The Importance of Online Brand Reputation Management (OBRM) for Legal Professionals(Part 1)

Reputation, by its very definition is a nebulous, intangible and complex concept. Trust, along with an excellent reputation as a legal resource, cannot be directly measured like income and expenses.  An attorney’s reputation and credibility matter more today than ever before. Clients prefer to retain attorneys and firms with strong and positive reputations. Hence, Online Brand Reputation Management is important. 

 The internet democratizes information and increases competition from both the attorney next door and cost-effective digital legal platforms, such as LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer and Nolo.

 

Partners at large law firms and solo practicing attorneys alike may overlook the importance of maintaining a digital presence, especially given their day-to-day priorities. The most astute attorneys recognize that a quality brand and strong reputation are their greatest assets. They understand the value of doing Online Brand Reputation Management.  A quality presence online is a competitive advantage. Attorneys with stellar reputations gain trust from prospects, clients, partners, regulators, and colleagues relative to those with lackluster or tarnished brand. Law firms grow and achieve results through their reputational assets. Conversely, they decline and go out of business as a result of a defamatory or negative one.

 

“A lawyer cannot be competent absence a working knowledge of the benefits and risks associated with the use of social media.” – New York Bar Association social media guidelines for lawyers [June 9th, 2015]

 

This article will reinforce existing online Brand  reputation management guidelines and promote legal industry best practices.

 

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With an expansive new group of online communication platforms, effectively doing Online Brand Reputation Management requires more effort, coordination and resources. Relative to just a decade ago, reliance on PR or internal teams likely yields less results today than bloggers, web-based media and non-governmental organizations.  Law firms must now develop new relationships and forge digital partnerships. A network of supporters and partners, which includes journalists, bloggers, and industry associations can have significant impact on the reputation of a company because of their objectivity and ability to share positive experiences.

A lawyer’s reputation is now not only defined by the value and results provided to clients, but also by the client opinions and reviews posted online. Furthermore, an attorney’s response to a negative review is critical. Ignoring the post can be a liability because prospects often believe the accuracy of the review. Online legal communities provide a medium for both reading reviews, sharing opinions, and providing commentary. To build an exceptional digital presence, coordination of people and resources is required. Even smaller boutique firms must learn how to communicate intelligently and mobilize in advance of a crisis or emerging reputational threat.

“Community platforms that facilitate reviews and ratings on services, products, and experiences allow a small assortment of individual voices to become a collective opinion that can shape consumer perceptions and confidence.”- Laura Powers, Director of Marketing, Philadelphia Bar Foundation 

 

 

A Proactive Approach is Required

 

To stay ahead of the curve, engaging content that follows  proven Online Brand Reputation Management techniques should be shared online with prospective clients.

 

The advice we give to clients is that the best offense is a strong defense. With a strong presence, you build digital resilience and develop a strategy or path for repairing a damaged digital footprint. The high quality content should be published on owned and managed, as well as curated website domains to protect from any future reputation damages.

 

Some digital assets that can be considered for proactive Online Brand Reputation Management include:

 

Active social media presence and coordinated approach for sharing content on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram

Profile listings on reputable business directories and portals as Avvo, Google Reviews, Hoovers Glass Door, Wikipedia, etc.

Organic earned assets such as feature stories, interviews, quotes, news and blogs about you, a specific case, or your practice.

Paid digital advertising or PR media.

 

The presence of digital assets on high-authority domain websites will both enhance your digital reputation, as well as neutralize any confusing or defamatory web pages that appear in search results.

 

With clarity on issues that matter most to clients and prospects, lawyers can direct resources and improve communication accordingly. The success of a proactive Online Brand Reputation Management  strategy is difficult to measure because it centers on your one first impression made on prospects, clients, colleagues, and partners when they search online.

 

“It’s important evolve your online and offline reputation so they align with your firm’s long-term vision for growth. A forward-thinking firm must ask what kind of firm they plan to be in two to five years from now, and what resources they need to achieve that vision. Managing your brand and your reputation are two essential components to success.” – Valerie Chan, Principal, Platform 

PR

This was the first part of this article, we will be posting the next part soon !