While many law firm seo consultants may try to convince you otherwise, developing your professional reputation online is very similar to building your reputation offline. However, there are a couple aspects to online reputation development that differ from offline.
Generally speaking, online reputation building is really about developing relationships. This is no different than reputation building in the "real world". Meeting new people, sharing experiences, and discussing topics relevant to your practice is the essence of both offline and online reputation building. However, while most lawyers are very familiar with offline reputation building strategies, typically, they are less familiar with online strategies.
Just like in the real world, there are certain unwritten rules of etiquette for professional relationship development online. While many of these rules are still emerging, the traditional rules of using common sense and being polite still apply.
The first step in forming new relationships is finding the places where people are gathering online. While there are a multitude of places to look, I recommend starting with these 3: Blogs, LinkedIn, and Listservs.
If you're just starting out, don't overwhelm yourself. Find a couple blogs that discuss topics in which you are interested and hopefully have something about which to say. Subscribe to these blogs either via email or a feed reader. When a post comes through that peaks your interest, add your comment. You may also consider writing your own blog post with reference links back to the other post.
LinkedIn provides several relationship building outlets. Obviously, in order to participate, you first have to build your profile. Make it complete. Make it professional. Your LinkedIn profile can add a lot of value and will likely have a large impact on your ability to make new professional contacts. You wouldn't go to a professional networking event looking like a slob, don't allow yourself to appear sloppy through your LinkedIn profile.
Search for relevant groups and questions. Get involved in discussions. Again, mind your manners. If you barge into a conversation and start throwing your weight around, you aren't likely to be well-received.
While they're a little bit older, Listservs can still be a great way to develop professional contacts. Listservs are accepted as sharing machines. However, all to often, the sharing stops there. Nurture the relationships you build on your listservs in other areas both online and offline.
Gyi Tsakalakis is a law firm seo consultant. He heads up attorney seo at AttorneySync.
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