October 31, 2010 by Kevin O'Keefe

Trying to measure the unmeasurable in law blogs and social media

I was in Toronto last week doing a series of roundtable discussions with law firms on blogging and social media. One of the firms wanted to lead off the discussion by looking at the web statistics for the their existing law blogs. I asked why.

The law firm was a large general practice law firm. The firm acknowledged it gets its work through relationships and the word of mouth reputation it has. Two things -- relationships and reputation -- that are tough to measure.

Blogging and other social media are meant to strengthen relationships and enhance one's reputation. Perfect for the law firm -- but tough to measure.

That's okay per Seth Godin. You don't try to measure unmeasurable media.

One school of thought is to measure everything. If you can't measure it, don't do it. This is the direct marketer method and there's no doubt it can work.

There's another thought, though: Most businesses (including your competitors) are afraid of big investments in unmeasurable media. Therefore, if you have the resources and the guts, it's a home run waiting to be hit.

And two things you ought never do per Seth.

  1. Try to measure unmeasurable media and use that to make decisions. You'll get it wrong. Sure, some sophisticated marketers get good hints from their measurements, but it's still an art, not a science.
  2. Compromise on your investment. Small investments in unmeasurable media almost always fail. Go big or stay home.

This doesn't mean law blogs and social media don't bring results. Lawyers blogging well are hitting home runs -- in relationships, in word of mouth reputations, and in growing clientele.

Just don't try to measure what may be immeasurable. And don't hold back on media (blogging and social media) because they're immeasurable.

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December 2, 2009 by Kevin O'Keefe

How does a law firm measure ROI on its social media and blogging efforts?

How do we measure the ROI on social media, including blogging? I'm asked that all the time by law firm marketing and client development professionals.

Ultimately it's easy, an increase in legal business. No question that's the case with a strategic and well run blogging initiative.

I tell lawyers and firms joining the LexBlog network that if I'm not hearing from them at the end of a year that the decision to blog was the best client development decision we ever made, then LexBlog did something wrong. That's because I hear about client development success all the time, with success being defined as an increase in business.

With social media and blogging being engagement and networking tools it's important though that there be some interim milestones we can use as a measurement of ROI. We're dealing with a process that takes time. Cordell Parvin, a nationally recognized career and client development coach for lawyers, says it can take up to two years to reap the rewards of such efforts.

Marketing consultant and speaker, Valeria Maltoni, in a blog post this morning, offers some sound advice for measuring the ROI on social media.

I suggest that performance can and should be measured as part of a process along a continuum designed to expand reach, increase engagement, build influence, and request action on behalf of your business - with social media integrated in the communications mix.

When looking at social media and blogging don't compare them how to you measure the return on a website. Client development through blogging is closer to going to a Rotary meeting where all the Rotarians are your target audience than web or Internet marketing. And you don't measure the ROI of networking through civic involvement by looking at webstats.

Ask these questions when looking at the ROI on your law firm's social media and blogging efforts:

  • Am I expanding my reach? Are more people within my target audience seeing me? It could be via search engines, but more importantly do they see you quoted in blogs and by reporters? Do they see you speaking at conferences or seminars they attend?
  • Am I engaging my target audience of clients, prospective clients, referral sources, and the influencers of those three (reporters, bloggers, association leaders, conference coordinators, and publishers)?
  • Am I building my influence among this target audience? Measure influence by how often you are cited in other blogs, Twitter, and the like. Citations are a measure of whether you're viewed as a reliable and trusted authority in your niche.
  • Does your target audience request action? Are they asking to talk with you? Do they want to review with you a matter they are working on?

If you're getting good answers to these questions, you're headed in the right direction. You're engaging your target audience, building a reputation in your niche, and increasing your influence. All things smart law firm client development professionals would love to accomplish.

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October 17, 2009 by Kevin O'Keefe

What's better than getting your law blog noticed?

Seth Godin blogs the mantra of the new Web is 'Notice me.'

No question that's the mission of many lawyers and law firms who are blogging for client development.

  • When do we send out the press release release announcing our blog?
  • When do I start getting lots of followers?
  • When does our blog start appearing at the top of the search engines?
  • When does our blog become a leading community forum for discussion in our niche?
  • When do we start seeing lots unique visitors and page views in our Web stats?

As Seth points out, you then start doing things that don't benefit you, just because you're hooked on attention.

Far better than being noticed, Per Seth, with some added commentary for law firms.

  • Trusted. Nothing is better for you as a lawyer than being viewed as a trusted and reliable authority in your area of practice or locale. This is especially true with the public's lack of trust on our profession.
  • Engaged with. Maintaining, building, and nurturing relationships is the heart of client development. Lawyers get hired by people they have relationships with. Engaging your target audience by listening to them and adding value to the conversation is how you build relationships.
  • Purchased from. Getting work is the bottom line.
  • Discussed. Word of mouth is how the best lawyers get their work.
  • Echoed. Having your blog content amplified by your readers in blogs, on Twitter, on social networking websites, by email, and by being shared offline is at the heart of establishing a reputation as a trusted authority.
  • Teaching us. If you are providing value to your target audience, you'll get noticed, your reputation will grow, and you'll be hired.
  • Leading. Leading discussion online and being recognized as a thought leader is not only a lot of fun, but brings with it all of the above.

Measure ROI for your law blog by looking at these seven factors. Ask yourself our we accomplishing these things via our blog?

Don't get sucked into measuring blog success by attention and Web stats. Don't call out for immediate attention through press releases and the like. You'll be taking your eye off of the ball.

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