DOING Social Media Well: 7 Points

Let’s forget the buzz and hype around social networking for a minute and focus on the business of relationships. I get my best work from my relationships and word-of-mouth.  I know that the Internet accelerates my R’s and W-o-M when I take the time to thoughtfully cultivate and strengthen my online identity.  Executing on that strategy helps my business development and that helps me drive revenue. That’s how I control my destiny.

I see the question as not whether you do social media but HOW to do social media well.

Here’s seven big picture points that I employ to DO social media well:

1. Listen before you engage online (use tools like Google Alerts, Twitter, Zite, Flipboard, LXBN, etc.)
2. Strategy first, tools second
3. Your authentic content matters most (developing a relationship of trust starts with your willingness to share)
4. Leverage & repurpose your content in more efficient ways (E.g. this started out as an email to a potential client that I converted into this blog post)
5. Converse with the right audience (amplifiers, influencers, thought leaders) in an engaging way: talk “with” not “at”
6. Seed & distribute your content via LinkedIn, Twitter, Blog, Facebook, Website, LXBN, etc.
7. Others will spread your content across their social networks if you make that content easy to share (see 6)

I hope those 7 points helps you. Can you do “this” social media thing alone? Yes, of course, but do you want to? That I can’t answer. But I will say this: I’m not a DIY’r. For instance, this blog was designed and developed by LexBlog on WordPress.  Our “sweet spot” clients are lawyers and other professionals in very demanding professions.  Time is money and they don’t like wasting time.  They want to hit the ground running. So, they partner with LexBlog to reduce risk and maximize return.  Simple.

To make sense of social networking and transform the business of relationships online–technology, methodology & network exposure DOES matter.

So, if you think you’re a sweet spot client, here’s a snapshot of LexBlog:

1. Helps lawyers and other professionals build powerful Internet identities to accelerate R’s and W-o-M online in order to drive business development offline.
2. Aggregates and curates, LXBN, the world’s most comprehensive law blog network.  Key facts about LXBN:
   • Comprised of 7,000+ authors focused the law and the legal industry.  See benchmarking and best-of-breed examples here and here.
   • Respected channel for syndicating and distributing engaging author content in ways that create positive exposure for that author.
   • Author hub for listening and staying current on the law, the legal industry and social networking.
   • Extends reach of events, conferences (Avvocating) or shows (LegalTech) to a targeted online audience.
3. Builds customized social networking/social media tools and platforms (Blogs, Network sites, etc.)
4. Services include:
   • Facilitating strategy development
   • Managing the project
   • Designing and developing the tools/platforms
   • Training, coaching and “best practices” pre- and post-launch
   • Managing the Cloud (hosting, maintenance, backup, etc.)
   • Ongoing services including 24/7 technology support
5. 85% client retention since inception in 2004.
6. HQ’d in Seattle’s Pioneer Square near the waterfront and stadium districts.

May our conversation evolve from here. Take care, Kevin P.S.  The sage of law blogging is Kevin O’Keefe. His blog deserves a read.  He lives social media.  I live the business of relationships.  The convergence is obvious.