Social Networking for the Legal Set

I got dragged into social networking kicking and screaming because I wanted to keep track of who my teenagers were connecting with online.  While I never got a myspace page (it went against everything I stood for in terms of web design), I do have a Facebook, Twitter & Linked-in presence.

Here is why I did it for professional reasons – I like to network – I’m strange that way. I am very careful about what I post or what allow people to link to me – and I will admit to vanity googling  - I like to know what people are saying about me and my organization.  I have linked to both non-work and work friends and I think it gives my members a small insight into how my world outside of work works.  

Linked-In is a more business oriented site, but has some drawbacks – if I post something – it doesn’t automatically ping the rest of my network that this item is live.  The Washington Defense Trial Lawyers has it’s own area – and we have some posting – and I like it for that reason – I have to approve anyone who wishes to join that network, so people can feel free to ask questions of other defense attorneys.

Facebook – while less professional – and yes – I have some very goofy friends – immediately pings my network when I have a status change.  For example – I needed corks for a corkboard that I was making for another friend – and while I am a wino – I’m not that much of a wino and was short about 30 corks.  I put that up as my status “Kristin Baldwin Lewis needs corks for a corkboard”…so whenever I ran into someone from that network, either professional or just friends – they handed me a bunch of corks – I had so many that I have enough for two more corkboards.

Twitter – yes I have a twitter account – but I haven’t used it yet….I joined during the presidential debates so that I could track what people were saying in real time and made one snarky remark about someone’s combover.  Frankly – I can’t see the business use of it –  no-one, including or especially my own family – care what I am doing every minute of the day.  So thus I don’t tweet – I don’t even squack…maybe someday.

Avvo….Avvo is an interesting site and if you have small law firms in your SLDO – I would recommend that they pay attention to Avvo.  They are a local Seattle firm that rates lawyers like people rate consumer goods in Consumer Reports.  Attorneys weren’t happy when it was started and in fact – of course – the dotcom was sued and won.  Consumers are visiting the site and having a favorable review will raise attorneys own results in a search engine.  Avvo is not in every city but is expanding or was expanding before the economy blew up.

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Tags: Avvo, Facebook, Linkedin, Social Networking, Twitter