Establishing a Social Media Policy

Establishing a Social Media Policy   

After starting a website, getting on to Twitter and then starting a blog, it occurred to me that it was time to develop a social media policy.

Before your eyes glaze over, let’s talk about what a social media policy is.  For some, it can be a series of rules of engagement.  That is a cumbersome approach and does not really provide a good framework to anticipate changes in technology.  For others, it can be a broad general philosophy, but it needs to be focused on being a policy for the use of social media.

It may seem ridiculous to have a social media policy, but now that you are using the written word to express your ideas, you need to be cognizant that all of these media outlets are permanent.  Once you have sent out a tweet or written a blog, it can be re-tweeted, copied and sent out everywhere and will live in perpetuity.  Too avoid bloggers remorse, it is important to spend a little off-line time thinking about what your personal policy will be so that you have a benchmark to measure your behavior.

My personal social media policy is to make sure that what I am writing about is contributing to the dialogue, is engaging, is affirming of others, and that I make no personal attacks.  Remember, that opposing counsel who is making you crazy might just be reading this as well.  Even if you think you have protected your tweets and posts.  Even if you have locked down everything, somehow, somewhere it could still get out.  If you don’t want someone to read what you have written, DON’T PUT IT IN THE INTERNET.  You wouldn’t publish it in the paper and hope that on that particular day certain people will not have time to read that particular edition of the paper.  With RSS feeds and other devices to keep people on top of what they are following, including Google Alerts, it is just ridiculous to think otherwise.

By the way, if I am in a stressful situation, such as a trial or a personal matter, I opt out of social media for a while.  I don’t want to make a mistake.  I write my blog posts off-line in the evening, review them in the morning and then post.  As for tweeting or other social media that is more immediate, I just make sure that I am in the right frame of mind.  Does this mean I never disagree with others? Not at all.  It just means that I focus on the issues at hand, and I do not attack others personally.  I save that for my private conversations with my husband! 

If you think about it, a social media policy is simply a social policy.  My parents taught me to leave the world a better place.  This means that I clean up after others in public places, I pick up trash off the street, I offer to help others who appear to be struggling and I make sure that I say nice things.  Why not find something complimentary to say about someone?  What is wrong with commenting on a tie, haircut, nice handwriting?  Say something nice, get started on the right track, begin your conversation with a compliment. 

Of course, I also encourage you to look at other social media policies.  The classic example is the Coca-Cola policy.  And Nate Riggs has posted in his blog on a really great and yet simple social media policy from Mike Brown.  

Finally, make sure your write the social media policy down, even if it is only a few words.  My written policy is “Play Nice.”  Simple.  Complete.  Applies to all settings.  It encompasses playing fairly, taking turns, acknowledging others and avoiding inappropriate comments.  Even a kindergartener can appreciate this social media policy.

So, the next step in my on-line journey was to go off-line and decide how I wanted to best present myself to the world.  In the process, I gained personal insight into my own approach to work and, more importantly, to life, and I know that I am a better person because of this.

How have you defined your own personal social media policy?

Pam is always happy to talk one on one about these ideas, and welcomes your comments here as well.  She is writing a manual to help lawyers pick up and engage in social media, and can also offer consultation services to help your small family law firm improve its on-line marketing.  For more information, feel free to contact her at connectingwithclients@gmail.com, or by calling 614-245-0488.

Blah, blah, blah, blog

That’s the first reaction I used to get when I would talk to people about blogging.  Most lawyers aren’t really sure what value a blog has to offer.  There are plenty of commentators out there regarding types and styules of blogs, but once I had my own website and once I started Tweeting (which is just a blog with 140 characters), I wanted to find out about blogging.

Since I was using Yahoo Web Hosting, it was relatively easy to start blogging through bloggerspot.com.  I went to the website and, by now, understood a little, but not a lot, about setting up a profile and layout.  I experimented with different looks, but have to admit that my eyes glazed over when confronted by the many gadgets that were offered.  I decided to just skip that until later.  Once the blog was set up, then it was time to start writing. 

So I pulled up my chair and came face to face with the blank page.  Me and my blank mind.  I thought and thought.  Should I talk about being a family lawyer?  No, too boring.  What should I say?  I wanted something useful for clients.  I scoured the internet to see what others were saying.  There were some amazing blogs out there that spelled out in great detail the ins and outs of divorce practice.  They were informative and on point.  Maybe another blog was the last thing they needed.  Then I realized a very important point. 

The point of the blog had to be the content.  I had to think about and develop a reason to have a blog.  Anyone can have a blog, and many lawyers don’t.  So it was important to figure out what the blog was supposed to be.  Was it to toot my own horn?  Having read many blogs that did that, I knew that I really wasn’t interested in doing that.  What I wanted was to have the same conversation that I have every day with clients; I wanted to engage in a dialogue that would help my clients understand what was going on in their case.  I knew that there were certain things that I said over and over again to clients.  Whether it was an explanation of how spousal support is calculated or what paperwork is needed to start a divorce, I knew that this was the kind of information clients were asking, even when there was so much already available on the internet.  After giving it some thought, I also decided that it was important to explain it in my voice, in my terminology, using my personality.  That is what would set my blog apart from the other very professional sounding blogs that could have been written by any legal scholar.  I wanted my blog to be an extension of myself.  I wanted a client to come to me after reading my blog and feel like we had already talked before.  I wanted to sound familiar to them.

So after I identified what my voice would be, I picked a topic.  I decided that I could not do one blog that covered everything there is to know about family law.  So I picked a topic that had come up frequently in the previous week.  I wrote about it, provided the detailed statutory language and put my own spin on the explanation.  I wrote it as if I was saying it to the person sitting across the table from me.  I tried to make it conversational rather than scholarly.  This is what I believed for me was the reason that I should do a blog, rather than just linking people to other blogs off of my website.

Again, this was one of those experiences where you just have to drop in.  Unlike Twitter, I could not really lurk, but I could look at other blogs, see what comments people were making and get some good ideas.  And over time, I have learned so much more.  For example, I think it is important to let people comment on your blog.  My blogs, in general, allow foe people to post comments.  I make sure I get an email to tell me that someone has commented, and, except for those comments that are clearly self serving, such as lawyers commenting by saying that you can contact them for more information, I let the comments stand.  The idea is to engage in a dialogue.  By asking questions and sharing information, I become a better lawyer and clients are better served.

Of course, you have to remember to abide by the Code of Ethics, don’t give legal advice, make sure that you have appropriate disclaimers, avoid slander or other bad behavior.  In other words, play nice.

Since my first blog, I have started up four additional blogs, I have another one on the way, and I have used different blog services.  Currently I am a big fan of WordPress, especially since for only $25 a year, you can set it up as a website by getting a distinctive url.  It also might be worth paying a little more for web design, or taking the time to learn html so you can really spiff the thing up. 

The most important thing about the blog, and any social media that you use, is to remember that the number one thing to do well is content.  You can have the most fabulous design, but if the content is blah, blah, blah, you won’t really add to the dialogue, you will not get quality followers and your blog will likely die a slow death.  Also, because I did focus on content on my family law blog, I have found that I can ignore it for long periods of time, because the content is still sound.  On the other hand, on some of my blogs, all I am doing is introducing and idea and asking a question.  I am so please with the feedback that I get, which often includes ideas or answers to my questions.  Again, social media, whether Facebook, Twitter or your blog, works because it is like being at the largest cocktail party.  You can overhear what others are saying and they can over hear what you are saying.  Just jump in and engage in the conversation.

Tell me about your experience.

Pam is working on a manual to provide more details to get small family law firms on board with social media to improve their marketing.  She blogs regarding marketing for small family law firms at Connecting-With-Clients.com.  For more details or information, feel free to email her at connectingwithclients@gmail.com.

Time to Twitter Up

Well, as you know, I have started blogging about my technology journey.  Last post was about setting up my website.  Once that was up and going, and I felt that I could accomplish anything.  So the next thing that attracted my attention was Twitter.

The obvious first thing I did was a search for Twitter.  I signed up for an account and then it was time to get started.  But what to do?  I was not really sure.  Twitter, of course, makes suggestions for you and helps you find people, but I still did not really understand the whole Twitter thing.

So then I figured something out.  Just follow, for a change.  Don't feel compelled to be a leader. Don't be compelled to express an opinion.  Just follow.

And that is the advice I give to anyone breaking into Twitter.  Just follow and learn.  You can learn what kind of tweets you enjoy receiving.  Usually it is a mix.  I follow people who have very interesting things to say, who give me links to interesting sites, and who show a little of their human side.  I follow people I am interested in, whether it is a celebrity, a marketing guru, a tech addict, or outstanding legal voices in our community.  Once I find someone interesting, I try to find out who they are following.  Maybe they are following interesting people, too.  You are welcomed to find out who is following me @pammakowski.  Maybe you will be interested in some of them, too.

But once you have followed for a while, it is time to participate.  As my friend @BaranCLE likes to point out, it is not really polite to be a lurker.  You should contribute to the conversation.  What I like to do is send out content based on links to interesting sites, updates to my blog, new ideas that I have, and then I like to retweet things I have received.

Just remember that this is like the biggest cocktail party you have been to, and everyone (even the ones you do not know) can overhear you.

That means that the initial following should also teach you etiquette.  For example, don't say something really evil about someone.  That person could end up reading this!  Don't give away your case strategy, because your opposing counsel could follow you and no matter how much you hide the details, a good opposing counsel will figure it out.  Obviously, don't reveal confidential information.  If a client is following you and send you a tweet, remember that everyone can follow that conversation.  Send the client a direct message to talk to you privately.

So the next thing you need to do is really understand Twitter and all of the settings and the implications of sending a Tweet versus a DM.  You need to learn how to follow the Tweets of a particular individual.  Learn, learn, learn the medium so you don't end up hurting yourself.

Finally, remember that this is just like any other form of written conversation.  What you send cannot be interpreted by tone, so be sure to read for tone.  Put the usual disclaimers on your profile like "not legal advice" or "not attorney-client relationship".  Look at how other lawyers do it.  Follow the rules of ethics.  You cannot disguise your identity in order to trick someone into giving you something for the trial.  That is called perpetrating a fraud on the court.

Overwhelmed?  Don't be.  This whole Twitter thing is very doable.

So why would you do it?  I have learned so much from other lawyers that I would never have the chance to learn.  I have participated in hashtag conversations (you will learn what that is) and found out about the local rules in Boston that make sense and solve a problem that we have here in Columbus!  I have ended up picking up the phone and having a real conversation with people I follow, or an active email correspondence.  These are all relationships I would never have had in my secluded office here in German Village.

And when my client comes to talk to me about what his or her spouse has tweeted or facebooked, I understand the process and it doesn't take too much research to know the appropriate legal response.  Injunctions?  Yes, you can enjoin someone from doing things.

Take your time, one step at a time, and then you will be well on your way.

What do you think?


Pam is currently working on a manual for lawyers to elaborate further on some of these ideas.  Your comments and questions are welcomed.

The Beginning

No, this is not a CD for the Black-Eyed Peas.  And I am not going to the very beginning.

The beginning for my purposes is when, after moving my practice from Northeastern Ohio to Columbus, I decided that I needed to create some sort of web presence.  In the past I had claimed myself in a number of lawyer directories, and I was getting plenty of work from that, but I needed to have a real live website.

My experience in the past had been mostly frustration with the whole thing.  I had a website when I ran for Judge once.  I had a friend set it up, but it all seemed so complicated.  And then when I wanted quick updates, it was impossible.  I had to wait until my friend was available to make the changes.  I just felt like the experience was overwhelming.

Then I remembered that I survived law school, that I am not a stupid person, and that I could probably figure it out.  It was a Friday night, and I was bound and determined to get the site up by Monday.  I searched the 'net to find ways to do it myself.  Eventually, I came up with Yahoo Web Hosting.  It provided me with templates and did the designing for me.  That was wonderful.  I loved clicking on different designs and trying to figure out how the whole thing would look.  Once the tech side of it was under control, I then realized that the key was content.

I really struggled with content.  At first, I looked at other sites and thought, okay, I should just re-create what they have, only for my particular situation.  I wanted it to look "professional".  I started writing, but it just didn't seem to work for me.  I could go on and on about different family law matters, but realized that I had to put so many caveats into it that it made my content bulky and difficult to follow.

Finally, I realized that I had to decide who I am and what I wanted people to see about me.  I am a passionate advocate for my client, I am knowledgeable about special needs concerns, I am willing to take on even the most difficult and painful cases.

Once I found my voice, content became easy for me.  I just wrote in the same way that I would speak to a client, careful to explain things well and yet making sure that people understood that these matters are very fact driven.  I also knew that because I did a lot of work with domestic violence, I wanted certain language in place to help guide a person in that position.  I imagined that I was someone looking for a Columbus lawyer in the middle of the night, and I tried to understand what that person wants.  For family law, I decided it was important to find someone that they could relate to, that they felt would listen to them and then advocate for them.  I could not be all things to all people, because that would be too generic.  I also had to be true to myself, because I think people can smell a rat.

For each section I wrote, I did scour the internet to get examples and styles.  I worked on this all in one weekend, and I was able to get the site published by Monday.  Was it perfect?  No.  But it was out there.  I let people know about it, listened to their comments and, even to this day, I am constantly tweeking the site.

I am very happy with Yahoo Web Hosting.  It even has analytics!  (I didn't even know what that was until many months after I put the site up!)  Over the next month, I added a blog and a few other things to the site.  I have even added video, but that changes over time, too.  I understand now that my website is a flexible tool that I can change when needed.  I have learned to edit myself before posting.  I try to remember that everyone, even that one judge or lawyer that I am not getting along with well at this time, will have access to the blog.

And so what has happened?  Well, people do find the website but they do not necessarily hire me from the web site.  When I talk to a potential client, he or she will tell me that they found me on the internet, but they can't be more specific.  When they start saying things like the remember reading something about me, then I can pin down where it came from.  That is why I try to give out information a little differently in each venue.  If someone clicks around the internet and only finds the same old information, they are not having a feeling of learning more about you.  (Worse is finding a page that says "under construction." )

And then there is Twitter and Facebook!  I blog about those next.

What about you?  What was your first website experience like?  Or are you not quite there? Do you have a chance to set one up through your internet provider but you don't have the time?  I would love to hear about other people's experiences.

By the way, the website is www.makowskilaw.com.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Inventory

I want to blog about my journey through my technology education, which started in 7^th grade (in 1970) when I was writing computer programs in Basic.  The end product was a document or design using keyboard characters, which was all saved on a ticker tape.  You spent time meticulously typing the program.  There was no backspace button, no delete button, no way to edit.  If you made a mistake, you started over.  And then when you were done, you pushed a button, and a ticker tape was printed out.  I would wind it up tightly and then use rubber bands to hold it together.  We would all deliver these tapes to our lockers immediately, to avoid any problem with having them torn or damaged in anyway, because that would be the end of the program.  Your grade was based on the ability of the tape to run the program that would print out what you had designed, and any little tear would destroy the whole thing.

Any way, that is how it began.  Now, it does not have an ending, because I am still a work in progress.  But I thought I would try to do an inventory of the technology that I am using or trying out.  It may seem overwhelming, but I did not start here; this is just where I am now.

As for hardware, I have the normal sort of things.  I use a Toshiba Satellite notebook, which I love, and a Palm Pre phone.  I have been a devotee of Palm for many years, ever since I bought my Palm V nearly 12 years ago.  I also have a few Sony Vaio laptops in my practice.  There are no desktops either at home or at the office, at least none that are in use.  I have a fax machine, but that is on its way out.  I have a few scanners.  One is a very old scanner that only scans one sheet at a time, but is still very useful.  I also have a four-in-one that scans, prints, copies and faxes.  That is at home.  I have access to a wireless four-in-one at the office as well.  I have an iPod Classic, access to my son’s iPod Touch.  There are probably a few more things, like routers, modems, or accessories, but these are the primary things.   I would like to get a Tablet of some sort, because it seems so cool, and I think I will probably end up with an iPhone when the Palm disappears from the planet or becomes obsolete because no one is making apps for it. And, how could I forget, I have a Kindle!  (Christmas present!)

Software is a constantly changing issue.  Some software is real software in the traditional sense.  I own a disc or have some other mechanism for putting software on my computer, and I do not need internet access for it to function.   Some software is really software that is in the cloud and, while it may run on my computer, it either doesn’t work or doesn’t work as well unless there is an internet connection.  And, with my Palm Pre as a wireless hotspot, I almost never fail to have the internet in hand.  Of course, I have wireless at my office and home, and at every coffee shop in between, but I do not have it at the courthouse without my wifi hotspot.  And in my county, we just had a county courthouse built that has a major defect – because of the windows, you cannot get wireless service of any kind, including cell phones, in the building.  This has delayed the opening of the courthouse until they can fiture this out, because the guards cannot communicate with each other while transporting prisoners!  They are working on a fix.

So, what software do I have?

On my computer I have Microsoft Office 2003.  That’s right, 2003.  So far, so good, and if I have to upgrade, I am not sure that I will stay with that line of products.  I use Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint and Outlook.   Of course, I have Adobe Acrobat X.  I have e-calibre to manage my ebooks.  I also have TimeSlips to manage my billing, and some child support calculator software.

These programs are all installed right on my computer and some of them, like Outlook, do use the Internet, but I don’t have to have an Internet connection to use them.

Then there are the things I use that work really well for me, but are somewhat Internet dependent.

The most obvious is Google Chrome.  I tried Rockmelt, but found it to distracting.  I have used Internet Explorer, and I used AOL, both the program and as a browser, for years.  I still have my AOL email account, which I use for a few selective personal things. 

I also use Google docs, Google reader, Gmail, Google Maps, Blogger, Google Calendar, YouTube, and Google Scholar.  I am just getting started with Google Voice.  I have also tried Glasscubes for project management.

I use Yahoo products as well.  I have a “My Yahoo” page, and I use Yahoo Webhosting, which also provides me with software and templates so that I can design my website myself, along with analytics. 

Since I am maintain a Twitter account, I use Tweetdeck and, sometimes, HootSuite.  Tweetdeck can also help you maintain your Facebook account.

As for social media, I use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and I have a MySpace, although I have not looked at that in months.  I also use Yelp, Foursquare, Open Table, Spaz, and a number of other apps on my phone.  I have also “claimed” myself at Justia.com, JDSupra, and a variety of other marketing websites.  I have a business page on Facebook, too.  While these may not be considered software, they are certainly part of my technology puzzle.

There are probably even more apps or software that I have looked at or used, but these are the primary ones now.

Overwhelmed?  It seems to be, but this is something that has evolved over the years.  There was the first Palm 12 years ago, and now we are here today.  Over the next few weeks, I would like to share with you the most recent leg of my technology journey.  There is not much point to explaining everything since that ticker tape to today, because most of us have a basic grasp on technology.  The primary purpose of providing you with this insight is to help you understand that you just have to pick someplace and jump in.  How about you?  What are you using?  What is working for you?  What got you started?