82% of conversations affecting your word of mouth reputation are face-to-face

Read that finding on its own and you’d start to dismiss the concept that the Internet is an accelerator of a lawyer’s word of mouth reputation. But it turns out the Internet is the leading source of information motivating conversations leading to one’s word of mouth reputation.

German marketing and sales professional, Martin Meyer-Gossner, shared word of a joint study from the Keller Fay Group and Google with these findings.

In the US there are 2.4 billion conversations involving brands on a day, and the question is what role do various types of media play in this process? The study -based on 3.000 responding adults- comes to the conclusion that the vast majority of word of mouth conversations still happens face-to-face (82%).

However, the internet is the leading source of information motivating conversations. TV is already number two media to trigger word of mouth conversations. Google searches directly inform 146 million brand conversations a day…

Also from the study, after a word-of-mouth conversation the number one place people go to take action is search. People go to Google to find out more about the subject of the conversation. Google ‘brand searches’ effect 146 Million conversations every day, whether the search is done before or after such a conversation.

What does this mean for you as a lawyer?

• We know a strong word of mouth reputation is the leading way good lawyers get new business.
• We know people turn to a trusted source when looking for a lawyer, often a business associate, co-employee, friend, or relative.
• Discussion of your reputation is likely to take place off-line and face to face.
• The leading source of information motivating people to discuss your reputation as a lawyer is the Internet.
• If someone shares your reputation as a lawyer by word of mouth, the leading place people go to find out more about you as a lawyer is Google.

Knowing this, lawyers who are using the Internet to create an Internet identity are well ahead of their competition when it comes to a strong word of mouth reputation.

By Internet identity I am not referring to a website, LinkedIn profile, or directory listing alone.

I am referring to an Internet identity that upon a Google search of your name shows citations of what you’ve blogged, whether on another blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, the media quoting you, speaking engagements and the like.

Here’s a video from Google with details from the study.