Web 2.0 Strategy
With so many Web 2.0 tools available, it's not an easy task for a law firm marketer to determine how to best use and implement the tools. We will discuss social media and best practices for using it to add value to your firm's marketing and business development efforts.
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Today a client asked about creating an alumni group on LinkedIn. She had seen other firms’ LinkedIn groups and thought her firm could benefit from one as well, as it would allow the firm to keep in touch with alumni. However, as with so many social media tools, there has to be a strategy behind it. What are the firm’s goals? How will group members benefit from membership? If a firm starts a group and never does anything with it, what kind of message does that send to group members?
Last week, I spent a lot of time focusing on search engine optimization and how it works in the 2.0 world. While it used to be all about "meta tags" and keywords, SEO has really come a long way. There is no longer the thinking that the spiders need to be "tricked" into ranking a site. The spiders seem to have gotten too smart for those questionable Web 1.0 tactics. This is a big improvement, as it forces developers to build web sites strategically, making sure that each page has a clear focus that is aimed at a target audience. Just add some 2.0 tools to such a site, and you've got the foundation for a great visitor experience that visitors can actually find through a search engine!
When considering a 2.0-enabled Web site redesign, don't just add 2.0 as a "bells and whistles" addition to the site. Give some sincere thought as to how you can incorporate these tools to support your branding and positioning, as well as your visitors' needs. For example, if you want to start a blog for a certain practice area, give it some strategic thought to ensure that you maximize the return on the time such an endeavor will take. This will also help you determine how to make your overall site, as well as your blog, stand out from the crowd. With all the tools we have available to use on Web sites these days, there are amazing opportunities to creatively, and effectively, use them to promote your firm as a thought-leader.