Comments on Meeting others via social media and networking at the heart of client development | Real Lawyers Have Blogs

peninsulawyer@me.com (peninsulawyer) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:52:15 -0800

Research over here in the UK tends to show a paradoxical attitude to lawyers amongst the public - basically that people distrust and dislike lawyers generally, but tend to be very positive about "their" lawyer.

This is one of the big positives of social networking for lawyers - the opportunity to show that you are not just a "generic lawyer" and build this more individual relationship where people see that you can be liked and trusted.

As you say in the post, this is no different than it ever was before social networking - it just makes it easier to do with a broader reach.

kelly.spradley@impirus.com (Kelly Spradley) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:50:01 -0800

This is great advice. Social media is most successfully and satisfyingly used to meet people, without directly pushing your agenda. When you use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn people often go to your website to find out more about you. This means it is important for your website to stay up to date. It is the hub of all of your online efforts. Dan should spend some time finishing his website. He needs to get rid of the "lorem ipsum" on a couple of his pages. He says that "he loves" writing. He needs to prove it by writing content for all of his pages. It would probably only take him a few hours, as he does seem to be a fluid writer.

jfb@lifeatthebar.com (Julie A. Fleming) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:17:37 -0800

peninsulawyer: Your first paragraph makes an interesting and poignant point.

I've had conversations with lawyers who told me that they were hesitant to confess their profession to people they meet in their everyday lives because of the negative image that lawyers have. I understand that, depending on this person's reaction, the initial conversation may become awkward. However, even after just one meeting, that person is likely to say to others who need legal help, "I know a guy."

Social media is no different. It allows for the interpretation of a personal relationship, which encourages trust. Plus, people always like to be the person who knows a guy.