Best Practices

Facebook Friday – Fast Facts On UserNames

Facebook Friday – Fast Facts On UserNames

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What’s in a name? A lot.

At least on June 13th starting at 12:01 a.m. (EDT). You see Facebook is hosting a name claim extravaganza. That’s right, no more url addresses with Facebook.com and a random series of numbers and digits. You will be able to select a username at http://www.facebook.com/username for your Facebook account to easily direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile.

Law firms and the companies they counsel who are interested in getting found on Facebook will also be able to stake a claim on http://www.facebook.com/yourcompanynamehere.

Companies can (and should) preemptively protect their rights to their trademarks and block cyber-squatting by registering their mark Facebook. All you need to do is visit here. Provide your company’s name, the trademark and the federal trademark registration number, and subject to their review, Facebook will reserve the trademark and not let anyone else use it.

According to Brian Fergemann, a partner and intellectual property attorney at Chicago’s Winston & Strawn, quoted today in the National Law Journal,

“This is really a way for someone who has a distinct or famous trademark to let Facebook know that others should not be allowed to register that page. They can just say, ‘Please don’t let anyone use my registered trademark.’ ”

I agree, and even if your law firm or company is not yet on Facebook you should register your mark, NOW. The good news is, if you find that someone’s username infringes your rights, you can fill out an automated IP infringement form.

Now for the fun stuff!

Facebook Friday

Facebook Friday

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FACEBOOK Friday? What’s that?

Well, it’s kind of like a “jeans day.” Remember them? Well, this is no facebooking during regular business hours, except on Facebook Fridays which is once a month or once a week. You choose. Employees still have to do their work, but when they have a free minute, they’re free to play around on social sites –within the limits of company social media policy, of course.

Since it’s Friday, and I get this question quite often, I thought I’d share a quick lesson on how to set up lists on facebook and customize privacy settings accordingly. This allows you to give your business and personal contacts different access to your stuff.

Can a social media policy be too restrictive?

Can a social media policy be too restrictive?

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You know your culture better than anyone, so use that as a filter for decision-making. Every firm is different. It certainly is the administrator’s job to look for the loopholes and the worst-case scenario, BUT if you make something a bigger deal than it is, it will become exactly that. Permission based policy works better than restrictive policy.

Mining Existing Content for the Social Web

Mining Existing Content for the Social Web

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Markerters, this one’s for you. Part of the VirtualMarketingOfficer’s mission is to pass along ideas to make your job easier. So, if you’ve been tasked with setting up or directing a social Web program in your firm, here are your first 4 steps.

Lawyers on the Ledge

Lawyers on the Ledge

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But as in all things related to social networks, online or offline, they will only be as good as the people who show up. A social network host can provide the best tool in the world, but if it isn’t easy to use, if it doesn’t catch on, if the community isn’t full of creators and thought leaders, but rather just spectators, it will be just another online directory or dead social network.

20 things law firms need to have in their social media guidelines.

20 things law firms need to have in their social media guidelines.

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18) Do not use the firm logo without permission from the marketing department.
19) The best way to launch a new policy is to frame it with context. Educate everyone in your firm regarding your policy. Do a video presentation and require new employees to watch it.
20) Call Jayne at LawGravity.com, she can help you make this exercise painless.