Now that the internet gives us instant access to information, it is critical that you are aware of how to develop and monitor your reputation. People are talking about you and your law firm; you need to know what they are saying.
There are many good ways to track what others are saying about you or your law firm online. In this article, I want to address 4 ways you can keep a close eye on the online chatter in addition to building your reputation online.
1. Create a blog and regularly contribute to it – By writing articles about the fields of practice you work in is a great way to build trust and reputation. Others will look to you as an expert and you will build a great catalog of material to “show off” to prospective clients.
2. Use Google Alerts – Google provides this tool to everyone for free. This powerful tool enables you to enter words you want to scrape the internet for. It will email when a new instance of the word you are tracking appears. You can track your name, the name of your firm, and much more.
3. Check out the Twitter search service – Twitter enables you to search the tweet stream for real time conversation. By searching for your name or the name of you firm you can see almost instantly when others are talking about you and your brand.
4. Involve yourself in social media – Take time to answer LinkedIn discussions and questions. Submit blog posts to Digg.com. Friend other professionals and lawyers on Facebook. Taking part in these activities will establish connections and build your reputation.
The online community is an extension of how people interact in the real world. If you take time to establish yourself and gain credibility, it will benefit you should anyone attempt negative conversation about you.
People will sometimes write negatively about an experience with you or your company. The best part about establishing a reputation and setting up tracking is that you can quickly respond to any criticism. This reflects well on you and can turn a negative into a positive quickly.
If you take the time to establish an online reputation and follow up on monitoring it correctly, you will see gains in trust and ultimately more business coming your way.
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