LMAtech2014 - SOCIAL BRANDING: Lethal Generosity

Lethal Generosity is the concept that the most generous members of any social media company are the most credible and influential and as such, they can devastate their competition in the marketplace.

In short, the company whose representative posts the most tips, links, advice, case studies, best practices that followers find useful will always [rise] to the top, not just in influence but also in search results.  The more outbound links you post, the more inbound links you are likely to receive.- Shel Israel

Those companies that give away their industry insight and expertise on a consistent basis, and publish that information free and through multiple channels, can dominate their industry niche – including social media and communications in general.- Joe Pulizzi

Lethal Generosity…Is when a corporation applies its core competencies to advance social change in a way that contributes to business results and gives it a competitive advantage.- Kami Huyse, Zoetica

“On one day, the firm tweeted twice with links to articles about Flipboard, a start-up that makes a popular app for mobile devices. (“Very cool news for our client: Half a million @Flipboard magazines have been created in the last 2 weeks” read one.) In just a couple of tweets, Fenwick managed to convey several important messages: The firm is keeping an eye on what its client is up to, is helping to promote that business, and understands and uses the same technologies—mobile devices and social media—that its client is involved with. That seemed like a pretty smart use of Twitter.”

Who are our buyers?

In-house counsel Start-up founder/ CFO/ CEO

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Are you as excited about our business as we are?

Who are your other clients? Are you working with hot companies?

The CEO may be running social media himself or the community manager knows him/ her

Start-up Founders/ CEOs/ CFOs

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Co-founder of Sosh

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CEO of Good.Co

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Are you interested in our business? Are you using our products?

The community manager running social media may know the GC

If the company is well known, the congratulatory note is a subtle brag

General Counsel at Medium-Sized Companies

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Fortinet GC thanks Fenwick partners

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- Fortinet Director of Corporate Communications to General Counsel

- General Counsel to Fenwick partners

We’re just bragging

Fortune 500 Companies

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Your client’s Twitter handle is promoting a white paper, an event, feature in the press

Your client’s CEO is quoted in the media Your client wins an award

Great Opportunities

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Do Not Disclose List Negative press for your client

Never Tweet

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Work highlights: financings, acquisitions and especially initial public offerings

If the client’s Twitter handle hasn’t tweeted an article If the article is negative about another company

Additional Caution

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Here’s what it looks like

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Fenwick attorneys love it

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Charities need help telling and sharing their stories

Clients need help getting their message out too

Use third-party events to promote firm and clients

Case Study: View From the Top

Case Study: View From the Top

Case Study: View From the Top

Case Study: View From the Top

Case Study: View From the Top

Celebrate client successes & milestones on firm’s social media channels

Amplify client content; share their work with your readers

Q&A with client CEO or GC (text, audio, video)

Co-author legal analysis/commentary with client GC (or potential client!)

Profile client business in your branded publication (like MoFo Tech)

Guest author: give client leadership team a byline in the firm’s publications

At your next in-house event, invite clients to be speakers and panelists

Host an industry webinar with clients as speakers

Organize panel at industry conference. You moderate; your clients present.

Become a marketing partner