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Reputation Management Checklist: Attorney at Work Flipbook PDF
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Reputation Management Checklist Legal consumers no longer turn to the Yellow Pages to find a lawyer; instead, they run a search on Google. The results of that search can often result in a phone call to your office. That ’s why, for most lawyers, online marketing is a powerful — and often affordable — way to reach potential clients and bring in business. However, while online resources can help legal consumers find lawyers, they can also be used by those very same people to express dissatisfaction with a law firm’s services. With the rise of Yelp and other online review sites, reputation management has become more important than ever. Knowing how to respond to online reviews both effectively and ethically is key. Here are some concrete steps you can take to help you do just that.
STEP 1 Follow What’s Being Said About You and Your Firm
Monitor online chatter by creating Google alerts for discussions about you and your law firm. Once you create the alert you’ll receive emails whenever new matching results are located. You can also utilize tools that track online mentions of your law firm, such as Social Mention, BrandWatch or BrandsEye. Action Items:
££Monitor online chatter ££Review summaries of online mentions ££Create Google alerts ££Determine whether to take action ££Establish accounts with online monitoring services
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STEP 2 Be Aware of What’s Being Said on Online Review Sites
The sites clients use to find lawyers are often the same sites where they later leave feedback about their experience. That’s why it makes sense to track what’s being said about your firm on those sites. WHICH REVIEW SITES SHOULD YOU MONITOR? Sites often used by legal consumers to provide feedback about lawyers include:
• LinkedIn • Justia
ACTION STEPS
££Choose online review sites to follow ££Track comments made about your firm ££Register at those online review sites, if needed ££Determine whether to take action
• Avvo
STEP 3
• Yelp
Request and Track Feedback
• LawyerRating
One way to manage online feedback is to encourage positive comments from happy clients. These will balance any negative comments that may come your way in the future. Throughout each case, make sure to obtain regular feedback by systemizing the feedback process. Make sure to be receptive to your clients’ comments, and, if necessary, make changes. Then, at the conclusion of each case, consider including a request for positive comments in your closing communications. Make sure to include a link to relevant sites to make it easier for your clients to leave comments — and for you to track them.
• Martindale.com • Lawyers.com • Yahoo • Yellow Pages • Google Places • Google Business
ACTION STEPS
££Create systems to obtain client feedback throughout the life of a case ££Review feedback regularly ££Determine whether changes are needed based on feedback ££Implement necessary changes ££Request online feedback at specific sites from clients at the close of a case
https://www.mycase.com | www.attorneyatwork.com
STEP 4 Augment Positive Reviews
When your clients leave positive reviews about your law firm, make the most out of them. Highlight them by adding them to your law firm website’s client testimonial section. Also consider mentioning and linking to them on your law firm’s Facebook page. Sharing good reviews engenders trust and encourages potential clients to retain your firm’s services. ACTION STEPS
££Track internal and external client reviews ££Get permission from clients to use the reviews ££Post positive reviews on your website ££Consider sharing them on relevant social media sites, such as Facebook
STEP 5 Manage Negative Reviews
Hopefully, you’ll never receive a negative review. But if you do, you need to carefully and thoughtfully respond to the former client’s feedback. Avoid addressing specific factual allegations since doing so adds credence to the claims and could also potentially violate client confidentiality. Avoid expressing anger and instead, provide a brief response that is empathetic. Be aware of the optics should a potential client stumble upon this review. And finally, counteract the negative review by encouraging other clients to leave positive reviews on that site. ACTION STEPS
££Track online reviews ££Carefully and thoughtfully address negative reviews ££Provide a brief, measured response and try to move the discussion offline ££Be sure to avoid including confidential information in your reply ££Counteract the review by asking other clients to leave positive reviews About the Author | Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York at torney, author, journalist, and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, legal practice management software. She is the author of “Cloud Computing for Lawyers” and co-authors “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier.” She also co-authors “Criminal Law in New York,” a Thomson Reuters treatise. She has authored hundreds of ar ticles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Thousands of attorneys trust MyCase to run their firms efficiently.
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Reputation Management Checklist 1. Follow What’s Being Said About
££Implement necessary changes
You and Your Firm
££Request online feedback at specific sites
££Monitor online chatter
from clients at the close of a case
££Review summaries of online mentions ££Create Google alerts
4. Augment Positive Reviews
££Determine whether to take action
££Track internal and external client reviews
££Establish accounts with online monitoring
££Get permission from clients to use the
services (Social Mention, Brandwatch, BrandsEye)
reviews
££Post positive reviews on your website ££Consider sharing them on relevant social
2. Be Aware of What’s Being Said on
media sites, such as Facebook
Online Review Sites
££Choose online review sites to follow (LinkedIn, Justia, Avvo, Yelp, LawyerRating, Martindale.com, Lawyers.com, YahooYellow Pages, Google Places, Google Business)
££Track comments made about your firm ££Register at those online review sites, if needed
££Determine whether to take action
5. Manage Negative Reviews
££Track online reviews ££Carefully and thoughtfully address negative reviews
££Provide a brief, measured response and try to move the discussion offline
££Be sure to avoid including confidential information in your reply
££Counteract the review by asking other 3. Request and Track Feedback
££Create systems to obtain client feedback throughout the life of a case
££Review feedback regularly ££Determine whether changes are needed based on feedback
https://www.mycase.com | www.attorneyatwork.com
clients to leave positive reviews