Click to link through to Social Media Training For Lawyers
I have recently had several enquiries to provide social media training for lawyers. This in part follows on from my conference presentations at Oxford University a few weeks ago, and also as a result of my own social media activity.
It felt right to establish a web presence to support those requests and the point of this post is to show how simple that was.
Step One. Get a specific web address.
I went to www.123-reg.com to find a suitable web address. www.socialmediatrainingforlawyers.co.uk was available at cost £5.99 plus VAT for 2 years. I bought it.
The web address is pretty long but it says exactly what I want it to say, and what I think lawyers and law firms who need social media training will be searching for.
I did not pay for hosting as I can forward the web address to a blog that I set up on www.wordpress.com, namely www.socialmediatrainingforlawyers.wordpress.com, obviously.
I could have just used the WordPress address but having the full bespoke web address enables me to use socialmediatrainingforlawyers.co.uk as a professional (if rather long) email address.
Step Two. Prepare the WordPress blog
WordPress is very powerful and with a little bit of familiarisation time (and the book WordPress For Dummies is good enough) you can prepare good, if not dazzling, blog sites that meet all the functionality of a website that could otherwise cost hundreds of pounds.
WordPress is free.
Create a contact page, about, and load up a few blog entries explaining what you are offering, and giving examples. Don’t forget to register your blog with Google, Yahoo and Bing verification services – instructions are on WordPress under the tools button on the dashboard.
Step Three. Direct email address into existing email account such as Gmail.
Step Four. Promote new website by writing about it on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and existing blogs, er, like this one.
Time spent? 2 hours. Cost? £5.99 plus VAT
Opinions and feedback? Well, you tell me…
Lawyer1point9 
Interesting post Neil – and the site looks good.
This illustrates quite neatly the problem with social media “experts” though.
I have been following your for a while so I happen to know that you do know your stuff and have a solid track record of using social media for law firm development.
Unfortunately, it is just as easy for any snake oil salesman, failed PR person etc. to go through exactly the same process of creating a site… and hard for the newcomer to social media to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I’m not quite sure what the answer to this is (probably not social media “qualifications” or “certification” as these just raise more issues – who is doing the certification and what are their credentials)?
I think the message for people who are looking for a social media “expert” is not to rely on web sites and bios describing people as social media gurus… but to do some digging and find out whether they are getting somebody like you – or someone who just set up a Twitter account last week and has used software to get themselves 20,000 followers.
The trouble is that those who need the guidance may be those who are unlikely to do this kind of research.
Thanks Jon
I always felt it was right to be asked rather than push myself, not least because I do not want to be labelled as a social media guru. That is something that I am not.
When we are asked for help, asked to “Come in and talk to us about your experiences”, then we become trusted partners. When we become the pint of reference for our colleagues, that is when we become their trusted advisers.
We need to recognise our limits – SEO? You’ve got to be kidding. Formal web design, nope, not that either.
But speaking on the impact of social media culture and law firm culture, compliance issues, the changing legal market place, social media as response to TescoLaw, how to tweet, blog, use LinkedIn, record Youtube footage, design a podcast, motivation to persevere, creativity, demonstrating values, proving commitment and stories about what has worked, how and why… well, sure, I’ll be delighted to help.
Will the people who need help find people like you and I…?
Well, hopefully the web address, focussed on the “social media training for lawyers” enquiry will help.
This blog is picking up #1 on page 1 for that search even if the new website is still down on page 4.
But please not the social media guru moniker… You have seen this haven’t you?