march 2011 volume 12, number 2advice on the ethical use of social media , the ... law firms are...

MARCH2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2

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TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms

Theuseofsocialmediacanbeaneffectivemeansofmarketing,conductingresearch,andgatheringcompetitiveintelligence,butitisimportanttoeducateyouremployeesabouthowtousethesetoolsinaresponsibleway.

LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies

Althoughthetraditionalgolfgameremainsavaluabletoolforbuildingbusinessrelationships,socialmediaresourcesaremust-havesfordevelopingbusiness,retainingclients,remainingcompetitive,andperhapsevenplayingaroundofvirtualgolf.

TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia

Youmaybeanenthusiasticconverttothebenefitsofusingsocialmedia,butnowyoumustconvinceyourattorneystolearnhowtheyworkandhowtousethemeffectively.Herearesomeproventipsforstructuringasuccessfultrainingprogram.

CivilDiscourse?

CivicCommonsisanOhio-basedprojectthatexpandsthetraditionalcivicactionmodelbycombiningtechnologywithestablishedmechanismssuchasopenmeetingstolowerthebarforcivicengagement.Inthisarticle,CivicCommons'"curatorofconversation"describestheproject.

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March2011|VOLUME12,NUMBER2

INTHISISSUE:

» AConversationwithJayneNavarreonTransformingBusinessDevelopmentUsingSocialMedia

» TheImportanceofSocialNetworkingPoliciesforLawFirms

» LinkingIntoNewBusinessDevelopmentStrategies

» TrainingLawyerstoUseSocialMedia» CivilDiscourse?» InnovatingAheadoftheCurve» BacktoContents


IrecentlyhadthepleasureofinterviewingJayneNavarre,1authorofthebooksocial.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment,publishedbyThomsonWest.2NavarreisanInternetmarketingstrategistwithmorethan15yearsoflegalindustrymarketingandbusinessdevelopmentexperience.Hercompany,LawGravity,helpsclientscommunicateeffectivelyusingnewmediatools.SheblogsatVirtualMarketingOfficerandisaformerofficerandinternationaldirectoroftheLegalMarketingAssociation.Oure-mailinterviewisexcerptedbelow.

Q:Tellmeaboutyourbook.

A:Thebookisaboutusingsocialmediaformarketingandbusinessdevelopment.Itwalksthereaderthroughafictionalcasestudytodemonstratehowattorneyscanusespecificsocialmediatobuildanewpracticeorexpandanexistingone.Inaddition,thebookofferspracticaladviceontheethicaluseofsocialmedia,thecomponentsofapermission-basedsocialmediapolicy,andhowlawfirmscanproactivelydeployandmanagesocialmedia.

Beyondthatthereisalotofinformationthatcanhelpattorneyscreateameaningfulsocialmediapresence,adviceonhowandwhattopost,andanexplanationofspecifictoolssuchasblogs,Twitter,andLinkedIn.Thebookwrapsupwithsixtruestoriesoflawyerswhohavesuccessfullyintegratedsocialmediaintotheirmarketingandclientcommunications.(Intheinterestoffulldisclosure,JonathanHandelnotesthatheisoneoftheattorneysprofiled.)

Q:Howdidyoucometowritethebook?

A:AsastudentofnewmediasincethelaunchoftheWorldWideWebin1994,Ioftenfoundmyselfexperimentingonthecuttingedgeofmarketingtechnologyinlawfirms.Around2004,IbeganexploringthesocialWebasatoolforbusinessdevelopment.In2008,Ileftmy13-year,in-housemarketingcareertodevotemytimetoafocusedstudyofsocialmedia,seekingtodefineopportunitiesforlawfirms.Inthespringof2008IwasengagedbytheLegalMarketingAssociationtowriteanextensivewhitepaperonthesubject.Thepaperwaswellreceivedanditconfirmedthattheindustrywashungryforexperiencedandpracticalguidance.

Iwasfortunatetohaveastronggraspoflegalservicesmarketingfundamentalswhensocialmediaenteredthepicture.Itenabledmetooffercredibleguidance.Inlate2009,SilviaCoulter,vicepresidentofmarketingatHildebrandtBakerRobbins,approachedmewiththeideaofwritingabookonsocialmediabecauseshesawavoidandademandfortrustedinformationspecifictothelegalindustry.

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http://www.lawgravity.com/

http://www.virtualmarketingofficer.com/

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Q:Specifically,whyisthebookimportantnow?

A:Socialmediatoolsarenotthefadthatmanyreluctantlawfirmshadhoped.Thewaveiscresting.So,whetherlawfirmsorlawyerschoosetouseasocialmediastrategyintheircommunicationstoolboxrightnowissecondarytothefactthattheyneedtounderstandsocialmedia—howtheyarebeingusedandespeciallytheimpacttheyarehavingontheworldaroundthem,i.e.,theirclientsandprospectiveclients.

Q:Whatarethebenefitsofsocialmedia?

A:Socialmediaofferscope,breadth,anddepth.Theygiveuscommunicationplatformsfewcouldhaveimaginedandallowanyonetobea"citizenjournalist,"weighinoncriticaltopics,andconnecttopeopleandinformationonascaleneverseenbefore.However,alongwiththisexpansioncomesagreaterneedforaccountabilityandcare.

Q:Howmuchadoptionofsocialmediahastherebeen?

A:eMarketerpredictsthat80percentofU.S.businesseswith100ormoreemployeeswilladoptsocialmediaformarketingpurposesby2011,risingto88percentby2012.Socialmediahavebecomethecommunicationschannelforcommerce.Ibelievesocialmediawillonlycontinuetoexpandandevolvewherelawfirmsandlawyersareconcerned,aswell.

Q:Whattoolsarefirmsembracing,andwhattoolsaretheynotyetemploying?

A:Therearedozensofnewsocialmediatoolsandserviceslaunchingdaily,butmostlawfirmsstillsticktothefirst-tiertools:blogs,LinkedIn,Twitter,andFacebook.

However,smartfirmsarealsotakingadvantageofdistributionsiteslikeJDSupra,Mondaq,andLexology,whichofferatargetedaudience,plentyof"Googlejuice,"andactionableanalytics.Othersareleveragingthepublishingtoolsanddiscussiongroupsonlegal-centricsiteslikemartindale.comConnectedandLegalOnRamp.

Onthenexttier,afewfirmsandindividuallawyersareusingserviceslikeLegalTalkNetwork,whichdoesagreatjobofsyndicatingaudiocontent.SomefirmsarepostingvideostoYouTubeandpresentationstoSlideShare,butformost,theseareuntappedresources.

OthersignificantopportunitiesthatdeserveattentioncanbefoundonsiteslikeAmericanExpressOPEN,whichoffersaccesstoabroadyetfocusedbusinesscommunity.And,frommyperspective,themostsignificantopportunityawaitingprogressivelawfirmsissocialbusinesscollaborationspaces."Private"socialnetworkingismorethanconnectionsandconversations,itisaproductivityspaceforclientsandteams.IhopetopersuademorefirmstoaddsomethinglikeBloomfire,asoftware-as-servicesocialtool,inthenearfuture.

Inaddition,afewprogressivefirmshavelaunchedmobileappsfortheiPhoneandBlackBerry.Theyareprimarilyfeedingblogandnewslettercontent,firmdirectories,andmapstotheirofficesviatheapps.

Q:Whohasbeenthemostinnovative?

A:NoncorporatelawfirmsarewhereI'mseeingthemostinnovation.Severalconsumerclassactionlawfirmsareusingsocialnetworkstoeducateandinteractwithpotentialclassmembers.Thisseemstobeworkingwellforthem.There'salsoanintellectualpropertyboutiquethatispublishingdozensofblogsusingahighlytargetedsearchtermstrategyandgettingnewclientinquiriesonaregularbasis.

Otherwise,thelegalindustryissortofslowtotheparty.

Q:Whatshouldmediumandlargefirmsthinkaboutastheydeveloppoliciesforuseofsocialmedia?

A:Lawyershavebeenbloggingforalongtimenow,inInternetyearsanyway,andmostoftheirfirmsseemcomfortablewithit.However,Istillrunintomidsizedandlargelawfirmsthatstrugglewiththeideathattheymaybe"exposed"tohiddendangersandliabilities.Withthehugenumberofattorneyssuccessfullybloggingtoday,Ifindthatfeartobegenerallyunfounded.

Q:Whataboutsolopractitioners?

A:Socialmediahavelittledownsideforsmallandsolopractitionerswithonecaveat—it'stimeintensivetodoitright.

Q:Socialmediahelppeoplecreateapersonalbrand.Whyisthisimportant?

A:Everyonehasapersonalbrand,offlineoronline.Thedifferenceiswhetheryoumanageitorjustletithappen.Forexample,asyoumoveaboutsociallyintheofflineworld,yourbrandisdefinedbyavarietyofthings,i.e.,you'readoctor,lawyer,orfirefighter,oryou'reamarathonrunner,orevenwhoyou'rerelatedto—you'reso-and-so'sfatherordaughter.Brandisintheeyeofthebeholder;howyouareperceivedwillvaryfromindividualtoindividual.

It'ssimilarwithsocialmedia,onlyyouronlinefootprint—thethingsyoupublish,thethingsyoupost,andthepeopleyouassociatewith—definesyourbrand.

Formostattorneys,theonlinebrandisanextensionofwhotheyareoffline.It'simportanttobeauthentic,butit'stotallyreasonable,and

http://www.jdsupra.com/

http://www.mondaq.com/

http://www.lexology.com/

http://community.martindale.com/

http://legalonramp.com/

http://legaltalknetwork.com/

http://openforum.com/

http://bloomfire.com/

smart,todoabitmoreplanning.Forexample,youronlinebrandcouldaccentuatecertainskills,attributes,orattitudestoattractthekindofbusinessyouseek.That'swhyit'sreallyimportanttothinkthroughhowyouwanttobeknown,whatyouwanttobeknownfor,andhowyourassociationwithotherswillbeperceived.

Q:Whatsocialmediaarehelpfulforresearchonpeopleandtopics?

A:Therearemanysolidresearchtechniquesthatcanbeemployedbutforabasicsearch,startwithGoogle,whichindexesallWebactivity,includingsocialmedia.YoucouldalsousesomeadvancedGooglesearchtechniques.Forexample,typewhatyou'researchingforfollowedbysite.Forexample,typeMexicosite:nytimes.comforstoriesaboutMexicoontheNewYorkTimeswebsite.Tofindblogcontent,typemexico:blog.Tofindimages,simplytypeMexicoimages.Anasterisk(*)inasearchstringisawildcard.Soforexample,Obamavoted*onthe*billwouldreturnstoriesaboutdifferentvotesondifferentbills.

Ifyouonlywantedtoseesocialmediaactivityforaperson,useasocialsearchenginelikesocialmention.com.Ifyouwanttopicalblogcontent,trysearchingAlltop,asitethataggregatestopblogcontent.Individualsocialmediasiteshave"on-site"searchingthatwillflushoutcontent.And,ifyou'relookingfordeepWebdata,photos,andarchivalinformation,youcansubscribetoserviceslike123peopleorSpokeo.Finally,ifyouwanttoseewhatawebsitelookedlikeinthepast,useWaybackMachine,whichisadigitallibraryofInternetsitesandotherculturalartifactsindigitalform.

Sources

[email protected].

2.JayneNavarre,social.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment(2010),http://www.sociallawyers.com/.

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http://alltop.com/

http://www.123people.com/

http://www.spokeo.com/

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INTHISISSUE:






WithWikiLeaks,wecannolongerassumethatsensitiveinformationissecuredfromtheeyesofthepublic.WereaddisturbingstoriesabouttragediesthatoccurredwhenhighlypersonalinformationwassharedontheInternetorsocialmedia.Statisticsshowthatsocialnetworkingaccountsfor25percentofactivityontheInternetandthatFacebookandTwitterhavehadtripledigitgrowth.1Further,one-fourthofemployeesusesocialnetworksattheirjobs2andthereisincreasedbusinessuseofsocialnetworkingsitesforexternalcommunications.Allthesefactsargueforthecreationofsocialmediapoliciesintheworkplace.Employeesneedtobeclearaboutwhatisappropriateandwhatisnotintheirwrittencommunications.

Apparently,lessthan30percentofemployerscurrentlyhavesocialnetworkingpolicies.3Whensocialmediausersarriveinthelawfirmenvironment,evenafterthreeyearsoflawschool,theymaystillneedguidanceastoappropriateuseofsocialnetworkingtools.Linesmaybeblurredandboundariesmissingbetweenwhatisacceptableforprofessionalasopposedtopersonalcommunications.IndividualsaccustomedtoopenlysharingaspectsoftheirpersonallifeonMySpace,YouTube,orTwittermaynotstoptothinkthattheycouldjeopardizetheircareersandtheirfirm'sreputationunlesstheyarediscriminatingaboutwhattheydiscloseandwhere.

Employeesmustalsorealizethatanyinformationtheyshareusingsocialnetworkingtoolsisdiscoverableandcouldbeusedagainstthematalatertime.OnceinformationisontheInternetitstaysthere.LawfirmpartnersRichardRaysmanandPeterBrownhavewrittenanarticleondiscoverabilityandtheethicsofsocialmediadata.Theywarnthatsocialnetworkingsitesarearepositoryofinformationthatcanbeusedasevidenceincivilmatters.4Socialnetworkingsitesandtheactivitiesoftheirusersare"provingtobevaluableresources—aswellaslegalminefields—foremployers,"pointsoutAndrewTanick.5Tanickalsoexplainsthatwhilemanystateslimitanemployer'srighttotakeactionagainstanemployeebasedonnonworkactivities,similarrestrictionsdonotapplywhentheactivitiesdirectlyimpacttheemployer.6VirginiaHenschel,inanotherarticleonthetopic,warnsthatdiscussionsaboutone'shealthorpersonallifemayberelevanttoapersonalinjuryclaim,adiscriminationorEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommissionclaim,oraFamilyandMedicalLeaveActrequest.Lawyersarecurrentlydebatingissuesofprivacyasopposedtoadmissibleevidence.Definingtheparametersofprivacywillbethehote-discoveryissueof2011,Henschelpredicts.7

Asidefromtheissuesofdiscoverabilityandprivacyistheoverarchingissueofconfidentiality.Lawyersareethicallyboundtopreserveconfidentialityofclientinformation,whichprohibitspublicairingofclientmatters.Individualsmustbeextremelycarefulnotonlyofwhattheysayinelevators,butwhattheyrevealinane-mailortheirpersonalentryon































Facebook.EvendetailsinentriesindirectorieslikeLinkedInrequirejudgment.

Wherecanonelookforsampleguidelines?Barassociationwebsitesareonepossibility.TheAmericanBarAssociationDivisionforMediaRelationsandCommunicationServiceswebsitelistsMaryleeAbrams'suggestionsforelementsofagoodsocialmediapolicy.8Theyincludethefollowing:

Custom-fitthepolicytothefirm'sbusinessandtechnology.

Consideruseatworkandduringpersonaltime.

Requireemployeestoincludeadisclaimerwhenreferringtothefirm.

Createboundariesforbusinessrelationships.

Regulateorprohibituseofacompanynameorlogo.

Prohibitsharingofsensitiveorconfidentialinformation.

Trainemployeesonthepolicy.

Defineconsequencesforviolatingthepolicy.

Also,theCommunicationsSectionoftheNationalAssociationofBarExecutivesprovidesatemplatethatorganizationscanusetocreatetheirownsocialmediaguidelines.Whilethetemplateisintendedforassociationscommunicatingwiththeirmembers,theguidelinesapplytolawfirmmarketingdepartmentsandindividualsaswell.9Theyincludethefollowing:

Representtheorganizationwell.

Exercisegoodjudgment.

Inappropriateusemaysubjectyoutodisciplineaswellastocivilorcriminalliabilitiesorpenalties.

Beresponsible.

Beupfront;identifyyourself.

Makeclearyouarespeakingforyourselfandnotontheorganization'sbehalf.

Becivilandrespectful.

Bequicktocorrectanerror.

Keepitrelevant/addvalue.

Followcopyrightandfairuselaws.

Protectproprietaryandclientinformation.

Avoidpolitics.

Complywithstaterulesgoverninglawyerconduct.

Donotviolateantitrustlaws.

Abidebythesocialnetwork'srules.

Avoidblatantmarketing.

Usetheorganization'snameorlogoonlywithpriorapproval.

Donotidentifyone'semployeronablogorpersonalpage.

Theorganizationshouldenforcetheseguidelines.

Lawfirmsthatdohavesocialnetworkingpoliciesusuallyincorporatethemintotheirconfidentialityandcomputersecuritypoliciesthatemployeesarerequiredtosign.Becauseoftheimportanceofthesepolicies,theyshouldbecommunicatedbyaneducationalprogramaswell.Thefirmshouldnotwaituntilthereisasecuritybreachtotightennetworksecurityorbeembarrassedbyinappropriatesharingofinternalinformationtoincreasemonitoringofemployeecommunications.Itshouldbeproactiveratherthanreactive.

Themostcommonuseofsocialmediainfirmsisformarketingandbusinessdevelopment.Presumablymarketingdepartmentswillhavedevelopedguidelinessuchastheoneslistedabovefortheirpeopletouseforexternalcommunications.Itismorethepersonalusebyindividualsthatisthegreaterconcern.Whilenoinstitutioncancompletelycontrolwhatitsemployeesdo,awrittenpolicyandaneducationalprogramcancertainlyhelpdevelopappropriateuseofthesetools.Theuseofsocialmediacanbeaneffectivemeansofmarketing,conductingresearch,andgatheringcompetitiveintelligence,butitisimportanttoeducateemployeeshowtousethesetoolsinaresponsibleway.

Bibliography

ABANow,AroundtheBar,GrowingSocialMediaUseAmongEmployeesNecessitatesEmployerResponse.

AboveandBeyondKM,SocialMedia:EducateorRegulate?

AmericanBarAssociation,DivisionforBarServices,SocialMediaResourcesforBarAssociations.

Baker&Daniels,SocialMediaPolicy,Guidelines.



http://www.abanow.org/2010/08/growing-social-media-use-among-employees-necessitates-employer-response/

http://aboveandbeyondkm.com/2010/12/social-media-educate-or-regulate.html#

http://www.abanet.org/barserv/resourcepages/socialmedia.shtml

http://www.bakerdstreamingvid.com/publications/Baker_Daniels_Social-Media-Policy.pdf

LarryBodine,GuidelinesandPolicyonBlogging,SocialNetworking,andElectronicCommunicationsandMedia.

TheByrneBlog,SampleSocialMediaandNetworkingPolicy.

DougCornelius,ComplianceBuilding,SocialMediaPoliciesDatabase.

CarolynElefant&NicoleBlack,SocialMediaforLawyers:TheNextFrontier(2010).

VirginiaHenschel,FacebookRedux,LexisNexisAppliedDiscovery,Nov.18,2010.

ISBASocialMediaPolicyandGuidelines.

AmandaLenhart,PewInternet,TheDemocratizationofOnlineSocialNetworks,Oct.8,2009.

NationalAssociationofBarExecutives,CommunicationsSection,SocialMediaGuidelinesfortheOrganization,Jan.29,2010.

RichardRaysman&PeterBrown,DiscoverabilityandEthicsofSocialMediaData,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.15,2010.

SueReisinger,SurveyShowsThatNoOneKnowsWhotheHeckIsDealingwithSocialMediaPolicies,CorporateCounsel,Oct.6,2010.

ThedaC.Snyder,LeveragingLinkedInandMore,excerptsfromWomenRainmakers'BestMarketingTips(3rded.2010)inLawPractice,Nov./Dec.2010,at49.

HeatherEganSussman&ObiamakaP.Madubuko,LessonsLearnedfromWikileaks:Don'tBeaTarget,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.17,2010.

AndrewTanick,OurEmployeePostedWhat?EmployersLearntoDealwithSocialNetworking,CorporateCounsel,Oct.4,2010.

Sources

1.nielsenwire,WhatAmericansDoOnline:SocialMediaandGamesDominateActivity.

2.WebProNews,MoreEmployeesVisitingSocialNetworksatWork.

3.eMarketer,FewCompaniesHavePolicyforEmployeeUseofSocialNetworks.

4.RichardRaysman&PeterBrown,DiscoverabilityandEthicsofSocialMediaData,LTNLawTechnologyNews,Dec.15,2010,p.1.

5.AndrewTanick,OurEmployeePostedWhat?EmployersLearntoDealwithSocialNetworking,CorporateCounsel,Oct.4,2010,p.1.

6.Id.at2.

7.VirginiaHenschel,FacebookRedux,LexisNexisAppliedDiscovery,Nov.18,2010.

8.ABANow,AroundtheBar,GrowingSocialMediaUseAmongEmployeesNecessitatesEmployerResponse,p.1.

9.NationalAssociationofBarExecutives,CommunicationsSection,SocialMediaGuidelinesfortheOrganization,Jan.29,2010.

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http://www.lawmarketing.com/pages/articles.asp?Action=Article&ArticleID=1024

http://thebyrneblog.com/2010/03/12/sample-social-media-policy/

http://www.compliancebuilding.com/about/publications/social-media-policies/

http://www.applieddiscovery.com/ws_display.asp?filter=Blog_Detail&item_id=%7B1AA5A0C8%2D0343%2D45A7%2DA93B%2D031F4C1F1D7A%7D

http://www.abanet.org/barserv/resourcepages/socialmedia/ISBAsmp.pdf

http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2009/41--The-Democratization-of-Online-Social-Networks.aspx

http://www.abanet.org/nabe/communications/commsectionsocialmediapolicy.pdf

http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202476191700&Discoverability_and_Ethics_of_Social_Media_Data

http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202472923205

http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202476312208&Lessons_Learned_From_WikiLeaks_Dont_Be_a_Target


http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/what-americans-do-online-social-media-and-games-dominate-activity/

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2010/07/12/more-employees-visiting-social-networks-at-work

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007493

http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202476191700&Discoverability_and_Ethics_of_Social_Media_Data


http://www.applieddiscovery.com/ws_display.asp?filter=Blog_Detail&item_id=%7B1AA5A0C8%2D0343%2D45A7%2DA93B%2D031F4C1F1D7A%7D

http://www.abanow.org/2010/08/growing-social-media-use-among-employees-necessitates-employer-response/

http://www.abanet.org/nabe/communications/commsectionsocialmediapolicy.pdf



INTHISISSUE:






Consumerismishittingthelegalworld.TwotothreeyearsagomostofthepartnersatfirmswithwhomweworkcouldnotfathomthatanysophisticatedbuyerwouldbebuyinglegalservicesovertheInternetandyettoday,weroutinelyhearfrompartnersthataclientlearnedoforhiredthemthroughtheInternet.Thebuy/sellsideofthelegalindustryischangingforever.Social/businessmeetingslikegolfing,sportingevents,andconcertsarestillfunwaystobuildyourrelationshipsandclearlywillnotgoawayanytimesoon.Thatsaid,toreallystayconnectedacrossabroaderspectrumofcontacts,thesocialmediaresourcesnowavailablearemust-havesfordevelopingbusiness,retainingclients,andstayingcompetitive.ThismeansmasteringthetechnologyfromiPhoneappstoLinkedInconnectionsandfromFacebookfriendstoiPadcloudcomputing.Getconnectedandstayconnectedtothewidestrangeofcontactspossible.

Manyfirmshaveadoptedthesenewtechnologies.AcommonexampleisusingFacebookforthehiringprocess.Butmorefirmsarecomingonlinewithsophisticatedimplementationsofothersocialmediaandnetworkingtoolsparticularlyfocusedonstayingconnected.Examplesincludethefollowing.

Boston-basedGoulston&Storrscreatedanappspecificallyforhelpingitsclientsstayinformedandconnectedtothefirm.InJune2010,itannouncedthelaunchofitspremiereiPhoneapp,whichoffersaconvenientwayforclientstogetcustomizedinformationonthemostcurrentbusinesstopics,directlyfromaniPhone.

TheresaBomba,associatedirectorofmarketingforGoulston,discussedthestrategybehindthismoveandperhapsmoretocome:"Thereareapproximately50millioniPhonescurrentlyinuse,andwiththelaunchoftheiPhone4,analystsestimatetherewillbe100millioniPhoneusersbytheendof2011,"shesaid."Thisisanidealopportunityforustocommunicateonaplatformthatourclientsareutilizing.TheG&Sappwillprovidemeaningful,timelyinformationinaformatpeopleprefer."YoucandownloadthefreeG&SappattheAppleAppStoreonyouriPhone.

HansHaglund,businessdevelopmentdirectorata1,500-lawyerglobalfirmbasedinCalifornia,can'timaginebusinesswithoutLinkedInasaresourceforthefirm'sbusinessdevelopmentefforts.Heprovidedthisinsight:"AtthefirmweuseLinkedInwithourclientteamstobuildournetworkintargetorganizations.ThegroupsI'veworkedwitharesmall,focusedteams,butLinkedInisusedthroughoutthefirm.It'samazingwhenyoustartminingyourfirmcontactsandyournetwork'scontacts;youcanconnectwithjustaboutanyone—threedegreesofseparationatthemost."

Sowhatdotheclientsthinkofthis—thebuyersideofthebusiness?"It's






















http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goulston-storrs-news-application/id377825068?mt=8



absolutelyessentialtothewayourcompanydoesbusiness,"saidonegeneralcounselofabigboxretailer."WekeepintouchwithoursuppliersthroughLinkedInandinthelegaldepartmentweregularlyuseLinkedIn,Facebook,andothertoolstoseewhatresourcesexistforusinjurisdictionswherewedonothavedirectcontacts.IusethepopularsearchenginesallthetimetofindnewlawyersoutsidetheUnitedStatesandthenonceIhavetheirnamesIgoonlinetoreviewtheirbiosandtheirLinkedInandFacebookpagesandrecommendationsiftheyaresubscribers.Mostlikelyiftheyarenot,theywillloseanopportunitytoworkwithus.ThebestadviceIcangivetooutsidecounselistomakeiteasyforustodobusinesswithyou."

Forthelegalbusiness,stayingconnectedhasalwaysbeenimportant,particularlyinthecaseofhiringlocalcounsel,referringworkwhenconflictsoccur,andsourcingtothebestexpertsandothersupportresourcesforcasesandclients.Followingaresomenewtwiststostayingconnectedandaccessinginformation.

GoogleandYahooarethenewdocumentmanagementsystemsinsideandoutsideofthefirm.Thegenerationthatgrewupontheseresourceswon'tstandforless.Andwhynotgowiththesearchenginethatprovidesthebroadestrangeofoptionsforresults?

FacebookandLinkedInarethenewcontactmanagementsystemsforyourfirm.There'snomoreneedforclosedsoftwarearchitecturestobethefirm'scontactmanagementsystem.WithallyourcontactsloadedintoLinkedInorFacebook,anymemberofthefirmwillbeabletoviewimmediatelywhoknowswhomwithinthefirmoroutsideofit.Andit'sallconnectedtoOutlookoranotherpopularsoftwareproductthatisaninherentpartofyourcorporateorhomecomputerofchoice.

Forthosewhoareconcernedaboutcompetitorsbeingabletoviewwhotheyknow,youarequicklybecomingamemberoftheminorityofpeoplewhoworryaboutsuchthings.Theworldisopenandstayingconnectedisthekeytobusinessdevelopmentsuccess.Hoardingcontactinformationsimplyclosesyououtoftheopportunitiesofwhichotherswilltakeadvantage.

Weworkwithhundredsoflawyersmonthlywhoareinoursalesprograms.OurworkwiththemconfirmsthateveryoneisonLinkedIn,peoplearefindinglong-lostlawschoolcolleaguesthroughFacebookandGoogle,andpartnersareroutinelyreceivingnewmattersthroughtheseconnections.Whileitmayseemnewtosomeofusinour40sand50s,it'severydaylifeforourcolleagueswhoarenowdevelopingbusinessandareintheir30s.

Forpartners'marketingactivities,rememberthatwhentheywritethatarticle,youcanpublishitononeofmanysocialmediasitesanditwillthenbesearchablebythousandsthroughtheInternetsearchengines.Whentheygivethatspeech,connectthePowerPointtotheirfirmbiosandtotheirsocialmediabios.Tweetregularlyaboutdailyupdatesandthepresswillfollowthefirm'severyword.

It'seasytobesavvyaboutsocialmediaandusingthetoolstodevelopbusiness.Ifyouneedhelp,findoneofthemanyresourcesinyourfirm'smarketingorITdepartmentorreadthenewbookbyJayneNavarre,social.lawyers:TransformingBusinessDevelopment,publishedbyThomsonWest.It'sfulloftipsonhowtomarketandsellusingthesefantastictools.

Goaheadandgolfwithyourlocalcontacts—nothing'schangedwiththatsideoftherelationship-buildingprocess.YoumayalsofindyourselfinavirtualgameofgolftowhichyouwereinvitedthroughLinkedInbyyourlawschoolalumorevenbyanavatar,whomaybemanystatesorjurisdictionsawayfromyou.That'swhatbusinessdevelopmenthasalwaysbeenaboutandisstillallabout—stayingconnected.Soreachoutandfriendsomeone,followthemonTwitter,orleveragetheirconnectiontoyouonLinkedIn.Keepintouch!

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INTHISISSUE:






It'shighlylikelythatyou'vereadhow"socialmediaexperts"areusingsocialmediatoreachawideraudienceandevengeneratequalifiedprospectiveclients.Youmightevenhaveexperimentedwithsocialmediayourself,orareactivelyusingthemnowtomarketyourfirm.That'sallgreat,butnowcomesthehardpart—howtoconvincetheattorneysinyourpracticetolearnaboutsocialmedia,tousethemeffectively,andtospendtheirlimitedtimeonsocialmediatraining.

Oneoftheguidingprinciplesofusingsocialmediaisthatitisnotmarketing.Thisiswhyattorneysorfirmsshouldnotsimplyfarmouttheirsocialmediatothemarketingdepartmentorthird-partyagency.Socialmediaare,attheircore,conversationsbetweenpeople.Thismeansthatincontrasttoadvertising,socialmedia"leads"comefrominteractionsandconversationsbetweenindividualsandafirmoranattorney'sTwitter,Facebook,orLinkedInprofiles.Assuch,theseprofilesarebestmaintainedbytheactualattorney.

Beforedelvingintothetrainingspecifics,adiscussionofsomebasictenetsofsocialmediafollows,includinggoalsforusingsocialmedia,suchasleadgenerationandbrandmarketing.

Whatisthegoalofusingsocialmedia?Qualifiedprospects,ofcourse!Butjustlikeword-of-mouthreferrals,buildingqualifiedleadsfromsocialmediatakestimeandeffort.Chancesareapotentialnewclientisnotgoingtofindalawyerviasocialmediaandpickupthephone,butratherwill"listen"toanattorney'ssocialmediaupdates,readwhatotherswriteabouttheattorney(orfirm),andperhapseveninteractwithanattorneyviaLinkedInorTwitter.Aswithallqualityrelationships,it'saslowbuildbut,donewell,itcanleadtohigh-qualityprospectsandleads.

Inaddition,socialmediaencompassonlineconversationsaswellasreviewsiteslikeYelp,AvvoandLawyers.com.Especiallywithattorneyswhohaveindividualclient-orientedpractices,chancesarethatsomeoneisalready"talking"aboutthemonline—beitviaachatonTwitter,Facebookoraforum,oranactualreview.Fromabrandingandonlinereputationmanagementperspective,itmakessenseforattorneysandfirmstomonitorwhatisbeingsaidandtogetinvolvedintheconversation.Asmanynonlegalbusinessesarequicklylearning,theseconversationsandreviewsarehappeningwhetheryouwantthemtoornot,soitisbesttogetinvolved.

Allofthishelpstoillustrateacommonthreadregardingsocialmediasites:theyallsupport"interaction"betweenpeople.Inotherwords,socialmediaareanotherwayforpeopletocommunicateonline.Whenwearetalkingaboutourpersonallives,thisiseasytounderstand(e.g.,babypictures,reunions,sharinginformationonevents,pictures).Whenwearetalkingaboutalegalpractice,theroleofsocialmediaishowto(i)build






















http://yelp.com/

http://avvo.com/

http://www.lawyers.com/



anaudienceofqualifiedcontributors,(ii)establishyourself(orfirm)asanauthorityandqualityparticipantinthecommunity,and(iii)supportthegrowthofthecommunitythroughrelevantcontent,conversation,andsupport.Asapracticalexample,anidealsituationiswhenaninfluentialpersoninanattorney'snetworkseeshisorherupdates(e.g.,onTwitter,LinkedIn,orFacebook)andthenforwardsonetopeopleheorsheknows,thushelpingnotonlytoreachanewaudience,butalsotodosoviaathird-partyendorsement.

Ontothetraining.Followingisanoutlineofstepsforpreparingandstructuringatrainingprogram,includingpolicyandactionitemconsiderations.Thisoutlinecomesfromreal-worldsocialmediatrainingprogramsexecutedforothernonlegalcompanies.

Step1:Believethatsocialmediaworkandthatyourtargetaudienceusesthem.

Beforetryingtoconvinceattorneystoattendtraining,it'simperativethatyouhaveusedsocialmediayourself.Asnewcommunicationchannels,socialmediaareaneasytargetfornaysayerssoitisagoodideatohaveyourownconvictionabouthowtousethemandtheireffectivenessbeforetryingtotrainothers.Ifsocialmediaarenewtoyou,spendalittletimewithLinkedInorFacebook,exploretheprofilesofattorneysinapracticeareathatyouarefamiliarwith,lookatthevariouslegalgroupsonLinkedInandFacebook,"like"afewattorneyfanpages,commentonapostortwo,anddefinitelyupdateyourownprofiles(includeyourpicture,title,andlinktoyourfirmandleaveafewupdates).

Step2:Motivateattendance.

Theoverallmessagehereisthatsocialmedialeadtonewclients,whichmeansnewincome.They'reworththetimeofanyattorneywhoisseriousaboutclientdevelopment.Outlinedbelowaresomemorespecific"attendancemotivators,"basedontheparticularsession.

Step3:Structurethetraining.

Weallknowattorneysvaluetheirtimehighly,sostructurethetraininginmanageablesegmentsthatincludeclearobjectivesandgoals.Ifpossible,itisgreattokickoffthetrainingwitha90-minute,in-personinteractivetrainingsession,withhands-oncomputeruse,thatcoversthebasicsofLinkedInandFacebook.Fromexperience,weknowthatsocialmedia"intheory"aresuretoputpeopletosleep,oroutthedoor.Makesuretohaveexercisesplannedandcomputersreadytouse.Also,fromexperiencewefoundpeopletendto"get"LinkedInandFacebookfairlyquickly,whileTwittertakeslonger;ifyouareshortontime,trytokeepTwitterseparateasittypicallytakeslongerandismorechallengingtoexplain.

Itisimpossibletocovereverythingin90minutes,soschedulefollow-up,30-minutewebinarsthattouchonspecifictopics.Followingisasampletrainingitinerary.

TrainingKick-Off–Month1

Content:Learnthebasicsofsocialmediaandstartgeneratingprospects.FocusonLinkedInandFacebook.Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveanactiveLinkedInprofileandFacebookpersonalpage(anattorneyfanpageisaplus).Format:A90-minuteinteractivesessioninatrainingroom.Suggestions:Forward,inadvance,guidelinesforsettingupaLinkedInprofile,Facebookpersonalpage,andFacebookfanpage.Attendancemotivator:Ifpossible,getaquotefromarecognizableattorneywhohasgottenaclientfromanysocialmediachannel.Wordofmouthandthereminderthatnewclientsmeannewincomewillhaveagoodimpact.Inaddition,listsomeofthebenefitsofusingsocialmediaforclientdevelopment:

Easytoolstokeepupwithyourclients'industriesandbusinesses.Increaselikelihoodofyourbeingrecommendedtoapotentialclient.Newcommunicationchannelswherethereisachanceforyoutobeheard.Enableyoutoreachprospects,thoughtleaders,andinfluentialpeoplewhomyoudonotknowpersonally.

TwitterWebinar–Month2

Content:LearnhowtouseTwittertogenerateleads.FocusonsettingupandusingaTwitterprofile,engagingwithothers,messaging,andintegratingwithLinkedIn.Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveactiveTwitterandLinkedInprofiles.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Suggestions:Forward,inadvance,guidelinesforsettingupaTwitterprofile,aswellasforusingLinkedInandFacebook.Attendancemotivator:FindouthowtoreachyourprospectiveclientthroughTwitter.Itisstillanewcommunicationchannel,sochancesareyouwillbeheard.

LinkedInWebinar–Month3

Content:LearnhowtoengageonLinkedIntobuildyourlegalpractice.FocusonGroups,Answers,andothernetworkingtoolsonLinkedIn.

Requirements:AllattendingattorneysshouldhaveanactiveLinkedInprofile.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Suggestions:Forwardsetupguidelinesinadvance.Attendancemotivator:AttorneysarebuildingthemselvesupasexpertsonLinkedInnow;donotgetleftbehindorhaveyour"thunder"stolen.

ReviewsandDirectoriesWebinar–Month4

Content:Learnhowtohandlenegativeandpositivereviewsandhowtogetclientsthroughlegaldirectories.FocusonAvvo,Yelp,Lawyers.com,andAbovetheLaw.Requirements:Priortoattending,allattorneysshoulddoasearchfortheirnameinGoogletoseewhatinformationranksinthetopthreepagesofGoogle.Chancesaretheywillbesurprisedorpossiblyannoyed.Format:A30-minutewebinar.Attendancemotivator:Peoplearemostlikelytalkingaboutyouonlinewhetheryouwantthemtoornot.Youcannotignoreorcontroltheconversations.Itisbesttogetinvolvedandinfluencewhatisbeingsaid.

Step4:Buildthetrainingcontent.

Followingaresomebasiccontentguidelines.

Setthegoalsandexpectations.Asoutlinedabove,eachsession'sgoalshouldbeclearlystated,includingtheexpectedoutcomes.Forexample,dependingonhowfamiliaryouraudienceiswithLinkedInandFacebook,thekick-offtrainingsessionmightincludethesegoalsandexpectations:

HowtooptimizeyourLinkedInprofile.Bysession'sendyouwillknowhowtoaccessyourLinkedInprofile,uploadphotoanddetails,add/editemploymentinformation,pullinemployers'companyprofiles,incorporateyourTwitterfeed(ifapplicable),shareanupdate,messageyourcontacts,addnewcontacts,searchforcontacts,initiateanintroductionrequest,leavearecommendation,joinagroup,andfollowcompanies.HowtocreateandoptimizeyourFacebookfanpage.Bysession'sendyouwillknowhowtoaccessyourfanpage,uploadphotosandattorney/firminformation,addpoststoyourwall,commentonotherfanpages,likeaprospect'sfanpage,addyourRSS/blogfeed,postevents,createaninvite,andidentifyandbuildqualityfans.Create"howto/doerguides."Buildthetrainingexercisesaroundspecifictasksasoutlinedaboveandcreatestep-by-stepguidesforhowtoimplementthem.Thesecanbeincludedinthepresentationaswellasthehandoutssoparticipantshaveareferenceafterthesession.Inaddition,makethedoerguidesasdetailedandinteractiveaspossible.Thisisthelion'sshareofthecontentandyourprimarytrainingtool.

Setuniversalguidelinesforallusers.Followingaresocialmediatacticsthatdonotwork,followedbysometried-and-true"bestpractices."

Makingupdatessolelyaboutyouoryourfirm.Whatisinitforyourfans,followers,evenclients?Donotspeaktotheaudiencethroughcannedmessages.Introducevalue,insight,anddirectionwitheachengagement.Makingfans/followersdotoomuchwork.Alwaysincludealinktowhateveryouarepostingabout;donotmakeyouraudiencehavetodigtofindoutmoreinformation.Focusingonquantityoffansandfollowers,notquality.Itisbettertohave100highlyrelevantfans/followerswhointeractwithyou,versus1,000fans/followerswhodonotpayattentiontoyourupdatesorinteract.Qualitytrumpsquantitywithsocialmedia.Auto-messagingfromTwitterandFacebook.ItisOKtosetuppoststorolloutwhileyouareonvacation,butthinklongandhardbeforeautomatinganentirefeed.Bepersonallyengagingratherthanarobot.Inaddition,Twitter,Facebook,andLinkedInhavedifferentaudiences,soyourupdatesshouldbedifferent,too.WaitingtoolongtoansweratweetorcommentonyourFacebookfanpage.Ifyouareparticipatinginaseriesof@replies,donotwaittoolongbeforeresponding;peopleexpectaquickanswertotheir@reply.Ifsomeonecommentsonyourfanpagewallpost,makesuretoreplywithananswerorasimplethank-you.

Establishprotocolguidelinesforyourfirm.Besuretooutlinespecificguidelinesforsocialmediaregardingwhatcontentcanandcannotbeposted,howtohandle"hot"postsorconversations,andothercommunicationissuesspecifictoyourfirm.

Step5:Measureresults.

That'seasy!Justaskeveryattorneytoaskhowpeoplefindthem.Allright,weknowitisnotthateasy.Socialmediatrackingishardertopinpointbecausepeopleusemultiplereferencepointswhenfindingoutinformationaboutafirmorattorney.Forexample,someonemightseeanattorney'sLinkedInupdateaboutanewlaworruling,thencheckouttheattorney'sLinkedInprofileaswellaslikehisorherfanpage,searchtheattorney'snameonGoogle,andthenaskhisorherownnetworkifanyonehasanopinionoftheattorney...andthenafterafewdays,

http://avvo.com/

http://yelp.com/

http://www.lawyers.com/

http://abovethelaw.com/

weeks,ormonthscontacttheattorneydirectly.Thisisnotuncommon.Itishardtotrackthislead.However,therearesocialmediametricsthancanbetrackedinordertogaugetheeffectivenessofanysocialmediaprofile.Followingaresometop-linemeasures.

Interaction:Thisistheprimarymeasurewhenitcomestosocialmedia.Asmentionedearlier,socialmediaareaboutquality,notquantity.Assuch,themoreinteractionthereisinthewayofretweets(Twitter),comments(Facebook),likes(Facebook),andmessagesandinvitations(LinkedIn),thenthemoreyourmessageisgettingoutandpeoplearetakingnotice.Facebookfanpage:Inthespiritofinteraction,Facebookmakesiteasytoseehowengagingafanpageis.Asidefromthenumberofpeoplewholikeafanpage,thereisalsothetop-line"Insights"(left-handcolumnofafanpage),whichshowmonthlyactiveusers,dailynewlikes,dailypostviews,anddailypostfeedback.Alloftheserequireanactionbyanotherprofile("person"),sothehigherthenumbers,thebetter.Formoredetailedinformation(includingdemographics),clickseeallunderInsights.Again,afanpagewithhundredsof"fans"butlittleactivitypalesincomparisontoafanpagewith50or60fanswhoareactiveandhighlyengaged.Lastly,youcantrackdirecttrafficfromFacebooktoyourwebsiteusingGoogleAnalyticsorsimilarWebstatisticsprogram.LinkedIn:BecausemuchofLinkedIncommunicationisone-to-one,itismucheasiertomeasureinteractionsandreferrals.LikeFacebookfans,havingengagedconnectionsonLinkedInismoreimportantthansimplyhaving500-plusconnectionswhowillnothelpwithanintroductionrequestorspecificbusinessquestion.Tothisend,consideraddingandacceptingonlythoseconnectionswhoarerelevanttoyouandyourpracticeandarelikelytohelp.Nottocalloutrecruiters,butwhilerecruitersmayhavemanyconnectionsintheirnetwork,theyarenotthatmotivatedtohelpyouwithanintroduction;infact,mostaremoreinterestedinminingyournetwork.Twitter:ThereareseveralmetricstowatchonTwitter,butthereisnotenoughspaceheretoreviewthemall.Again,theprimarymetricisengagement,soattheveryleast,track(i)numberoffollowers—especiallythosewhoareauthoritiesandthoughtleadersinyourpracticeindustry;(ii)retweetsormentions—thismeansotherusersfoundyourpostimportantenoughtosharewiththeirnetwork;(iii)lists—howmanytimesotherprofileshave"bookmarked"yourTwitterfeed,whichindicatesthatpeoplefinditvaluable;and(iv)clickstoyourwebsite—usingtrackablelinkssuchasbit.lyandow.ly.

Step6:Scheduleandpromotethetraining.

Nowthatyouhaveagreattrainingprograminplacethatisreadytogo,itistimetoscheduleandmotivatethelawyerstoattend!Lookforopportunitiesortimeframeswhenattorneysaremoreavailableandopentospendingtimeattendingtrainingsessions.Offerprogramsmultipletimes,noticingthatafterthefirstsessionthewordwillspreadandattendancewillimproveforthelatersessions.

Thereisanaturalcompetitivenessbuiltintosocialmediasoyoumightwanttohavesomefunandofferaprizetowhoeverhasthemostfansorfollowers,orevenwhogetsacommentonhisorherfanpagepostfirstduringthetraining.Littlecontestslikethisaregreatwaystogetattendeesmotivatedandpayingattention.Goodluck!

Definitions

SocialMedia:Internet-basedtechnologiesandsitesthatenablesocialinteractionbetweenpeopleandcompanies.ExamplesincludeFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,YouTube,andFoursquare.

LinkedInProfile:Anindividual'saccountonLinkedIn.TheLinkedInprofilehasapublicsetting(whichshowsupinGooglesearches)andaprivatesetting(whichisavailableonlytoyourconnections).

Updates(LinkedIn):AshortmessageonyourLinkedInprofilethatalsoappearsonyourconnections'profiles(underNetworkActivity).

Connections(LinkedIn):TheLinkedInnameforthepeopleyouareconnectedtoinyournetworkonLinkedIn.Tobeaconnection,bothindividualsmustconsent.

Groups(LinkedInandFacebook):Asthenameindicates,thesearegroupsofpeoplewithsimilarinterests.It'sagoodideatogetinvolvedwithactivegroupsthatarerelevanttoyourindustryandpractice.

FacebookFanPage:Apublicpagethatisaboutafirm,lawyer,business,orpersonality.Anyonecancreateafanpagesotherecanbemultiplepages.It'sbesttoclaimyourfanpageandmakeittheprimaryfanpage.FanpagesarepublicandappearinGooglesearches.

Likes(Facebook):Whenanotherfanpageorperson(viaapersonalprofilepage)"likes"anotherpageorthecommentsandpostsonthepage.

Fans(Facebook):Otherpersonalprofilesandfanpagesthatare"fans"ofyourpage.Fansarenotifiedofupdatestoyourfanpage.Youcanalsocommunicatewithyourfans,e.g.,sendtheminvitations.FansareanimportantpartofFacebook;agoodgoalistohavefansthatarerelevanttoyourpracticeandcareaboutwhatyouhavetosay.

Comments(Facebook):Fansandfriendscanleavecommentsonposts,

http://bit.ly/

http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url

photographs,andothercontentonanotherfanpageorpersonalpage.

GoogleAnalytics:Google's(free)websiteanalysissoftware.Useittoseehowmanyvisitorscometoyourwebsite,wheretheycamefrom,whatkeywordstheyused,andmuchmoredetailedinformation.

TwitterProfile:Apersonorcompany'saccountonTwitter.com.

Tweet/Post(Twitter):A140-charactermessagepostedviaTwitter.

Retweet/RT(Twitter):Theactofsendinganotherprofile'spost(or"tweet")toyournetworkoffollowers.RetweetsarealwaysprecededwiththelettersRT.Retweetsarepublic—anyoneloggedintoTwittercanseethem.

Follower(Twitter):Anyprofilethatfollowsyouand,assuch,seesyourposts(tweets)onitsTwitterprofile.

Mentions(Twitter):WhenanotherprofileusesyourTwitteraddress(e.g.,@yourtwitterprofile)initspost.Becauseyouarenotifiedwhenmentionedinapost,amentiontypicallyisashortthank-youorbriefconversationregardingapreviouspost.Likeretweets,mentionsarepublic.

Lists(Twitter):Youcancreateyourownlistsofprofilesorganizedtoyourliking.Forexample,anattorneymightcreatealistofinfluentialattorneyprofilesandalistofauthorityprofilesforaparticularindustry(suchasoilandgasorrealestate).Listsarepublic.

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INTHISISSUE:






BeforeStarbucksanddrive-throughcoffeehousestherewastheKing'sRook.TheKing'sRookwasthequintessentialcoffeehouse.LocatedinthetownofMarblehead,Mass.,itwasacoffeehouseinwhich,forthepriceofacupofcoffee,peopleofdifferingviewscouldsit,playchess,talk,and,inarespectfulface-to-facemanner,exchangeideas.Thepatronscouldagreetodisagreewithoutrancororanimosity.Today,withtheonslaughtofimmediate,oftenanonymous"social"electronicmediavenues,discoursehasdevolvedintoanythingbutacivilexchangeofideas.Forexamplessimplylookatthecommentssectionofonlinedailynewspaperopinionsections,therantingofmembersofCongress,andmediapolarization.Candiscourseagainbecomecivil?Possibly—ifweuse,asamodel,theOhioproject"CivicCommons."1

ThroughadiscussionwithoneofCivicCommons'developers,DanMoulthrop,IlearnedthemissionandmethodologyusedinthedevelopmentofCivicCommons.Moulthropalsodiscussedtraditionalcivicmodels,thenuanceofmoderntechnology,andsevenusefulprinciplesforcivil,civicengagementandcreatingrealchange.

IwasintroducedtoCivicCommonsthroughanarticleonYahooNews,writtenbyPeterChakerian.2Thearticle,"DanMoulthropandCo.MergeInternetJournalismwithGrassrootsActivism,"capturedmyimagination.Afterreadingit,IcalledMoulthroptodiscussCivicCommons.IdiscoveredthatMoulthrop'stitlewiththeprojectis"curatorofconversation."HisjobascuratoristoguardandmanageCivicCommons'variousandongoingconversations.MoulthropbrieflydescribedCivicCommons'broadvisionas"usingtechnologytolowerthebarforcivicengagement."

Moulthropisuniquelyqualifiedtocuratetheconversations.Hehasabackgroundasbothajournalistandaconversationalist.HisskillswerehonedashostofWCPN90.3FM's"TheSoundofIdeas."Hisradioprogramgavehimtheopportunitytodiscussissueswithawide-rangingaudience,buthewantedmorethanconversation.Hewantedactionandreal,believablechange.

MoulthropisthefirsttoadmitthatCivicCommonswasn'thisidea.Hewasrecruitedintoit.HejoinedothercivicactivistssuchasNoelleCeleste,thedaughterofRichardCeleste,Ohio's64thgovernor(1983–1991).NoelleCelesteisCivicCommons'directorofengagement.Together,theyandtheCivicCommons'staffareworkingtocombineandblendtraditionalcivicactionmethodologywithdevelopingelectronicsocialmediatools.CivicCommons'goalistodeveloprealcommunitydiscussions,engagement,andaction.

Traditionally,civicengagementhasbeenbuiltuponnewsstories,commissionreports,townmeetings,andformalpresentations.Generalcitizenparticipationhasoftenbeenlimitedtoafewminutesofcarefully


























managedcomment,followedbynewsreportsand,finally,closed-dooraction.CivicCommons'visionistochangethetraditionalmodel.

CivicCommons'missionistoinvolveallinterestedcitizensinbroad-ranging,solution-orienteddiscussions,leadingtotheadoptionofvisionarycitizen-basedprogramsandpolicies.CivicCommonsexpandsthetraditionalcivicactionmodelandmakesittransparentbyopenmeetings;complete,easilyobtainedpublishedtranscripts;andnumerousopportunitiesforindividualcommentsmadebothinpersonandelectronically.Theprojectaddssocialmediatoolstofacilitatetheconversationsandtoencourageimmediatefeedback.Individualscanjointheconversationsatanytimefrommultipleaccesspoints.CivicCommonsisa"big"experimentindirect,participatorydemocracy.Itisnotpartisan.Ratheritisablendoftraditionalandonlinecivicengagementtools.

CivicCommonsrecognizesthatonlinesocialmediatoolsrequiretheadditionofactual"face-to-face"input.ItrealizesthattechnologytoolssuchasFacebookandTwittermaybegintheconversation,butrarelycompletetheprocess.ItalsorecognizesthattechnologyoftencreateswhatMalcolmGladwellcalls"weakties."HisexamplesofweaktiesaretheexistenceofnumerousFacebook"friends"andhundredsofTwitter"followers."SeeGladwell'sarticle,"SmallChange:WhytheRevolutionWillNotBeTweeted."3ThereinGladwell,whileacknowledgingtheusefulnessofweakties,suggeststhatrealchangedemands"strongties."Hepointsoutthatstrongtiesrequireactualindividualphysicalcontactsuchasshakinghands,hearingtheinflectionandtoneofvoice,watchingeyes,andseeingaperson'sactualreactionsandbodylanguage.Realchangerequiresknowingcomradesoradversariesasindividualhumanbeings.

Moulthrop,ascuratoroftheconversations,focusesontheircontentandtoneafterCelestebringstheparticipantsintotheconversations.Theconversationsareguidedbysevenprinciples.Firstistransparency.CivicCommonsbelievesthatalldiscussionsandinformationshouldbeopenlyandequallyavailabletoallparticipants.Asacorollarytothisprinciple,CivicCommonsdoesnotbelieveinanonymity.Theabsenceofanonymityisanonlinediscussion"gamechanger."Itrecognizesthatreal,honestcivildiscourserequiresindividualswhoarewillingtoacceptownershipoftheirideasandopinions.Second,alldiscussionsrequirecivility.Participantsmustrespecteachother.Third,realdiscussionrequiresactiveparticipation.Fourth,diverseideasandpointsofviewarenotonlywelcomebutrequired.Discourseismorethansimplypreachingtothechoir.Fifth,CivicCommonsisentrepreneurial.Thediscussionsshouldleadtosolutions.Sixth,theinformationsharedhastobecredible.Credible,honestfactsareneededtobeexploredandshared.Seventh,CivicCommonsisoptimistic.Itbelieves,asMoulthropexplained,that"whatyoufocusoniswhatyouwillget."Ifyoufocusonsolutionsyouwillfindthem.Ifyoufocusonproblems,thenthatiswhatyouwillgetinreturn.

CivicCommonsisnotjustaboutbigideasandbigorganizations.Itexploresissuesfromlocaltonationalinscope.Localissuesrangefromcommunitygardensandreplacingvacantpropertytoregionalprosperity,statebudgets,andnationalprograms.Theideasareparticipant-driven.Theconversationsfocusonwhatisimportanttoindividualsandorganizations,notnecessarilywhatisdesiredanddrivenbytraditionalpoliticalandbusiness"leaders."

Asstatedabove,CivicCommonsrecognizesthattechnologycanbeginadiscussion.Italsorecognizesboththepowerandweaknessesofboththetraditionalandonlinecivicmethodologies.Itthenrealizesthatsolutionsrequirebothworkingtogether.Solutionsarebasedonrespect;honest,forthrightdiscourse;andwin-winnegotiations.However,communitysolutionsmuststartwithareturntocivildiscourse.

Sources

1.CivicCommons,http://www.theciviccommons.com/.

2.YahooNews,DanMoulthropandCo.MergeInternetJournalismwithGrassrootsActivism,Oct.12,2010,http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac_clevela/ac_clevela_ts3886.

3.TheNewYorker,SmallChange:WhytheRevolutionWillNotBeTweeted,Oct.4,2010,http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell.

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http://www.theciviccommons.com/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac_clevela/ac_clevela_ts3886

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell



INTHISISSUE:






Asthetitleofthispublicationwouldsuggest,thereisaperceived(andhopefullyreal)valueinherentininnovation.Westrivetobeinnovativeasweimprovetheproductsandservicesweprovidetoourcustomers;tostayrelevantwithin,andproveourongoingvalueto,ourorganizations;tokeepcurrentinourcareerfields;andforthepersonalpleasureoftryingnewthings.Youlikelyhavealistofinnovativeprojectstotacklewithinyourfirm.Perhapsyou'replanningtoapplytechnologytoimproveabusinessprocessortocreateanonlinelearningexperience,ormaybedevelopingamobileappisyourgoal.Presumablyyou'vedoneyourhomeworkandhaveagoodsensefortheproblemtobesolvedandhowyoursolutionfitsthebill.Now,aftermakingthenecessaryinvestmentsoftimeandresources,you'rereadytomoveforwardwithdesignandimplementation.

Yetsomehow,Murphy'sLawalwaysreigns.Asyouworkhardtobringyourideatofruition,"thenextbigthing"inevitablycomesalong.Youtaketwostepsforwardwithenthusiasmandanewtrend,newtechnology,newdevice,ornew(andbetter)applicationsendsyouonestepback.Bythetimeyourprojectdrawstoaclose,yourinnovationmaynotseemquitesoinnovativeanymore.Theworldhasalreadymovedon,leavingyouwiththissenseoffutilityattryingtokeepup.

Innovatorsstrivetobefirstatthefinishline.Theydrivethearrivalofthatnextbigthingsothattheirproductsandservicesareavailabletocustomersaheadofthoseoftheircompetitors.Toaccomplishthis,productsandservicesmustbedevelopedquickly.Statedsimplistically,onoppositeendsofthespectrumaretwodifferentapproachestodevelopment:a)getitrightoutthedoorandb)getitoutthedoor,thengetitright.Ifyou'reconcernedaboutbeingabletorespondtoyourcustomer'sneedsquicklywithrespecttoyourowninitiatives,considerhowyoucanadjustyourapproachalongthiscontinuum.

GetItRight,OuttheDoor

Projectsthatarecarefullyplanneddowntothelevelofthedetails,whereall"i's"aredottedand"t's"crossed,fallintothiscategory,wherethegoalistopresentcustomerswithanear-perfectproductoutofthegate.Asyoumightexpect,thisapproachischaracterizedbyasignificantup-frontinvestmentinadvanceofrelease.Theresearchanddevelopmentphaseislong,andtheiterativeprocessoftesting,modifying,andtestingagain,oftendoneinafairlycontrolledenvironmentbyaselectgroup,isbuiltintotheprojectplanasacorestep.Ifdonewell,theresultingproductshouldberelativelyfull-featured.Longperiodsoftimewillpassbetween
























innovations,buttheinnovationswillbesubstantial.

GetItOuttheDoor,ThenGetItRight

Notallproductsandservicesaredevelopedwithsuchthoroughness,however.Tobecompetitiveandkeepcustomerssatisfiedinatimewhentechnologyisconstantlyevolvingandneedschangingrequirearapidresponseandaregularreleaseofimprovementsandadjustments.Thisapproachtodevelopment,alsoknownas"agile"development,alsorequiresplanning,research,andtesting,butallofthismustoccurwithinacollapsedtimeframe.1Theresultingproductorserviceusuallyoffersamorebasicleveloffunctionalityintheshortterm.Any"gamestoppers"identifiedduringtestingareaddressedupfront,butitemsofalesserpriorityareplacedonalongpunchlistoffutureenhancements.Ratherthanimplementtheseenhancementsinasinglesignificantrelease,thechangesaremadeincrementallyandreleasedwithgreaterfrequency.Researchanddevelopmentareongoingpost-release,andcustomerfeedbacktranslatesmorequicklyintoadditionalproductorserviceinnovations.Theinvestment,then,occursoverthelongtermandtheproductisinasortoflive,continuousbetastate.

InnovationasaService

Sowhatdoesallofthismeanfortheinnovativeprojectsyouhaveinthequeue?Innovationisallaboutsettingoutinunchartedwaters.Whenyou'renotsurehowtoproceed,youplanasbestyoucanandgarnerasmanyresourcesasyou'reable.Yourfirmmayrequirethatyoufollowaratherinvolvedprojectapprovalprocess.Thereafteryourprojectteammembersmayneedtoacquirenewskills,andtherewillcertainlybeproject"todos"toidentifyandprioritize.Followingthroughwitheachofthesesteps,fromconceptiontodevelopmentandimplementation,cantakesometimeandwitheachstepforwardyoubecomeincreasinglyinvestedintheproject.Ifyou(andperhapsyoursuperiors)arehopingforanear-perfectmatchbetweenyourvisionandthatfinalproduct,theprojectwillprobablybeslowtomovetocompletionasyouattempttomeetthoseexpectations.

Whileyou'retryingtogetitjustright,yourcustomerhasaproblemtobesolvedoraneedtobefulfilledthatisgoingunmet.Assumingtheirneedsdon'tchangeintheinterim,suchthatyourinnovationnolongeraddressestheproblemitwasintendedtoserve,thesecustomersarethereforthetakingbya"competitor."Inalawfirmenvironment,thatcompetitormaybeanothersolution,perhapsasoftware-as-a-servicesolution,oritmaybeanotherinternaldepartment.Itcouldalsobethatnextbigthingthatstealsyourthunder,raisingthebar,leavingyouwithevenhigherexpectationstomanageandsatisfy.Regardless,thefirmgetsthesolutionitneeds,whichistheultimateobjective,ofcourse.Butit'salostopportunityforyou.Gettingyourproductorservice"tomarket"quickly,then,isimportant.Buthowdoyoudothatandnotreleaseashoddyproductorservice?Ifyoudisappointyourcustomersatthestart,willtheygiveitasecondchancewhenyoucomebackaroundwiththatsecondroundofenhancements?Willtheybeleftwithanegativeimpressionofyourproductinastateofperpetualbeta?Howdoyoumanageyourcustomers'expectationssothattheproductorserviceisexperiencedinapositiveway,despiteitsflaws?

Ofnecessity,anagileapproachreliesatleastinpartoncustomerfeedback.Ifyouencourageyourcustomerbasetobeinvolvedinmakingimprovementstoyourproductorservice,ifyouprovideyourcustomerswithanopportunitytobeinvolvedfromdayoneandthenkeepthelinesofcommunicationopenthroughout,obtainingfeedbackandkeepingyourcustomers'expectationsincheckbecomemorereasonabletasks.Whenplanningyourproject,incorporateeffortstobuildacommunityaroundyourproductsandservicestoencourageinteractionandthesharingofideasandinformation.Gathertogether"friends"whowillbeyourproductchampions.Increaseyourvisibilityandyouraccountability.Inotherwords,createasortofinternalsocialnetwork.2Ifyoucanturninnovationitselfintoaservicebyspeakingdirectlytoyourcustomers,youcanachievetherealvalueofinnovation:aproductthatsatisfiesrealneedsin—nearly—realtime.

Sources

1.Wikipedia,AgileSoftwareDevelopment,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development.

2.Wikipedia,SocialNetworkService,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking.

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