consideruseatworkandduringpersonaltime.
Requireemployeestoincludeadisclaimerwhenreferringtothefirm.
Createboundariesforbusinessrelationships.
Regulateorprohibituseofacompanynameorlogo.
Prohibitsharingofsensitiveorconfidentialinformation.
Trainemployeesonthepolicy.
Defineconsequencesforviolatingthepolicy.
Also,theCommunicationsSectionoftheNationalAssociationofBarExecutivesprovidesatemplatethatorganizationscanusetocreatetheirownsocialmediaguidelines.Whilethetemplateisintendedforassociationscommunicatingwiththeirmembers,theguidelinesapplytolawfirmmarketingdepartmentsandindividualsaswell.9Theyincludethefollowing:
Representtheorganizationwell.
Exercisegoodjudgment.
Inappropriateusemaysubjectyoutodisciplineaswellastocivilorcriminalliabilitiesorpenalties.
Beresponsible.
Beupfront;identifyyourself.
Makeclearyouarespeakingforyourselfandnotontheorganization'sbehalf.
Becivilandrespectful.
Bequicktocorrectanerror.
Keepitrelevant/addvalue.
Followcopyrightandfairuselaws.
Protectproprietaryandclientinformation.
Avoidpolitics.
Complywithstaterulesgoverninglawyerconduct.
Donotviolateantitrustlaws.
Abidebythesocialnetwork'srules.
Avoidblatantmarketing.
Usetheorganization'snameorlogoonlywithpriorapproval.
Donotidentifyone'semployeronablogorpersonalpage.
Theorganizationshouldenforcetheseguidelines.
Lawfirmsthatdohavesocialnetworkingpoliciesusuallyincorporatethemintotheirconfidentialityandcomputersecuritypoliciesthatemployeesarerequiredtosign.Becauseoftheimportanceofthesepolicies,theyshouldbecommunicatedbyaneducationalprogramaswell.Thefirmshouldnotwaituntilthereisasecuritybreachtotightennetworksecurityorbeembarrassedbyinappropriatesharingofinternalinformationtoincreasemonitoringofemployeecommunications.Itshouldbeproactiveratherthanreactive.
Themostcommonuseofsocialmediainfirmsisformarketingandbusinessdevelopment.Presumablymarketingdepartmentswillhavedevelopedguidelinessuchastheoneslistedabovefortheirpeopletouseforexternalcommunications.Itismorethepersonalusebyindividualsthatisthegreaterconcern.Whilenoinstitutioncancompletelycontrolwhatitsemployeesdo,awrittenpolicyandaneducationalprogramcancertainlyhelpdevelopappropriateuseofthesetools.Theuseofsocialmediacanbeaneffectivemeansofmarketing,conductingresearch,andgatheringcompetitiveintelligence,butitisimportanttoeducateemployeeshowtousethesetoolsinaresponsibleway.
Bibliography
ABANow,AroundtheBar,GrowingSocialMediaUseAmongEmployeesNecessitatesEmployerResponse.
AboveandBeyondKM,SocialMedia:EducateorRegulate?
AmericanBarAssociation,DivisionforBarServices,SocialMediaResourcesforBarAssociations.
Baker&Daniels,SocialMediaPolicy,Guidelines.
LarryBodine,GuidelinesandPolicyonBlogging,SocialNetworking,andElectronicCommunicationsandMedia.
TheByrneBlog,SampleSocialMediaandNetworkingPolicy.
DougCornelius,ComplianceBuilding,SocialMediaPoliciesDatabase.
CarolynElefant&NicoleBlack,SocialMediaforLawyers:TheNextFrontier(2010).
VirginiaHenschel,FacebookRedux,LexisNexisAppliedDiscovery,Nov.18,2010.
ISBASocialMediaPolicyandGuidelines.
AmandaLenhart,PewInternet,TheDemocratizationofOnlineSocialNetworks,Oct.8,2009.
NationalAssociationofBarExecutives,CommunicationsSection,SocialMediaGuidelinesfortheOrganization,Jan.29,2010.
RichardRaysman&PeterBrown,DiscoverabilityandEthicsofSocialMediaData,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.15,2010.
SueReisinger,SurveyShowsThatNoOneKnowsWhotheHeckIsDealingwithSocialMediaPolicies,CorporateCounsel,Oct.6,2010.
ThedaC.Snyder,LeveragingLinkedInandMore,excerptsfromWomenRainmakers'BestMarketingTips(3rded.2010)inLawPractice,Nov./Dec.2010,at49.
HeatherEganSussman&ObiamakaP.Madubuko,LessonsLearnedfromWikileaks:Don'tBeaTarget,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.17,2010.
AndrewTanick,OurEmployeePostedWhat?EmployersLearntoDealwithSocialNetworking,CorporateCounsel,Oct.4,2010.
Sources
1.nielsenwire,WhatAmericansDoOnline:SocialMediaandGamesDominateActivity.
2.WebProNews,MoreEmployeesVisitingSocialNetworksatWork.
3.eMarketer,FewCompaniesHavePolicyforEmployeeUseofSocialNetworks.
4.RichardRaysman&PeterBrown,DiscoverabilityandEthicsofSocialMediaData,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.15,2010,p.1.
5.AndrewTanick,OurEmployeePostedWhat?EmployersLearntoDealwithSocialNetworking,CorporateCounsel,Oct.4,2010,p.1.
6.Id.at2.
7.VirginiaHenschel,FacebookRedux,LexisNexisAppliedDiscovery,Nov.18,2010.
8.ABANow,AroundtheBar,GrowingSocialMediaUseAmongEmployeesNecessitatesEmployerResponse,p.1.
9.NationalAssociationofBarExecutives,CommunicationsSection,SocialMediaGuidelinesfortheOrganization,Jan.29,2010.
BacktoContents
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
Consumerismishittingthelegalworld.TwotothreeyearsagomostofthepartnersatfirmswithwhomweworkcouldnotfathomthatanysophisticatedbuyerwouldbebuyinglegalservicesovertheInternetandyettoday,weroutinelyhearfrompartnersthataclientlearnedoforhiredthemthroughtheInternet.Thebuy/sellsideofthelegalindustryischangingforever.Social/businessmeetingslikegolfing,sportingevents,andconcertsarestillfunwaystobuildyourrelationshipsandclearlywillnotgoawayanytimesoon.Thatsaid,toreallystayconnectedacrossabroaderspectrumofcontacts,thesocialmediaresourcesnowavailablearemust-havesfordevelopingbusiness,retainingclients,andstayingcompetitive.ThismeansmasteringthetechnologyfromiPhoneappstoLinkedInconnectionsandfromFacebookfriendstoiPadcloudcomputing.Getconnectedandstayconnectedtothewidestrangeofcontactspossible.
Manyfirmshaveadoptedthesenewtechnologies.AcommonexampleisusingFacebookforthehiringprocess.Butmorefirmsarecomingonlinewithsophisticatedimplementationsofothersocialmediaandnetworkingtoolsparticularlyfocusedonstayingconnected.Examplesincludethefollowing.
Boston-basedGoulston&Storrscreatedanappspecificallyforhelpingitsclientsstayinformedandconnectedtothefirm.InJune2010,itannouncedthelaunchofitspremiereiPhoneapp,whichoffersaconvenientwayforclientstogetcustomizedinformationonthemostcurrentbusinesstopics,directlyfromaniPhone.
TheresaBomba,associatedirectorofmarketingforGoulston,discussedthestrategybehindthismoveandperhapsmoretocome:"Thereareapproximately50millioniPhonescurrentlyinuse,andwiththelaunchoftheiPhone4,analystsestimatetherewillbe100millioniPhoneusersbytheendof2011,"shesaid."Thisisanidealopportunityforustocommunicateonaplatformthatourclientsareutilizing.TheG&Sappwillprovidemeaningful,timelyinformationinaformatpeopleprefer."YoucandownloadthefreeG&SappattheAppleAppStoreonyouriPhone.
HansHaglund,businessdevelopmentdirectorata1,500-lawyerglobalfirmbasedinCalifornia,can'timaginebusinesswithoutLinkedInasaresourceforthefirm'sbusinessdevelopmentefforts.Heprovidedthisinsight:"AtthefirmweuseLinkedInwithourclientteamstobuildournetworkintargetorganizations.ThegroupsI'veworkedwitharesmall,focusedteams,butLinkedInisusedthroughoutthefirm.It'samazingwhenyoustartminingyourfirmcontactsandyournetwork'scontacts;youcanconnectwithjustaboutanyone—threedegreesofseparationatthemost."
Sowhatdotheclientsthinkofthis—thebuyersideofthebusiness?"It's
absolutelyessentialtothewayourcompanydoesbusiness,"saidonegeneralcounselofabigboxretailer."WekeepintouchwithoursuppliersthroughLinkedInandinthelegaldepartmentweregularlyuseLinkedIn,Facebook,andothertoolstoseewhatresourcesexistforusinjurisdictionswherewedonothavedirectcontacts.IusethepopularsearchenginesallthetimetofindnewlawyersoutsidetheUnitedStatesandthenonceIhavetheirnamesIgoonlinetoreviewtheirbiosandtheirLinkedInandFacebookpagesandrecommendationsiftheyaresubscribers.Mostlikelyiftheyarenot,theywillloseanopportunitytoworkwithus.ThebestadviceIcangivetooutsidecounselistomakeiteasyforustodobusinesswithyou."
Forthelegalbusiness,stayingconnectedhasalwaysbeenimportant,particularlyinthecaseofhiringlocalcounsel,referringworkwhenconflictsoccur,andsourcingtothebestexpertsandothersupportresourcesforcasesandclients.Followingaresomenewtwiststostayingconnectedandaccessinginformation.
GoogleandYahooarethenewdocumentmanagementsystemsinsideandoutsideofthefirm.Thegenerationthatgrewupontheseresourceswon'tstandforless.Andwhynotgowiththesearchenginethatprovidesthebroadestrangeofoptionsforresults?
FacebookandLinkedInarethenewcontactmanagementsystemsforyourfirm.There'snomoreneedforclosedsoftwarearchitecturestobethefirm'scontactmanagementsystem.WithallyourcontactsloadedintoLinkedInorFacebook,anymemberofthefirmwillbeabletoviewimmediatelywhoknowswhomwithinthefirmoroutsideofit.Andit'sallconnectedtoOutlookoranotherpopularsoftwareproductthatisaninherentpartofyourcorporateorhomecomputerofchoice.
Forthosewhoareconcernedaboutcompetitorsbeingabletoviewwhotheyknow,youarequicklybecomingamemberoftheminorityofpeoplewhoworryaboutsuchthings.Theworldisopenandstayingconnectedisthekeytobusinessdevelopmentsuccess.Hoardingcontactinformationsimplyclosesyououtoftheopportunitiesofwhichotherswilltakeadvantage.
Weworkwithhundredsoflawyersmonthlywhoareinoursalesprograms.OurworkwiththemconfirmsthateveryoneisonLinkedIn,peoplearefindinglong-lostlawschoolcolleaguesthroughFacebookandGoogle,andpartnersareroutinelyreceivingnewmattersthroughtheseconnections.Whileitmayseemnewtosomeofusinour40sand50s,it'severydaylifeforourcolleagueswhoarenowdevelopingbusinessandareintheir30s.
Forpartners'marketingactivities,rememberthatwhentheywritethatarticle,youcanpublishitononeofmanysocialmediasitesanditwillthenbesearchablebythousandsthroughtheInternetsearchengines.Whentheygivethatspeech,connectthePowerPointtotheirfirmbiosandtotheirsocialmediabios.Tweetregularlyaboutdailyupdatesandthepresswillfollowthefirm'severyword.
It'seasytobesavvyaboutsocialmediaandusingthetoolstodevelopbusiness.Ifyouneedhelp,findoneofthemanyresourcesinyourfirm'smarketingorITdepartmentorreadthenewbookbyJayneNavarre,social.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment,publishedbyThomsonWest.It'sfulloftipsonhowtomarketandsellusingthesefantastictools.
Goaheadandgolfwithyourlocalcontacts—nothing'schangedwiththatsideoftherelationship-buildingprocess.YoumayalsofindyourselfinavirtualgameofgolftowhichyouwereinvitedthroughLinkedInbyyourlawschoolalumorevenbyanavatar,whomaybemanystatesorjurisdictionsawayfromyou.That'swhatbusinessdevelopmenthasalwaysbeenaboutandisstillallabout—stayingconnected.Soreachoutandfriendsomeone,followthemonTwitter,orleveragetheirconnectiontoyouonLinkedIn.Keepintouch!
BacktoContents
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
It'shighlylikelythatyou'vereadhow"socialmediaexperts"areusingsocialmediatoreachawideraudienceandevengeneratequalifiedprospectiveclients.Youmightevenhaveexperimentedwithsocialmediayourself,orareactivelyusingthemnowtomarketyourfirm.That'sallgreat,butnowcomesthehardpart—howtoconvincetheattorneysinyourpracticetolearnaboutsocialmedia,tousethemeffectively,andtospendtheirlimitedtimeonsocialmediatraining.
Oneoftheguidingprinciplesofusingsocialmediaisthatitisnotmarketing.Thisiswhyattorneysorfirmsshouldnotsimplyfarmouttheirsocialmediatothemarketingdepartmentorthird-partyagency.Socialmediaare,attheircore,conversationsbetweenpeople.Thismeansthatincontrasttoadvertising,socialmedia"leads"comefrominteractionsandconversationsbetweenindividualsandafirmoranattorney'sTwitter,Facebook,orLinkedInprofiles.Assuch,theseprofilesarebestmaintainedbytheactualattorney.
Beforedelvingintothetrainingspecifics,adiscussionofsomebasictenetsofsocialmediafollows,includinggoalsforusingsocialmedia,suchasleadgenerationandbrandmarketing.
Whatisthegoalofusingsocialmedia?Qualifiedprospects,ofcourse!Butjustlikeword-of-mouthreferrals,buildingqualifiedleadsfromsocialmediatakestimeandeffort.Chancesareapotentialnewclientisnotgoingtofindalawyerviasocialmediaandpickupthephone,butratherwill"listen"toanattorney'ssocialmediaupdates,readwhatotherswriteabouttheattorney(orfirm),andperhapseveninteractwithanattorneyviaLinkedInorTwitter.Aswithallqualityrelationships,it'saslowbuildbut,donewell,itcanleadtohigh-qualityprospectsandleads.
Inaddition,socialmediaencompassonlineconversationsaswellasreviewsiteslikeYelp,AvvoandLawyers.com.Especiallywithattorneyswhohaveindividualclient-orientedpractices,chancesarethatsomeoneisalready"talking"aboutthemonline—beitviaachatonTwitter,Facebookoraforum,oranactualreview.Fromabrandingandonlinereputationmanagementperspective,itmakessenseforattorneysandfirmstomonitorwhatisbeingsaidandtogetinvolvedintheconversation.Asmanynonlegalbusinessesarequicklylearning,theseconversationsandreviewsarehappeningwhetheryouwantthemtoornot,soitisbesttogetinvolved.
Allofthishelpstoillustrateacommonthreadregardingsocialmediasites:theyallsupport"interaction"betweenpeople.Inotherwords,socialmediaareanotherwayforpeopletocommunicateonline.Whenwearetalkingaboutourpersonallives,thisiseasytounderstand(e.g.,babypictures,reunions,sharinginformationonevents,pictures).Whenwearetalkingaboutalegalpractice,theroleofsocialmediaishowto(i)build
anaudienceofqualifiedcontributors,(ii)establishyourself(orfirm)asanauthorityandqualityparticipantinthecommunity,and(iii)supportthegrowthofthecommunitythroughrelevantcontent,conversation,andsupport.Asapracticalexample,anidealsituationiswhenaninfluentialpersoninanattorney'snetworkseeshisorherupdates(e.g.,onTwitter,LinkedIn,orFacebook)andthenforwardsonetopeopleheorsheknows,thushelpingnotonlytoreachanewaudience,butalsotodosoviaathird-partyendorsement.
Ontothetraining.Followingisanoutlineofstepsforpreparingandstructuringatrainingprogram,includingpolicyandactionitemconsiderations.Thisoutlinecomesfromreal-worldsocialmediatrainingprogramsexecutedforothernonlegalcompanies.
Step1:Believethatsocialmediaworkandthatyourtargetaudienceusesthem.
Beforetryingtoconvinceattorneystoattendtraining,it'simperativethatyouhaveusedsocialmediayourself.Asnewcommunicationchannels,socialmediaareaneasytargetfornaysayerssoitisagoodideatohaveyourownconvictionabouthowtousethemandtheireffectivenessbeforetryingtotrainothers.Ifsocialmediaarenewtoyou,spendalittletimewithLinkedInorFacebook,exploretheprofilesofattorneysinapracticeareathatyouarefamiliarwith,lookatthevariouslegalgroupsonLinkedInandFacebook,"like"afewattorneyfanpages,commentonapostortwo,anddefinitelyupdateyourownprofiles(includeyourpicture,title,andlinktoyourfirmandleaveafewupdates).
Step2:Motivateattendance.
Theoverallmessagehereisthatsocialmedialeadtonewclients,whichmeansnewincome.They'reworththetimeofanyattorneywhoisseriousaboutclientdevelopment.Outlinedbelowaresomemorespecific"attendancemotivators,"basedontheparticularsession.
Step3:Structurethetraining.
Weallknowattorneysvaluetheirtimehighly,sostructurethetraininginmanageablesegmentsthatincludeclearobjectivesandgoals.Ifpossible,itisgreattokickoffthetrainingwitha90-minute,in-personinteractivetrainingsession,withhands-oncomputeruse,thatcoversthebasicsofLinkedInandFacebook.Fromexperience,weknowthatsocialmedia"intheory"aresuretoputpeopletosleep,oroutthedoor.Makesuretohaveexercisesplannedandcomputersreadytouse.Also,fromexperiencewefoundpeopletendto"get"LinkedInandFacebookfairlyquickly,whileTwittertakeslonger;ifyouareshortontime,trytokeepTwitterseparateasittypicallytakeslongerandismorechallengingtoexplain.
Itisimpossibletocovereverythingin90minutes,soschedulefollow-up,30-minutewebinarsthattouchonspecifictopics.Followingisasampletrainingitinerary.
TrainingKick-Off–Month1
Content:Learnthebasicsofsocialmediaandstartgeneratingprospects.FocusonLinkedInandFacebook.Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveanactiveLinkedInprofileandFacebookpersonalpage(anattorneyfanpageisaplus).Format:A90-minuteinteractivesessioninatrainingroom.Suggestions:Forward,inadvance,guidelinesforsettingupaLinkedInprofile,Facebookpersonalpage,andFacebookfanpage.Attendancemotivator:Ifpossible,getaquotefromarecognizableattorneywhohasgottenaclientfromanysocialmediachannel.Wordofmouthandthereminderthatnewclientsmeannewincomewillhaveagoodimpact.Inaddition,listsomeofthebenefitsofusingsocialmediaforclientdevelopment:
Easytoolstokeepupwithyourclients'industriesandbusinesses.Increaselikelihoodofyourbeingrecommendedtoapotentialclient.Newcommunicationchannelswherethereisachanceforyoutobeheard.Enableyoutoreachprospects,thoughtleaders,andinfluentialpeoplewhomyoudonotknowpersonally.
TwitterWebinar–Month2
Content:LearnhowtouseTwittertogenerateleads.FocusonsettingupandusingaTwitterprofile,engagingwithothers,messaging,andintegratingwithLinkedIn.Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveactiveTwitterandLinkedInprofiles.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Suggestions:Forward,inadvance,guidelinesforsettingupaTwitterprofile,aswellasforusingLinkedInandFacebook.Attendancemotivator:FindouthowtoreachyourprospectiveclientthroughTwitter.Itisstillanewcommunicationchannel,sochancesareyouwillbeheard.
LinkedInWebinar–Month3
Content:LearnhowtoengageonLinkedIntobuildyourlegalpractice.FocusonGroups,Answers,andothernetworkingtoolsonLinkedIn.
Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveanactiveLinkedInprofile.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Suggestions:Forwardsetupguidelinesinadvance.Attendancemotivator:AttorneysarebuildingthemselvesupasexpertsonLinkedInnow;donotgetleftbehindorhaveyour"thunder"stolen.
ReviewsandDirectoriesWebinar–Month4
Content:Learnhowtohandlenegativeandpositivereviewsandhowtogetclientsthroughlegaldirectories.FocusonAvvo,Yelp,Lawyers.com,andAbovetheLaw.Requirements:Priortoattending,allattorneysshoulddoasearchfortheirnameinGoogletoseewhatinformationranksinthetopthreepagesofGoogle.Chancesaretheywillbesurprisedorpossiblyannoyed.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Attendancemotivator:Peoplearemostlikelytalkingaboutyouonlinewhetheryouwantthemtoornot.Youcannotignoreorcontroltheconversations.Itisbesttogetinvolvedandinfluencewhatisbeingsaid.
Step4:Buildthetrainingcontent.
Followingaresomebasiccontentguidelines.
Setthegoalsandexpectations.Asoutlinedabove,eachsession'sgoalshouldbeclearlystated,includingtheexpectedoutcomes.Forexample,dependingonhowfamiliaryouraudienceiswithLinkedInandFacebook,thekick-offtrainingsessionmightincludethesegoalsandexpectations:
HowtooptimizeyourLinkedInprofile.Bysession'sendyouwillknowhowtoaccessyourLinkedInprofile,uploadphotoanddetails,add/editemploymentinformation,pullinemployers'companyprofiles,incorporateyourTwitterfeed(ifapplicable),shareanupdate,messageyourcontacts,addnewcontacts,searchforcontacts,initiateanintroductionrequest,leavearecommendation,joinagroup,andfollowcompanies.HowtocreateandoptimizeyourFacebookfanpage.Bysession'sendyouwillknowhowtoaccessyourfanpage,uploadphotosandattorney/firminformation,addpoststoyourwall,commentonotherfanpages,likeaprospect'sfanpage,addyourRSS/blogfeed,postevents,createaninvite,andidentifyandbuildqualityfans.Create"howto/doerguides."Buildthetrainingexercisesaroundspecifictasksasoutlinedaboveandcreatestep-by-stepguidesforhowtoimplementthem.Thesecanbeincludedinthepresentationaswellasthehandoutssoparticipantshaveareferenceafterthesession.Inaddition,makethedoerguidesasdetailedandinteractiveaspossible.Thisisthelion'sshareofthecontentandyourprimarytrainingtool.
Setuniversalguidelinesforallusers.Followingaresocialmediatacticsthatdonotwork,followedbysometried-and-true"bestpractices."
Makingupdatessolelyaboutyouoryourfirm.Whatisinitforyourfans,followers,evenclients?Donotspeaktotheaudiencethroughcannedmessages.Introducevalue,insight,anddirectionwitheachengagement.Makingfans/followersdotoomuchwork.Alwaysincludealinktowhateveryouarepostingabout;donotmakeyouraudiencehavetodigtofindoutmoreinformation.Focusingonquantityoffansandfollowers,notquality.Itisbettertohave100highlyrelevantfans/followerswhointeractwithyou,versus1,000fans/followerswhodonotpayattentiontoyourupdatesorinteract.Qualitytrumpsquantitywithsocialmedia.Auto-messagingfromTwitterandFacebook.ItisOKtosetuppoststorolloutwhileyouareonvacation,butthinklongandhardbeforeautomatinganentirefeed.Bepersonallyengagingratherthanarobot.Inaddition,Twitter,Facebook,andLinkedInhavedifferentaudiences,soyourupdatesshouldbedifferent,too.WaitingtoolongtoansweratweetorcommentonyourFacebookfanpage.Ifyouareparticipatinginaseriesof@replies,donotwaittoolongbeforeresponding;peopleexpectaquickanswertotheir@reply.Ifsomeonecommentsonyourfanpagewallpost,makesuretoreplywithananswerorasimplethank-you.
Establishprotocolguidelinesforyourfirm.Besuretooutlinespecificguidelinesforsocialmediaregardingwhatcontentcanandcannotbeposted,howtohandle"hot"postsorconversations,andothercommunicationissuesspecifictoyourfirm.
Step5:Measureresults.
That'seasy!Justaskeveryattorneytoaskhowpeoplefindthem.Allright,weknowitisnotthateasy.Socialmediatrackingishardertopinpointbecausepeopleusemultiplereferencepointswhenfindingoutinformationaboutafirmorattorney.Forexample,someonemightseeanattorney'sLinkedInupdateaboutanewlaworruling,thencheckouttheattorney'sLinkedInprofileaswellaslikehisorherfanpage,searchtheattorney'snameonGoogle,andthenaskhisorherownnetworkifanyonehasanopinionoftheattorney...andthenafterafewdays,
weeks,ormonthscontacttheattorneydirectly.Thisisnotuncommon.Itishardtotrackthislead.However,therearesocialmediametricsthancanbetrackedinordertogaugetheeffectivenessofanysocialmediaprofile.Followingaresometop-linemeasures.
Interaction:Thisistheprimarymeasurewhenitcomestosocialmedia.Asmentionedearlier,socialmediaareaboutquality,notquantity.Assuch,themoreinteractionthereisinthewayofretweets(Twitter),comments(Facebook),likes(Facebook),andmessagesandinvitations(LinkedIn),thenthemoreyourmessageisgettingoutandpeoplearetakingnotice.Facebookfanpage:Inthespiritofinteraction,Facebookmakesiteasytoseehowengagingafanpageis.Asidefromthenumberofpeoplewholikeafanpage,thereisalsothetop-line"Insights"(left-handcolumnofafanpage),whichshowmonthlyactiveusers,dailynewlikes,dailypostviews,anddailypostfeedback.Alloftheserequireanactionbyanotherprofile("person"),sothehigherthenumbers,thebetter.Formoredetailedinformation(includingdemographics),clickseeallunderInsights.Again,afanpagewithhundredsof"fans"butlittleactivitypalesincomparisontoafanpagewith50or60fanswhoareactiveandhighlyengaged.Lastly,youcantrackdirecttrafficfromFacebooktoyourwebsiteusingGoogleAnalyticsorsimilarWebstatisticsprogram.LinkedIn:BecausemuchofLinkedIncommunicationisone-to-one,itismucheasiertomeasureinteractionsandreferrals.LikeFacebookfans,havingengagedconnectionsonLinkedInismoreimportantthansimplyhaving500-plusconnectionswhowillnothelpwithanintroductionrequestorspecificbusinessquestion.Tothisend,consideraddingandacceptingonlythoseconnectionswhoarerelevanttoyouandyourpracticeandarelikelytohelp.Nottocalloutrecruiters,butwhilerecruitersmayhavemanyconnectionsintheirnetwork,theyarenotthatmotivatedtohelpyouwithanintroduction;infact,mostaremoreinterestedinminingyournetwork.Twitter:ThereareseveralmetricstowatchonTwitter,butthereisnotenoughspaceheretoreviewthemall.Again,theprimarymetricisengagement,soattheveryleast,track(i)numberoffollowers—especiallythosewhoareauthoritiesandthoughtleadersinyourpracticeindustry;(ii)retweetsormentions—thismeansotherusersfoundyourpostimportantenoughtosharewiththeirnetwork;(iii)lists—howmanytimesotherprofileshave"bookmarked"yourTwitterfeed,whichindicatesthatpeoplefinditvaluable;and(iv)clickstoyourwebsite—usingtrackablelinkssuchasbit.lyandow.ly.
Step6:Scheduleandpromotethetraining.
Nowthatyouhaveagreattrainingprograminplacethatisreadytogo,itistimetoscheduleandmotivatethelawyerstoattend!Lookforopportunitiesortimeframeswhenattorneysaremoreavailableandopentospendingtimeattendingtrainingsessions.Offerprogramsmultipletimes,noticingthatafterthefirstsessionthewordwillspreadandattendancewillimproveforthelatersessions.
Thereisanaturalcompetitivenessbuiltintosocialmediasoyoumightwanttohavesomefunandofferaprizetowhoeverhasthemostfansorfollowers,orevenwhogetsacommentonhisorherfanpagepostfirstduringthetraining.Littlecontestslikethisaregreatwaystogetattendeesmotivatedandpayingattention.Goodluck!
Definitions
SocialMedia:Internet-basedtechnologiesandsitesthatenablesocialinteractionbetweenpeopleandcompanies.ExamplesincludeFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,YouTube,andFoursquare.
LinkedInProfile:Anindividual'saccountonLinkedIn.TheLinkedInprofilehasapublicsetting(whichshowsupinGooglesearches)andaprivatesetting(whichisavailableonlytoyourconnections).
Updates(LinkedIn):AshortmessageonyourLinkedInprofilethatalsoappearsonyourconnections'profiles(underNetworkActivity).
Connections(LinkedIn):TheLinkedInnameforthepeopleyouareconnectedtoinyournetworkonLinkedIn.Tobeaconnection,bothindividualsmustconsent.
Groups(LinkedInandFacebook):Asthenameindicates,thesearegroupsofpeoplewithsimilarinterests.It'sagoodideatogetinvolvedwithactivegroupsthatarerelevanttoyourindustryandpractice.
FacebookFanPage:Apublicpagethatisaboutafirm,lawyer,business,orpersonality.Anyonecancreateafanpagesotherecanbemultiplepages.It'sbesttoclaimyourfanpageandmakeittheprimaryfanpage.FanpagesarepublicandappearinGooglesearches.
Likes(Facebook):Whenanotherfanpageorperson(viaapersonalprofilepage)"likes"anotherpageorthecommentsandpostsonthepage.
Fans(Facebook):Otherpersonalprofilesandfanpagesthatare"fans"ofyourpage.Fansarenotifiedofupdatestoyourfanpage.Youcanalsocommunicatewithyourfans,e.g.,sendtheminvitations.FansareanimportantpartofFacebook;agoodgoalistohavefansthatarerelevanttoyourpracticeandcareaboutwhatyouhavetosay.
Comments(Facebook):Fansandfriendscanleavecommentsonposts,
photographs,andothercontentonanotherfanpageorpersonalpage.
GoogleAnalytics:Google's(free)websiteanalysissoftware.Useittoseehowmanyvisitorscometoyourwebsite,wheretheycamefrom,whatkeywordstheyused,andmuchmoredetailedinformation.
TwitterProfile:Apersonorcompany'saccountonTwitter.com.
Tweet/Post(Twitter):A140-charactermessagepostedviaTwitter.
Retweet/RT(Twitter):Theactofsendinganotherprofile'spost(or"tweet")toyournetworkoffollowers.RetweetsarealwaysprecededwiththelettersRT.Retweetsarepublic—anyoneloggedintoTwittercanseethem.
Follower(Twitter):Anyprofilethatfollowsyouand,assuch,seesyourposts(tweets)onitsTwitterprofile.
Mentions(Twitter):WhenanotherprofileusesyourTwitteraddress(e.g.,@yourtwitterprofile)initspost.Becauseyouarenotifiedwhenmentionedinapost,amentiontypicallyisashortthank-youorbriefconversationregardingapreviouspost.Likeretweets,mentionsarepublic.
Lists(Twitter):Youcancreateyourownlistsofprofilesorganizedtoyourliking.Forexample,anattorneymightcreatealistofinfluentialattorneyprofilesandalistofauthorityprofilesforaparticularindustry(suchasoilandgasorrealestate).Listsarepublic.
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
BeforeStarbucksanddrive-throughcoffeehousestherewastheKing'sRook.TheKing'sRookwasthequintessentialcoffeehouse.LocatedinthetownofMarblehead,Mass.,itwasacoffeehouseinwhich,forthepriceofacupofcoffee,peopleofdifferingviewscouldsit,playchess,talk,and,inarespectfulface-to-facemanner,exchangeideas.Thepatronscouldagreetodisagreewithoutrancororanimosity.Today,withtheonslaughtofimmediate,oftenanonymous"social"electronicmediavenues,discoursehasdevolvedintoanythingbutacivilexchangeofideas.Forexamplessimplylookatthecommentssectionofonlinedailynewspaperopinionsections,therantingofmembersofCongress,andmediapolarization.Candiscourseagainbecomecivil?Possibly—ifweuse,asamodel,theOhioproject"CivicCommons."1
ThroughadiscussionwithoneofCivicCommons'developers,DanMoulthrop,IlearnedthemissionandmethodologyusedinthedevelopmentofCivicCommons.Moulthropalsodiscussedtraditionalcivicmodels,thenuanceofmoderntechnology,andsevenusefulprinciplesforcivil,civicengagementandcreatingrealchange.
IwasintroducedtoCivicCommonsthroughanarticleonYahooNews,writtenbyPeterChakerian.2Thearticle,"DanMoulthropandCo.MergeInternetJournalismwithGrassrootsActivism,"capturedmyimagination.Afterreadingit,IcalledMoulthroptodiscussCivicCommons.IdiscoveredthatMoulthrop'stitlewiththeprojectis"curatorofconversation."HisjobascuratoristoguardandmanageCivicCommons'variousandongoingconversations.MoulthropbrieflydescribedCivicCommons'broadvisionas"usingtechnologytolowerthebarforcivicengagement."
Moulthropisuniquelyqualifiedtocuratetheconversations.Hehasabackgroundasbothajournalistandaconversationalist.HisskillswerehonedashostofWCPN90.3FM's"TheSoundofIdeas."Hisradioprogramgavehimtheopportunitytodiscussissueswithawide-rangingaudience,buthewantedmorethanconversation.Hewantedactionandreal,believablechange.
MoulthropisthefirsttoadmitthatCivicCommonswasn'thisidea.Hewasrecruitedintoit.HejoinedothercivicactivistssuchasNoelleCeleste,thedaughterofRichardCeleste,Ohio's64thgovernor(1983–1991).NoelleCelesteisCivicCommons'directorofengagement.Together,theyandtheCivicCommons'staffareworkingtocombineandblendtraditionalcivicactionmethodologywithdevelopingelectronicsocialmediatools.CivicCommons'goalistodeveloprealcommunitydiscussions,engagement,andaction.
Traditionally,civicengagementhasbeenbuiltuponnewsstories,commissionreports,townmeetings,andformalpresentations.Generalcitizenparticipationhasoftenbeenlimitedtoafewminutesofcarefully
managedcomment,followedbynewsreportsand,finally,closed-dooraction.CivicCommons'visionistochangethetraditionalmodel.
CivicCommons'missionistoinvolveallinterestedcitizensinbroad-ranging,solution-orienteddiscussions,leadingtotheadoptionofvisionarycitizen-basedprogramsandpolicies.CivicCommonsexpandsthetraditionalcivicactionmodelandmakesittransparentbyopenmeetings;complete,easilyobtainedpublishedtranscripts;andnumerousopportunitiesforindividualcommentsmadebothinpersonandelectronically.Theprojectaddssocialmediatoolstofacilitatetheconversationsandtoencourageimmediatefeedback.Individualscanjointheconversationsatanytimefrommultipleaccesspoints.CivicCommonsisa"big"experimentindirect,participatorydemocracy.Itisnotpartisan.Ratheritisablendoftraditionalandonlinecivicengagementtools.
CivicCommonsrecognizesthatonlinesocialmediatoolsrequiretheadditionofactual"face-to-face"input.ItrealizesthattechnologytoolssuchasFacebookandTwittermaybegintheconversation,butrarelycompletetheprocess.ItalsorecognizesthattechnologyoftencreateswhatMalcolmGladwellcalls"weakties."HisexamplesofweaktiesaretheexistenceofnumerousFacebook"friends"andhundredsofTwitter"followers."SeeGladwell'sarticle,"SmallChange:WhytheRevolutionWillNotBeTweeted."3ThereinGladwell,whileacknowledgingtheusefulnessofweakties,suggeststhatrealchangedemands"strongties."Hepointsoutthatstrongtiesrequireactualindividualphysicalcontactsuchasshakinghands,hearingtheinflectionandtoneofvoice,watchingeyes,andseeingaperson'sactualreactionsandbodylanguage.Realchangerequiresknowingcomradesoradversariesasindividualhumanbeings.
Moulthrop,ascuratoroftheconversations,focusesontheircontentandtoneafterCelestebringstheparticipantsintotheconversations.Theconversationsareguidedbysevenprinciples.Firstistransparency.CivicCommonsbelievesthatalldiscussionsandinformationshouldbeopenlyandequallyavailabletoallparticipants.Asacorollarytothisprinciple,CivicCommonsdoesnotbelieveinanonymity.Theabsenceofanonymityisanonlinediscussion"gamechanger."Itrecognizesthatreal,honestcivildiscourserequiresindividualswhoarewillingtoacceptownershipoftheirideasandopinions.Second,alldiscussionsrequirecivility.Participantsmustrespecteachother.Third,realdiscussionrequiresactiveparticipation.Fourth,diverseideasandpointsofviewarenotonlywelcomebutrequired.Discourseismorethansimplypreachingtothechoir.Fifth,CivicCommonsisentrepreneurial.Thediscussionsshouldleadtosolutions.Sixth,theinformationsharedhastobecredible.Credible,honestfactsareneededtobeexploredandshared.Seventh,CivicCommonsisoptimistic.Itbelieves,asMoulthropexplained,that"whatyoufocusoniswhatyouwillget."Ifyoufocusonsolutionsyouwillfindthem.Ifyoufocusonproblems,thenthatiswhatyouwillgetinreturn.
CivicCommonsisnotjustaboutbigideasandbigorganizations.Itexploresissuesfromlocaltonationalinscope.Localissuesrangefromcommunitygardensandreplacingvacantpropertytoregionalprosperity,statebudgets,andnationalprograms.Theideasareparticipant-driven.Theconversationsfocusonwhatisimportanttoindividualsandorganizations,notnecessarilywhatisdesiredanddrivenbytraditionalpoliticalandbusiness"leaders."
Asstatedabove,CivicCommonsrecognizesthattechnologycanbeginadiscussion.Italsorecognizesboththepowerandweaknessesofboththetraditionalandonlinecivicmethodologies.Itthenrealizesthatsolutionsrequirebothworkingtogether.Solutionsarebasedonrespect;honest,forthrightdiscourse;andwin-winnegotiations.However,communitysolutionsmuststartwithareturntocivildiscourse.
Sources
1.CivicCommons,http://www.theciviccommons.com/.
2.YahooNews,DanMoulthropandCo.MergeInternetJournalismwithGrassrootsActivism,Oct.12,2010,http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac_clevela/ac_clevela_ts3886.
3.TheNewYorker,SmallChange:WhytheRevolutionWillNotBeTweeted,Oct.4,2010,http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell.
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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2
INTHISISSUE:
» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia
» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms
» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies
» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents
LINKS:»AboutPracticeInnovations»EditorialBoard»PastIssues»ReaderFeedback
Asthetitleofthispublicationwouldsuggest,thereisaperceived(andhopefullyreal)valueinherentininnovation.Westrivetobeinnovativeasweimprovetheproductsandservicesweprovidetoourcustomers;tostayrelevantwithin,andproveourongoingvalueto,ourorganizations;tokeepcurrentinourcareerfields;andforthepersonalpleasureoftryingnewthings.Youlikelyhavealistofinnovativeprojectstotacklewithinyourfirm.Perhapsyou'replanningtoapplytechnologytoimproveabusinessprocessortocreateanonlinelearningexperience,ormaybedevelopingamobileappisyourgoal.Presumablyyou'vedoneyourhomeworkandhaveagoodsensefortheproblemtobesolvedandhowyoursolutionfitsthebill.Now,aftermakingthenecessaryinvestmentsoftimeandresources,you'rereadytomoveforwardwithdesignandimplementation.
Yetsomehow,Murphy'sLawalwaysreigns.Asyouworkhardtobringyourideatofruition,"thenextbigthing"inevitablycomesalong.Youtaketwostepsforwardwithenthusiasmandanewtrend,newtechnology,newdevice,ornew(andbetter)applicationsendsyouonestepback.Bythetimeyourprojectdrawstoaclose,yourinnovationmaynotseemquitesoinnovativeanymore.Theworldhasalreadymovedon,leavingyouwiththissenseoffutilityattryingtokeepup.
Innovatorsstrivetobefirstatthefinishline.Theydrivethearrivalofthatnextbigthingsothattheirproductsandservicesareavailabletocustomersaheadofthoseoftheircompetitors.Toaccomplishthis,productsandservicesmustbedevelopedquickly.Statedsimplistically,onoppositeendsofthespectrumaretwodifferentapproachestodevelopment:a)getitrightoutthedoorandb)getitoutthedoor,thengetitright.Ifyou'reconcernedaboutbeingabletorespondtoyourcustomer'sneedsquicklywithrespecttoyourowninitiatives,considerhowyoucanadjustyourapproachalongthiscontinuum.
GetItRight,OuttheDoor
Projectsthatarecarefullyplanneddowntothelevelofthedetails,whereall"i's"aredottedand"t's"crossed,fallintothiscategory,wherethegoalistopresentcustomerswithanear-perfectproductoutofthegate.Asyoumightexpect,thisapproachischaracterizedbyasignificantup-frontinvestmentinadvanceofrelease.Theresearchanddevelopmentphaseislong,andtheiterativeprocessoftesting,modifying,andtestingagain,oftendoneinafairlycontrolledenvironmentbyaselectgroup,isbuiltintotheprojectplanasacorestep.Ifdonewell,theresultingproductshouldberelativelyfull-featured.Longperiodsoftimewillpassbetween
innovations,buttheinnovationswillbesubstantial.
GetItOuttheDoor,ThenGetItRight
Notallproductsandservicesaredevelopedwithsuchthoroughness,however.Tobecompetitiveandkeepcustomerssatisfiedinatimewhentechnologyisconstantlyevolvingandneedschangingrequirearapidresponseandaregularreleaseofimprovementsandadjustments.Thisapproachtodevelopment,alsoknownas"agile"development,alsorequiresplanning,research,andtesting,butallofthismustoccurwithinacollapsedtimeframe.1Theresultingproductorserviceusuallyoffersamorebasicleveloffunctionalityintheshortterm.Any"gamestoppers"identifiedduringtestingareaddressedupfront,butitemsofalesserpriorityareplacedonalongpunchlistoffutureenhancements.Ratherthanimplementtheseenhancementsinasinglesignificantrelease,thechangesaremadeincrementallyandreleasedwithgreaterfrequency.Researchanddevelopmentareongoingpost-release,andcustomerfeedbacktranslatesmorequicklyintoadditionalproductorserviceinnovations.Theinvestment,then,occursoverthelongtermandtheproductisinasortoflive,continuousbetastate.
InnovationasaService
Sowhatdoesallofthismeanfortheinnovativeprojectsyouhaveinthequeue?Innovationisallaboutsettingoutinunchartedwaters.Whenyou'renotsurehowtoproceed,youplanasbestyoucanandgarnerasmanyresourcesasyou'reable.Yourfirmmayrequirethatyoufollowaratherinvolvedprojectapprovalprocess.Thereafteryourprojectteammembersmayneedtoacquirenewskills,andtherewillcertainlybeproject"todos"toidentifyandprioritize.Followingthroughwitheachofthesesteps,fromconceptiontodevelopmentandimplementation,cantakesometimeandwitheachstepforwardyoubecomeincreasinglyinvestedintheproject.Ifyou(andperhapsyoursuperiors)arehopingforanear-perfectmatchbetweenyourvisionandthatfinalproduct,theprojectwillprobablybeslowtomovetocompletionasyouattempttomeetthoseexpectations.
Whileyou'retryingtogetitjustright,yourcustomerhasaproblemtobesolvedoraneedtobefulfilledthatisgoingunmet.Assumingtheirneedsdon'tchangeintheinterim,suchthatyourinnovationnolongeraddressestheproblemitwasintendedtoserve,thesecustomersarethereforthetakingbya"competitor."Inalawfirmenvironment,thatcompetitormaybeanothersolution,perhapsasoftware-as-a-servicesolution,oritmaybeanotherinternaldepartment.Itcouldalsobethatnextbigthingthatstealsyourthunder,raisingthebar,leavingyouwithevenhigherexpectationstomanageandsatisfy.Regardless,thefirmgetsthesolutionitneeds,whichistheultimateobjective,ofcourse.Butit'salostopportunityforyou.Gettingyourproductorservice"tomarket"quickly,then,isimportant.Buthowdoyoudothatandnotreleaseashoddyproductorservice?Ifyoudisappointyourcustomersatthestart,willtheygiveitasecondchancewhenyoucomebackaroundwiththatsecondroundofenhancements?Willtheybeleftwithanegativeimpressionofyourproductinastateofperpetualbeta?Howdoyoumanageyourcustomers'expectationssothattheproductorserviceisexperiencedinapositiveway,despiteitsflaws?
Ofnecessity,anagileapproachreliesatleastinpartoncustomerfeedback.Ifyouencourageyourcustomerbasetobeinvolvedinmakingimprovementstoyourproductorservice,ifyouprovideyourcustomerswithanopportunitytobeinvolvedfromdayoneandthenkeepthelinesofcommunicationopenthroughout,obtainingfeedbackandkeepingyourcustomers'expectationsincheckbecomemorereasonabletasks.Whenplanningyourproject,incorporateeffortstobuildacommunityaroundyourproductsandservicestoencourageinteractionandthesharingofideasandinformation.Gathertogether"friends"whowillbeyourproductchampions.Increaseyourvisibilityandyouraccountability.Inotherwords,createasortofinternalsocialnetwork.2Ifyoucanturninnovationitselfintoaservicebyspeakingdirectlytoyourcustomers,youcanachievetherealvalueofinnovation:aproductthatsatisfiesrealneedsin—nearly—realtime.
Sources
1.Wikipedia,AgileSoftwareDevelopment,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development.
2.Wikipedia,SocialNetworkService,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking.
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