Growing Your Online Footprint: An Ethical Approach to Building a Powerful and Influential Online Presence through Social Media and Blogging

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Growing Your Online Footprint: An Ethical Approach to

Building a Powerful & Influential Online Presence Through Social Media and Blog Writing

Friday, October 14, 2011

Presented by Lisa DiMonte and

R. Michael Wells, Jr., Esquire  

Resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your clients have been there for a long time. Is it time for you to rethink social media?

• Business Week, February 19, 2009

Is it Time for you to Rethink Social Media?

→80% of companies use social media for recruitment      →95% of those companies are using LinkedIn →90% of consumers trust peer recommendations    →Only 14% trust advertisements →We will no longer search for products and services; they will find us via social media

Key Takeaways & Stats

Source:  1  Forester  Research  

→Over 800M active Facebook users

→Video is an effective way to get first page Google rankings1

Now  What?  

Be thoughtful about what you do and how you behave

David Postolski | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/david-postolski/10/5ab/5b0 - Cached Greater New York City Area - Intellectual Property Liaison to the Young Lawyers Division at American Bar Association - Cantor Fitzgerald David Postolski profiles | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/David/Postolski - Cached View the profiles of professionals named David Postolski on LinkedIn. There .. David Postolski - Greater New York City Area profiles | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/.../David/Postolski/us-70-Greater-New-York-Cit... - Cached View the profiles of professionals on LinkedIn named David Postolski located ... David Postolski | Facebook www.facebook.com/people/David-Postolski/1181644385 3 people named David Postolski in New Jersey | WhitePages names.whitepages.com › Name Popularity › David Postolski – Cached Learning Chemistry Online | Education | Chemical & Engineering News pubs.acs.org/cen/education/87/8736education3.html David Postolski - West Orange, NJ |  MyLife™ www.mylife.com/c-2032894928 - Cached David Postolski - American Bar Association apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=cle&fm… Lawyer David Postolski - New York, NY Attorney - Justia Lawyer ... lawyers.justia.com › New York › New York County › New York - Cached New York, NY - David Postolski - - Justia Lawyer Directory.  Lawyer David Postolski - New York Attorney - Avvo.com www.avvo.com/attorneys/10017-ny-david-postolski-998953.html - Cached

Google search of David Postolski - 7/18/11

Four Ways to Increase Visibility and Credibility

→ 1. High-definition photo

→ 2. Professional summary on LinkedIn which answers 4 questions: What are you known for? What type of work do you want more of? Who is your target client? How are you different? Your bio is not an obit.

→ 3. Content a. Blogs b. White papers c. Press Releases d. Presentations e. Podcasts f. Videos

→ 4. Commenting on the content of others

DAVID POSTOLSKI

Before            

After

Profile Picture

Before    

Before and After Professional Summary

After  Patent  A/orney      David  is  a  dedicated  and  me6culous  patent  a6orney  whose  curious  nature  serves  him  well  in  the  Innova<on  Patent  Division  of  Cantor  Fitzgerald,  LP  where  he  prosecutes,  draDs,  analyzes  both  U.S.  and  foreign  patents,  rela<ng  to  Gaming,  So>ware,  Green  Technology,  Business  Methods,  and  Financial  Services.  As  an  IP  analyst,  David  rou<nely  analyzes  patent  porIolios  for  the  Cantor  Fitzgerald  en<<es,  draDs  technology  licensing,  purchasing  and  services  agreements,  and  also  par<cipates  in  due  diligence  and  asset  purchase  agreements.      ABA  Intellectual  Property  Law  Young  Lawyer  Leader      Over  the  last  three  years,  David  has  devoted  countless  hours  as  a  passionate  and  highly  organized  leader  and  mentor  in  the  ABA  Intellectual  Property  Law  Sec6on  and  the  ABA  Young  Lawyers  Division.    David  has  created  an  ongoing  monthly  CLE  series  specifically  for  young  IP  Lawyers.    In  addi<on,  David  has  developed  lawyer  and  law  student  outreach  and  membership  recruitment  and  reten<on  programs  for  the  benefit  of  the  judiciary,  legal  community  and  public  at  large.  

Write about your area of focus or topics you deal with on a daily basis or areas of interest  

Content Establishes Credibility

1. The Day the USPTO Stood Still: 8,000,000 Patents!!  

2. Page-Turning Books Every Young Lawyer Should Read 3. How Do I Get a Business Method Patent Issued with No Issues  

4. Torchwood: Miracle FDAy

5. Mark Cuban - Patent Attorney Extraordinaire??? 7. Career Help for IP Law Students

6. Relief for Law Student Loans

→White Papers

Be Willing to Share Information

→Presentations LinkedIn SlideShare

→Write articles for newspapers and associations

→Press Releases http://www.bizjournals.com/news/ http://www.clickpress.com

https://www.prcom

https://prlog.org

https://www.prbuz.com

Get interviewed

Podcasts and Videos

→Legal Broadcast Network

→MyLegal.com

→Legal Talk Network

→Local TV Shows

Comment on Content of Others

  Subscribe to industry or legal blogs, join LinkedIn groups and comment regularly to increase online visibility

•  http://www.patentlyo.com/ •  http://www.lexisnexis.com/community/lexishub/ •  http://www.patentbaristas.com/ •  http://ipwatchdog.com/ •  http://mnfglobal.com/blog2/ •  http://www.younglawyersblog.com/post/No-Scrubs-

Residency-Like-Training-Coming-to-Young-Lawyers.aspx

·∙David  Postolski  |  LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/pub/david-­‐postolski/10/5ab/5b0  Greater  New  York  City  Area  -­‐  Patent  A6orney;  Chair-­‐  ABA  IPL  Young  Lawyers  Ac<on  Group  and  Chair-­‐  ABA  YLD  Science  and  Technology  Law  Commi6ee  View  David  Postolski's  professional  profile  on  LinkedIn.  LinkedIn  is  the  world's  largest  business  network,  helping  professionals  like  David  Postolski  discover  …  David  Postolski  profiles  |  LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/David/Postolski  View  the  profiles  of  professionals  named  David  Postolski  on  LinkedIn.  There  …  David  Postolski  -­‐  Greater  New  York  City  Area  profiles  |  LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/.../David/Postolski/us-­‐70-­‐Greater-­‐New-­‐York-­‐City-­‐...  View  the  profiles  of  professionals  on  LinkedIn  named  David  Postolski  located  …  Show  more  results  from  linkedin.com  Mark  Cuban  -­‐  Patent  A/orney  Extraordinaire  by  David  Postolski,  Esq.  blog.mylegal.com/.../Mark-­‐Cuban-­‐Patent-­‐AForney-­‐Extraordinaire-­‐by...  2  days  ago  –  Does  Mark  Cuban  think  he's  an  IP  a6orney?  What  would  our  world  look  like  without  business  process  patents?  You  shared  this  Career  Help  for  IP  Law  Students  by  David  Postolski,  Esq.  blog.mylegal.com/.../Career-­‐Help-­‐for-­‐IP-­‐Law-­‐Students-­‐by-­‐David-­‐Pos...  Sep  27,  2011  –  Resume  review  and  career  advice  for  IP  law  students  from  prac<cing  IP  lawyers.  You  shared  this  David  Postolski  |  Facebook  www.facebook.com/people/David-­‐Postolski/1181644385  Join  Facebook  to  connect  with  David  Postolski  and  others  you  may  know.  Facebook  gives  people  the  power  to  share  and  makes  the  world  more  open  and  …  Torchwood:  Miracle  FDAy  and  the  Advancement  of  Innova6on  by  ...  blog.mylegal.com/.../Torchwood-­‐Miracle-­‐FDAy-­‐and-­‐the-­‐Advanceme...  Sep  19,  2011  –  Is  the  plan  to  make  the  FDA  the  premiere  na<onal  organiza<on  tasked  with  advancing  innova<on  SciFi  or  reality?  You  shared  this  David  Postolski  -­‐  ABA  Web  Store  -­‐  Author  Bio  apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?secVon=cle&fm...  David  Postolski  is  a  registered  patent  a6orney  and  currently  employed  at  Cantor  Fitzgerald's  Innova<on  Division  in  New  York,  whose  patents  include  Gaming,  ...  Learning  Chemistry  Online  |  Educa6on  |  Chemical  &  Engineering  ...  pubs.acs.org/cen/educaVon/87/8736educaVon3.html  Sep  7,  2009  –  New  York  City-­‐based  intellectual  property  lawyer  David  Postolski  needed  to  obtain  30  credits  of  science  in  order  to  take  the  patent  bar  exam  to  …  Lawyer  David  Postolski  -­‐  New  York  A/orney  -­‐  Avvo.com  www.avvo.com/aForneys/10017-­‐ny-­‐david-­‐postolski-­‐998953.html  David  Postolski  has  been  licensed  to  prac<ce  law  in  NY  since  2007.  Compare  David  Postolski  to  other  a6orneys  in  New  York.  Write  a  review.    

Google search of David Postolski - 10/13/11

BEFORE LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Facebook White Pages Learning Chemistry MyLife ABA Justia Avvo

Highlights  of  Before  and  ADer  Google  Search  

                                          AFTER LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Mark Cuban-Patent Attorney Extraordinaire? Career Help for IP Law Students Facebook Torchwood: Miracle FDAy ABA Learning Chemistry Avvo

Same username, photo, bio and summary on all social media sites

Increased visibility, credibility and recognition

Check out which sites come up first for you in a Google search and make sure they’re updated and accurate

Create Google alerts for your name and firm name

Monitor mentions of your firm on Twitter

Complete your LinkedIn profile in full  

Connect with law school friends on LinkedIn and join groups related to your area of practice and your target clients

Increased visibility, credibility and recognition

Create friends lists on Facebook and change settings to control which friends see status updates

Regularly review privacy settings Avoid making negative comments

b. link to interesting blogs, articles, white papers, videos and other content

Status updates/tweets should include: a. professional activities such as speaking

engagements and attendance at conferences and workshops  

Set reasonable and attainable goals: 15 minutes a day/1 hour a week

Upload blogs, white papers, presentations, press releases, podcasts, videos

One-Year Free Premier Membership

Guest on the MyLegal.com radio show

30-minute telephone call with Lisa

“Internet and social media change only the media, they do not change the message. Nor do they alter our obligations as lawyers to protect client confidences, avoid deceptive practices. Lawyers inherently understand what is permissible based on what they have done in the past.”

Carolyn Elefant, Co-Author of “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier”

ETHICAL  CONSIDERATIONS  FOR    BLOGGERS  §  Create  a  valid  disclaimer  §  Rules  regarding  adver<sing    §  Be  careful  not  to  form  an  a6orney  client  rela<onship    

§  Do  not  violate  a6orney  client  privilege    §  Do  not  say  anything  bad  about  judges,  lawyers,  etc.  on  your  

blog.  

Disclaimers  •  Make  sure  you  do  not  provide  legal  advice.    Just  provide  “informa<on”  in  

your  blog.  •  Disclaimers  can  take  a  number  of  forms,  but  all  should  say  1)  the  blog  only  

provides  general  informa<on  and  not  legal  or  other  professional  advice;  2)  no  a6orney  client  rela<onship  is  formed  with  the  author  or  any  a6orney  in  the  firm  ;  and  3)  all  situa<ons  are  factually  dependent,  and  the  reader  or  viewer  should  contact  an  a6orney  when  ques<ons  arise.  

•  Check  your  state  and  local  rules.  

Adver<sing  •  Check  your  state  and  local  rules  regarding  adver<sing.    •  If  you  send  out  a  newsle6er  for  your  blog  via  mail  or  e-­‐mail,  you  may  want  

to  consider  consul<ng  your  state  and  local  rules.  •  When  in  doubt  as  to  whether  your  blog  cons<tutes  adver<sing,  check  your  

state  and  local  rules.  

A6orney  client  privilege  •  NEVER  disclose  confiden<al  informa<on  about  a  current  client  or  past  

client.  •  NEVER  discuss  current  clients  or  past  clients.  •  Be  careful  not  to  blog  about  topics  that  could  adversely  impact  current  

clients  or  past  clients.  •  Make  sure  you  do  NOT  form  an  a6orney  client  rela<onship.  •  Run  a  conflicts  check  before  blogging  about  a  topic,  and  con<nue  to  

periodically  run  conflicts  checks.  

Watch  What  You  Say!  •  Be  careful  what  you  say,  it  may  come  back  to  haunt  you.  •  NEVER  say  anything  bad  about  other  lawyers,  judges,  etc.  •  You  words  will  reflect  posi<vely  or  nega<vely  on  your  reputa<on.  •  What  you  say  can  have  legal  consequences  e.g.  defama<on  of  character.    

Lisa DiMonte @lisadimonte

[email protected] blog.mylegal.com

Michael Wells, Jr.

@slnc01 [email protected]

southernlawyernc.blogspot.com    

Questions