Sustainable-and valuable-social media strategy. Part II
byIn my last post I offered my ideas on how a law firm might approach a sustainable social media program. I suggested that you…
Business Development
Sustainable—and valuable—social media strategy. PART I
bySocial interaction, online and offline, is one of many ways people get connected to products and services, so it makes perfect sense that many…
Principles of the Social Web – Let them guide you.
byPR isn’t press releases, media lists or speeches. Social media isn’t a list of tools either –blogs, wikis, Twitter. Social media is a group…
Taking Care of Business –Social Networking Style
byIf you are still questioning the effectiveness or the role of social networks in “real” business transactions, just ask some of the the 32…
Will Online Networking Expedite the Development of Rainmakers?
byI asked Mike O’Horo, of Sales Results Inc. if he thought social networking online will expedite the development of young professionals into rainmakers. His response was so on point that I would be selfish not to share it with you.
So, I asked Mike, “Do online social networking behaviors produce rainmakers at an earlier age? Where does business development fit in?” Here’s what he said:
“That depends on the degree to which the young professionals in question recognize the difference between marketing and selling. Social networking tools emulate and magnify personal networking behaviors, and serve the same purpose: helping you to get found, presumably by those whom you most want to find you. [marketing/exposure]
Getting chosen from among those found (selling) requires a disciplined decision-management process that is entirely distinct from marketing [networking]. Therein lies the double rub re: online social networking. If you can’t sell, all the getting found (leads) in the world is just wasted opportunity. Likewise, if you can’t manage the distillation process, weeding out those who want to act vs. those who must act, you’ll exhaust your extremely limited sales-time bandwidth before you get the desired results.
The bottom line is that these tools are just a medium within which to conduct the same marketing and sales activities that have been necessary in commerce for hundreds of years. Faster, cheaper, broader? Yet bet. Sufficient? Not by a long shot. As my friend, Mark Greene, was wont to say during his decades as a premier market research wizard, “Necessary, but not sufficient.”
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Blogging for business development vs. market promotion
byGrowing in popularity, blogging is attracting lawyers and law firms in droves. I often wonder how much thought goes into what the lawyer blogger…
Mining Existing Content for the Social Web
byMarkerters, 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.
How Important are Law Firm Business Cards?
byBeing professional does not mean you have to be invisible. Tradition is a wonderful thing, I like classic black on ivory. But I’m also practical. I want that card to throw me a clue. I want something that helps me to remember the person that gave it to me so I can follow them on Twitter!
Getting The Product Off The Shelves.
byHere are a few recent scenarios of how firms are managing their inventory in 2009.
* Firm #1 is downsizing to clear the warehouses of unused inventory. They hope to absorb the initial loss of income over the next year.
* Firm #2 is reducing prices. They hope to sell more time at lower prices and thus break even.
* Firm #3 is working harder to move the product off the shelves because they know clients still need what they’re selling. And, they’re still in the business to make a profit come hell or high water.
How Important Are Referrals?
byWhen is the last time you went up to a stranger on the street and asked them to recommend an attorney who could handle an acquisition you’re thinking about? Or a car? A vacation destination? A doctor? Hmmm.