Real Lawyers Have Blogs : Law Blogs, Social Media, Twitter

You've probably sat through mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations -- slide after slide of text and bullet points. Maybe you're guilty of creating them yourself. 

How do you avoid "death by PowerPoint?"

Join Faith Pincus, attorney and public speaking coach, for a free, hour-long webnar: "PowerPoint is evil:  But if you’re going to use it, use it well" presented to LexBlog Network members on Tuesday, January 24 at 9 a.m. PT.  This is the final installment in a series of client webinars that Faith is hosting with LexBlog on getting speaking engagements and what to do once you’ve landed them.

"PowerPoint is evil" will teach you:

• Why and why not to use PowerPoint.
• How to use it as an integral part of your presentation (instead of as your presentation itself).
• How not to abuse it (how to avoid anesthetizing your audience with it).
• Logistical arrangements that effect your presence and your presentation.

You can register at LexBlog's events center -- the password went out to an email to clients this afternoon; email Helen Pitlick if you didn’t receive it.

For those of you who are unable to attend, this session will be recorded and posted here and to LexBlog's support site within 24-48 hours after the session. 

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Many bloggers are familiar with search engine optimization (SEO), but not everyone understands what it is or how it can help them. 

In short, SEO helps potential readers find your blog through Google and other search engines, and there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to do it -- you don't want to appeal to the machines at the expense of human readers. 

On Wednesday, December 14 at 12 p.m. EST (9 a.m. PST), LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe, along with LexBlog's Client Services and Editorial teams, will host "SEO for Law Blogs," a free, hourlong webinar on this subject.

"SEO for Law Blogs" will touch upon:

• The basics of SEO and what makes a high-ranking site.
• Elements of effective SEO: what to do.
• How overdoing SEO can be counterintuitive: what definitely not to do.

You can register for "SEO for Law Blogs" at LexBlog's Events Center. The password went out in an email to LexBlog clients earlier this week; email Helen Pitlick if you did not receive it. 

As always, we’ll be recording this webinar. So, if you can’t attend, feel free to visit the LexBlog Support Site or Real Lawyers Have Blogs and view at your convenience.

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Thanks to all who attended today's webinar, "Engaging with the Media and Other Influencers."

Blogging without mentioning and linking to influencers -- executive directors of associations, reporters at trade publications, reporters at industry publications, reporters at mainstream news media, conference coordinators, and other bloggers -- is blogging in a vacuum.

These people have the power to invite you to speak at conferences, quote you in articles, or refer you work, but may not know you exist if you don't proactively build relationships with them.

In this webinar, LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe and editorial manager Colin O'Keefe discussed ways that bloggers can identify and engage with the influential people in their area of practice via Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and (of course) blogs. 

If you missed it, you can view the recording at LexBlog's events center. 

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At LexBlog, we often tell bloggers to "engage with the influencers." But what exactly does this mean? Who are the influencers in your field? How can you leverage your blog to build a relationship with the media and larger online publications?

On Thursday, November 17 at noon ET (9 a.m. PT), LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe and LexBlog's Client Services team will address these questions and more in a free, hour-long webinar: "Engaging With the Media and Other Influencers"

"Engaging With the Media and Other Influencers" will cover:

• Identifying sources of influence
• Engaging mainstream media
• Developing a network of relationships
• Curating relevant content
• Going beyond blogging

To register, visit LexBlog's events center -- the password went out in an email to clients yesterday, so email Helen Pitlick or DM @LexBlogSupport if you didn't receive it. 

As always, we’ll be recording this webinar. So, if you can’t attend, feel free to visit the LexBlog Support Site or Real Lawyers Have Blogs and view at your convenience.

We hope to see you on the 17th!

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LinkedIn is undoubtably the most widely accepted professional social network, with 120 million members around the world, including executives at all Fortune 500 companies.

Even attorneys who don't use other social media have LinkedIn profiles. However, most don't take full advantage of the services LinkedIn provides.

On Thursday, October 27 at noon Eastern (9 a.m. Pacific), LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe and LexBlog's Client Services team will host a free, hour-long webinar on LinkedIn: "How LinkedIn Can be Used for Business Development."

"How LinkedIn Can be Used for Business Development" will cover:

• Why lawyers should consider using LinkedIn
• Differences between free and paid accounts
• Elements of an effective profile
• Participating in groups as a way to build engagement and gain and share information
• Use advanced search to network proactively

You can register at LexBlog's events center -- the password went out today in an email to clients, and you can email Helen Pitlick if you did not receive it. 

For those of you who are unable to attend, this session will be recorded and posted here and to LexBlog's support site within 24-48 hours after the session.

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Thanks to everyone who attended yesterday's webinar, "Improving Your Delivery," presented by attorney, communications professional and certified CLE provider Faith Pincus of Pincus Professional Education. Faith also blogs on The LexBlog Network at Speech Advice.

This webinar was the third in a series of public speaking webinars led by Faith -- you can watch "Public Speaking for Professionals" and "Creating and Organizing your Speech" at LexBlog's events center. The final installment in this series will be December 14 and will cover optimizing client presentations.

Faith started the hour with a quote from Dale Carnegie: 

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.

She then instructed the audience on how to always give the speech you wish you gave.

A few key points from "Improving Your Delivery:"

• Image is everything -- people won't listen to your words if they're distracted by your outfit. Dress conservatively, and wear a darker suit (avoid tan!) with a light or colorful shirt to draw attention to your face.
• Invest in an inexpensive video camera to record yourself presenting. Monitor your body language and use of verbal pauses -- ummms, likes, and you knows.
• Pause for effect.
• Use repetition, metaphors and similes to hold your audience's attention.
• Step away from the podium to break away a psychological barrier with your audience. Invest in a wireless mic so that you can move around the platform.

If speaking in front of an audience, be it in court or at a conference, is something you do or hope to do regularly, Faith's presentation is definitely worth a watch. You can view the session in its entirety at LexBlog's Events Center.

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One of the goals of blogging is to get more speaking engagements, but most people never learn the skills they need to present effectively.

Join lawyer and public speaking expert Faith Pincus, who blogs on the LexBlog Network at Speech Advice, and LexBlog's Director of Client Services, Lyda Hawes, at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) on September 14 for "Improving Your Delivery." This free hourlong program is the third in a series of four webinars that Faith is presenting to LexBlog clients on public speaking for attorneys.

"Improving your Delivery" will touch upon:

• Tips to help you improve your delivery style with a more dynamic and effective delivery.
• Using visual aids to your advantage.
• The best use of handouts and how to avoid speaker's death by handout.
• How your image and style affects your audience.
• And, if time, the best way to handle questions and answers (in or out of court).

You can sign up at LexBlog's events center -- the password went out to clients in an email this morning, and you can email Helen Pitlick if you did not receive it.  For those of you who are unable to attend, this session will be recorded and posted here on Real Lawyers Have Blogs and LexBlog's support site within 24-48 hours after the session.

We're looking forward to learning more from Faith's insight and experience, and hope to you'll join us on the 14th with your questions for Faith.

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Blogs are only one component of the online networking equation. You need to go out to where the people are, and Facebook gives you tremendous opportunity to connect and develop yourself as a legal authority.

Lexblog CEO Kevin O'Keefe started the August client webinar by putting Facebook into perspective as far as its impact on the world: nearly one billion individuals count themselves as members. Over 30% of people on the Internet frequently visit Facebook, and the volume of information being shared and consumed is staggering.

Kevin shared how he uses Facebook, and gave examples of a few individuals and pages that he thinks are doing it well. He also touched briefly upon the privacy changes Facebook announced on August 23 -- Mashable has a great overview, for those looking to learn more.

You can download a PDF of the MindMap Kevin worked from during the session by clicking the image above and can view the webinar in its entirely at LexBlog's events center. Please feel free to share any questions or thoughts in the comments area below -- or on Facebook.  

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Facebook isn't just for kids any more -- the fastest growing group of Facebook users is adults over 50, but professionals of all ages can use it for business development.

On Wednesday, August 24, at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT, LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe and LexBlog's Client Services team will be hosting a free, hour-long webinar "How Facebook can be Used for Business Development," the second in a three-part exploration of social media, following up to last month's popular "Twitter for Professionals."

The webinar will touch upon the following points:

• Why you should consider using Facebook
• How to set up a successful Facebook page
• Bridging personal and professional connections
• Privacy concerns

You can register at LexBlog's events center; the password went out in an email to clients this afternoon, and please contact Helen Pitlick if you didn't receive it.

For those of you who are unable to attend, this webinar will be recorded and posted here and LexBlog's support site within 24-48 hours after the session.

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