Grow My Law Firm

How to secure your Facebook Photos from strangers and specific friends

 

 

Are you aware that Facebook's default setting for all your photos is Everyone? This means that everybody on Facebook can see them. If you want to restrict who can see your photos, this video will walk you through the process step by step. Christine Pilch, Grow My Company, 413.537.2474, Christine@GrowMyCo.com

© 2011, Christine Pilch, Grow My Company. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

LinkedIn privacy threat and Facebook notifications: changes you should make

 

 

LinkedIn recently opted you into letting them use your name and photo in advertising, but you can change that. This video will show you how. In addition, Facebook recently changed their account settings infrastructure. In this video you'll hear a few tips about key settings you should pay attention to. Christine Pilch, Grow My Company, 413.537.2474, Christine@GrowMyCo.com

© 2011, Christine Pilch, Grow My Company. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

 

8 steps to a better law firm website

I'm currently working with a client on a website redesign, and I want to be able to provide guidance to the developers about where my client wants to be as far as look and feel, so I'm looking at law firm websites. Fortunately, Google offers a large preview of a site's home page when you hover over search results, so that makes it easier, but I'm noticing some not-so-good commonalities among many law firm sites.

It's time for a little tough love.

1) Law firm sites are overwhelmingly blue.
Why blue? It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, and intelligence. However, if all your competitors also have blue websites, isn't that a bit confusing for a prospect who is shopping for a new attorney? If you want to stand out, try another color. Almost anything will be better than blue to differentiate your firm. Don't settle for blending in with the pack. Your phone will ring when you make an impression.

2) Don't settle for poor content  
I'm seeing a lot of us, we, our... me, me, me... Unfortunately, nobody cares about you. They only care about what they can get from you. Whoever is writing the copy for these websites doesn't understand basic marketing principles. It's not about you, it's about your clients. Clients only care about how you can benefit them. For example, you're not selling wills, you're selling the peace of mind that one's family will be cared for if something really bad happens. If you want your website to bring in business, get over your ego and start using language that your prospects want to hear. If you can't step away and be objective about what your clients want and get, (your market position,) hire a marketer who can distinguish that on your behalf and is good at writing copy.

3) Over-used cliché images
Scales of justice, gavels, columns, law books, courtrooms, and conference rooms don't appeal to clients. Clients want to see themselves on your website. They want to know that the people you represent are just like them, so they will feel comfortable. Clients don't care about cliché legal images, so stop trying to impress them, and make your website relatable.

4) Beware of your own image on the home page
Again, get over yourself, and think about what your clients need. What will make them pick up the phone? Yes, you are likely your brand, but at this point, people need to know what they will get if they hire you. Your smiling mug is usually not enough to make the phone ring. Sorry to bruise your ego.

5) It's just too busy
Your home page doesn't have to contain everything you know about your area of practice. Think "less is more" here, and draw your visitors in. A home page that has a lot of text to read and lots to look at only confuses your visitors because they don't know what they are supposed to focus on. Remove their ambiguity by making a few key points that pull them into the site.

6) Stay away from art of your city's skyline
This idea was once fresh, but it's not anymore. Look at your competitors' sites. Chances are that at least a couple of them use this art. Don't be a me-too. Make your design original. Be distinctive.

7) Be wary of font errors
Basic design 101 dictates that no more than 3 complimentary fonts be used on a page, but don't go crazy here. Again, less is more.  Also, san serif fonts, like Ariel, are a lot easier to read online, so skip the serif fonts, like Times New Roman. They make a reader work harder, and the last thing you want to do is tire your prospective clients.

8) Don't ignore design consistency
Most websites have a home page look and an interior page look that remains consistent across all interior pages. Headlines and fonts should be carried consistently across all pages. Although your visitors may not necessarily notice a subtle shift in such things as style, size of a headline, or color of text, they will sense that something is off and feel uneasy. You want to foster a sense of confidence and trust in prospective clients, not unease. 

What other mistakes do you see law firms make with their websites?

 

- Christine Pilch

Common LinkedIn don'ts - avoiding mistakes that just might hurt you

LinkedIn has become pretty mainstream over the past couple of years. It has grown way past the point when it was mostly just social media early adopters. Today it's pretty much expected that professionals maintain a presence there, and if that's not enough of an incentive to take LinkedIn seriously, try Googling your name. You'll likely find your LinkedIn profile near the top of the results. 

Despite the huge popularity of LinkedIn, many people take a lackadaisical view of the network. They display incomplete profiles, neglect to upload a picture, and let invitations pile up in their inboxes. These mistakes should be obvious to everybody, but there are a few additional things people do that can really hurt their reputation within the network. Are you doing any of these things?

1) Unprofessional status updates

LinkedIn is a professional network, not a social one. People here don't generally care to read about your non-professional activities. Everything you post on LinkedIn should be carefully crafted to get you into the job you want or bring business through the door. If you want more information about how status updates among LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter differ, here's a video I did about this topic.

2) Using a logo or random image as your photo

LinkedIn is a professional network, and people should see you here as they see you in your day-to-day professional life. Bankers and lawyers should be in a jacket and tie, law enforcement should be in uniform, and chefs should be in their coats if that's how people see them in their professional lives. It is not appropriate to use a photo of you in a baseball cap unless you're a baseball player, or a photo of you on the beach unless you're a lifeguard.

One more thing, although you may be tempted to use your logo, it is against LinkedIn terms of service to represent yourself with anything other than a photo of you. The user agreement states that "...your profile photo should be a photograph of yourself and not a cartoon, symbol, drawing or any other content." Yes, others get away with this, but do you want to be the one that LinkedIn makes an example of by removing your profile?

3) Spamming other members

This is a real pet peeve of mine and many other members. We are all here to network, but nobody wants to be harassed by your sales message on LinkedIn. It is not okay to spam your connections or fellow group members with pitches for your product or service via the LinkedIn message system or through group discussion boards. Remember that spam is unwanted and unsolicited messages, so if you send out these kinds of messages or post them on discussion boards, you are a spammer. There are plenty of other ways to position yourself as an authority and let people know what you have to offer on LinkedIn without spamming others. 

These are my top 3 LinkedIn mistakes. What else do you see people doing on LinkedIn that hurts their professional reputation?

 

 - Christine Pilch

Photo credit: roger4336