Facebook topped Google to become the most visited U.S. Web site, indicating a shift in how Americans are searching for content I talk to literally dozens of attorneys a week and they’re in one of two places when it comes to social media.  If you’re a lawyer or small business owner reading this, you’ll most likely find yourself in one of 3-places regarding your online platform:

1. You have a website and may even blog… when you have the time.  You already have Facebook and Linked In profile that you look at sporadically.
2. You have a website that either looks great or needs revamping, either way it is not enhancing your client intake or bottom line, and you’re “skeptically curious” about using social, so you haven’t set up any profiles.
3. You haven’t started developing an online presence yet.   But since the efforts and money that used to work when marketing your firm that used to work aren’t producing the return you’re looking for you’re curious and want to get started and aren’t sure how…

Here’s some “breaking news”, the entire world is using social media — so it’s very probable that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are viable resources for reaching viable consumers of your goods and services!

Infographic design by Nick Sigler

“Facebook is squarely at the center of this new universe, and much of what people do online these days starts there. But Facebook’s masterstroke has been to spread itself across the web and allow others to tap your network of friends. As a result, thousands of websites and apps have essentially become satellites that orbit around Facebook.”

Ready to jump in the pool, here are the steps to getting started:

Create Your Profile:
The first step to build your law firm or business presence on Facebook, is to create a personal profile.  Sign up for Facebook, upload a picture and add contact info in your profile. Once that’s done,  upload your existing contact database to see which of your contacts are already on Facebook and ask whichever ones you want to become your Friend.  This will get you up and running quickly rather than completely starting from scratch!

Create Your Company Page:
Once your  personal profile is set up, you can create a Company page for your law firm or business .   the best topics to fill your page with are, news, upcoming events, photos, etc., (Bear in mind that the most effective way to manage your social media platforms is with your blog as the master mind control panel!)
There are also applications that increase the functionality of the page.

If you already have a business website, having a business profile page on Facebook is still estremly important.  Your website is your storefront, your blog and social media are the doors and windows that enable people to find you, contact you and become clients and customers.   After all, you want to have a presence where your existing and prospective clients are spending their time online.

If you already know there’s tremendous potential of Return on your investment by using social to promote your business or legal practice and are looking for content management, relief and strategical maximization, call me at 917-856-5410.

Other articles you may be interested in:

A Great Legal Marketing Firm Tool to Optimize Twitter

Legal Marketers: Responding to social media inquiries is more important than you think

A Very Simple Twitter Formula for Generating Legal Marketing Business

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

If you’re an attorney struggling to build your practice, then you probably believe that the best way to use your time is by practicing law. The reality is, you are not in the business of practicing law. Your business is building relationships (also known as marketing) so that you can practice law.

This is the link to a powerful E-book written by Rainmaker Institute CEO, Stephen Fairley entitled, Top 10 Marketing Mistakes Attorneys Make & How to Avoid Them.

In this book you will learn specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too. The one thing you will NOT find within its pages is an ‘easy button’. Unfortunately, in the world of legal marketing there’s  simply no such thing! I can certainly attest to how much hard work, effort and money it takes to build a successful business and it will not happen overnight.

The great thing is, if you are willing to work we can help you make it happen!

As an advisor at The Rainmaker Institute, I work with solo and small firm legal practitioners to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy. In partnership with my clients, I support them to develop a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and empower them to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

Stephen Fairley, has helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice.

Echoing Stephen’s invitation, I invite you to download and print this e-book and read it with a pen and highlighter in hand. The specific strategies you’ll find within its pages, once applied, can make the kind of dramatic difference in your practice that lasts a lifetime.

If you are serious about implementing support services specifically designed for solo and small firm attorneys, please feel free to give me a call at 888-588-5891 Ext. 402 or send me an email at kara@therainmakerinstitute.com.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Kara Smith of Karasma Media Joins the Rainmaker Institute as a Rainmaker Advisor

Legal Marketers and Mid-Size Businesses – Let Your Commitments Do the Talking

The Amsterdam News Covers AALBC.com and Karasma Media Media Marketing Workshops

I’ve attended several networking events since moving to Phoenix at the end of January.  Recently, I connected to the meet-up group Java & Justice
through my membership with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Alex & Gaxiola, Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys based in Phoenix, have a terrific marketing & internet services manager, Rhonda Robbins , who I’ve become great friends with.  Rhonda is an SEO queen, and is also creating some stimulating, “out-in-the-world events for her firm.

In speaking with Rhonda, she said that one of Andrew Alex’ primary concerns is his client’s quality of life.  He is also strongly committed to educating them in a way that that will protect them if or when the time comes.

The video linked below to the firm’s YouTube Channel is a terrific example of how an accident with a truck can change your entire life…

One of the primary business growth challenges for a accident attorneys is that their clients don’t need their services until something catastrophic happens.  Since chasing ambulances is unscrupulous at best, having relationships with potential clients, long before they require services is all the more important..

They’re doing a MeetUp Series called JAVA & JUSTICE.

These semi-weekly gatherings allow the firm’s attorneys to interact with their community hands on, providing them with a venue designed for face-to-face communication.

Do connect to  Alex & Gaxiola on Facebook and Twitter …

If you’re in the Phoenix Arizona area, stop by a MeetUp.  Either way, I encourage you to connect with the group so you can stay in the loop!

Join the Java & Justice Meet-Up in Phoenix

Kara works with  small to mid-size business and  legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy.  This new design provides a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Join us for a young people’s slumber party and movie screening under the stars!

Saturday, June 26th at 8:30 pm

Bring Your Blanket or Lawn Chair and Join Us for

Madagascar

Marcus Garvey Park Lawn

Located on Madison Avenue side of Park between
122nd & 124th St.

Free Admission and Limited Refreshments.

Raindate:  Wednesday, June 30th

Storyline:  At New York’s Central Park Zoo, a lion, a zebra, a giraffe, and a hippo are best friends and stars of the show.
Runtime:  86 Minutes

This event is co-sponsored by   Karasma Media, The Mt. Morris Park Community Improvement Association, Dark Green Joe, Maysles Cinema and Target

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

At a Meet-up I attended recently hosted by Adrian Dayton @adriendayton asked what I thought about the online platform FourSquare and its viability and value for legal marketers. At the time, I’d only done some minimal dabbling with it so I said, “The jury’s still out on this one…”

Over the last 8-days though, I’ve been using it and am very impressed with the added interaction, both business and personal, it’s been providing.

The platform works via GPS, and I can see it added value already when it comes to doing what we say we’re doing and actually showing “Proof with The Pudding’!  It’s  an entirely new level of authenticity!

The SanFrancisco Chronicle reported that FourSquare “Check-Ins” grew more than 50% in the last month…

That’s up 50% from 600,000 just a month ago, and more than double the 400,000 checkins per day it was doing in March, just three months ago.

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on this!

Other articles you may be interested in:

Update to Legal Marketers – Tweets are Embeddable as of May 4th 2010

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Influence of Legal Marketers

Facebook’s “LIKE” Button – Are you a pro or con legal pro?

A Real-Time Social Web Clock Watcher for Curious Legal Marketers

Legal Marketers: Responding to social media inquiries is more important than you think

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Thinking about being a leader in legal marketing community, in New York City, in my my life  — is daunting at times to say the least.

For the last few days, I’ve been in the midst of being overwhelmed by “the thinking about”  of the responsibilities I’ve taken on in my community, my family  and myself…  There were days when I can hardly breath, let alone write!

It’s all occurring to me like — There’s no time to feel like this.  This is Horrible!

But what if that’s not “The Truth”.  What if occasionally I just need a “pick-me-up”?  What if all that I’m going through is simply a human phenomena, rather than there being something wrong.  Ahhhh — I just exhaled…

For the next year, I’m in Landmark’s Wisdom Course, and incorporating fun into my life.

This is a photo of my “Community Circle” as a work in progress, illustrating the groups of people or “Communities” I interact with on a daily basis.

With all of the pressure I constantly put on myself, no wonder I’m so exhausted some days that I don’t want to get up and moving, let alone write…

There are times when the thoughts I have about hearing a “No”, or not getting a response, or getting negative feedback — keep me from being very enthusiastic about taking any more actions at all that could actually be positive or result in an affirmative.

You know the craziest thing… I always feel awful when I get “bogged down” . Inevitably,  inactivity for self  business generation will show up in my Google Analytics and the results I produce at the end of the week.  See, I’m a terrible person!  And Oh!  Let’s not forget — People are watching!

No wonder I’m so tired all the time!!!

All this being said, I think it’s time to shift my daily writing and morning routine from a “Have To” to a  reward I give myself?  I’m also shifting what I call my daily exercise from “Working out” to “Going Out to Play.”

No wonder life was so much fun as a kid!  Look what us adults end-up calling  the things we need to do!

Writing for me is extremely therapeutic, as is the completion of  most things I frequently avoid responsibility for.  So I have some catch-up to do,  but only because I made up that there’s somewhere else I’m supposed to be.

The goals we set for ourselves are great inspirational / motivational tools, but when they start to take the joy out of living — It’s definitely time for some reinvention!

I’ll keep you posted about the results of my Self Generation of Business is Fun — and playing more.

Other articles you may be interested in…

Creativity and Play Intertwined in Legal Marketing and in Life

Chris Brogan on Legal Marketing: An Interview With Karasma Media

The Space Between Center Rejuvenates the Creative Spirit of Legal Marketers

Lawyers Preparing to Launch Your Own Boutique – Here’s a video you’ll want to see

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

I am excited and enthusiastic about a conversation happening among barristers practicing international law.

European Parliment; Strasbourg, France

On the Martindale-Hubbell Connected German Law Group Blog, a London based journalist who specializes on the European legal market commented,

“There is no privilege for in-house lawyers in Europe.   As it stands now, any lawyer who wants to benefit from legal privilege has to be completely independent of the client they are taking instructions from…

Attorneys need to… re-focus their efforts on trying to persuade their local bar associations to allow them to join their organizations on equal term with private practice lawyers. Only once a significant minority of European countries treat in-house lawyers as just as “independent” as their private practice colleagues is the ECJ ever likely to change its opinion on corporate counsel privilege.

A scenaro which makes this situation worse, is often in-house counsel based in the United States is granted privilege by a European judge due to their US origin, in accordance with the standard practice here.

See the Poll on Martindale Hubbell Connected’s German Law Group Forum asking:
Should (German) in-house lawyers be allowed to be members of their bar?

It occurred to me that this situation is exemplary of the kinds of imbalances within the international legal community that attorneys using social media platforms designed specifically for them, will have the ability to bring to light and alleviate.  Martindale Hubbell Connected’s closed community on  is ideal for this, due to the scrutiny, reputation, and expertise of the firm; while other newer platforms may not be as oriented in the needs the international legal service provider.

Many law firms and individual practitioners alike work to resolve their areas of concern and skepticism about social media, from a strictly theoretical perspective.   However, those who are actively embracing the nuances online social media interaction are going to be far out in front in there ROI as a result of using it masterfully over time.  Legal organizations working globally are going to more subject to this than any other practitioners.

Log -in here to read and contribute to this discussion on Martindale Hubbell Connected
Joining Martindale Hubbell Connected is free of charge, the only requirement is that you are a legal professional.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Generate an International Legal Marketing Conversation Using Social Media

How to Use Twitter To Build Your International Conversation

Small and Medium-sized Firms Can Generate Business From Blogging

Listening, monetization, and ethics are key for successful social media campaigns and your legal marketing reputation

Alain L. Locke Elementary School P.S. 208 Celebrates World Dance

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

If you’ve ever been to Pearl Paint on Canal Street in China Town New York, then you know what it’s like to be surrounded by every conceivable artist tool necessary to stimulate your creative muse.  I went there yesterday, and  hadn’t been there since I was an undergrad at Pratt Institute almost 15-years ago.

I went shopping to pick up some supplies for a display of my “Originating Circle”, ie:  the people I have regular interactions with, either via conversation or exchanges of goods and services.  (I’m sure I’ll have some of the people reading this blog pictured, which is just way too much fun)

I’ll have to post a photo of it when it’s complete, which will be in the next week or so. Why am I doing all this  extra work for you may ask…

I was clear that I wasn’t having much fun, and needed a “boost” to push myself to the next level professionally and personally.  So, I enrolled in Landmark Education’s Wisdom Unlimited, a year long program, spread over 5-weekends.  The participants are professionals from all over the world, and a very exciting group of folk.

The cornerstone of the Wisdom Course is Play — the sheer enjoyment of “being” I the give and take of daily life — with no other motive or agenda…

The course is available to people who are seasoned in the work of Landmark Education and have a fully developed grasp of what it is t to create new possibilities for themselves and others.  It is designed for those who value growth and development as a way of living, rather than as a particular experience or one time phenomenon.
The Landmark Education Wisdom Course Brochure

After attending our first weekend last week I realized that somehow, over the last few years of having my own company, I’d gotten slightly resigned, cynical and sarcastic.  How’d that happen I wonder?

What I already see is much I love having my own business, working with lawyers and the legal marketing community; joining you in your commitments and aligning with what you believe in.  I absolutely adore waking up each morning and interacting with and learning from you , all day — every day and am completely committed your and my success.

The joy I get from working with Alain L. Locke Elementary couldn’t be clearer, and how much I love my family is stronger than ever, and I’m getting more exercise daily and having a good time doing it. ;  ie; there’s no “Burden of Have to” present, and needless to say, I’m feeling … LIGHTER…

More progress is to come as I work on my display and continue to play.  I’ll keep you posted to creative developments happening with Karasma Media and my life.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Keeping Creativity Flowing on Your Legal Marketing Blog

Your Personal Brand vs Your Corporate Brand – Added Clarity for Legal Marketers

The Space Between Center Rejuvenates the Creative Spirit of Legal Marketers

Chris Brogan on Legal Marketing: An Interview With Karasma Media

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Once again, @Lisa Solomon has proven herself to be an invaluable information resource…

This afternoon she sent out an note regarding Lance Goddard of 22Tweets moderation of a Twitter debate hosted by ABA Journal about virtual law offices.

It was featuring VLO (Virtual Law Office) expert Stephanie Kimbro and Legal Rebel Richard Granat (in favor) and outspoken Florida Lawyer Brian Tannebaum in opposition; with of course a litany of comments provided by all those tuning in.

You can see and add to the Tweetstream here:

In the event you’re not on Twitter, and you should be… You can view the debate at http://tinyurl.com/2csdtm6. (The Tweets are in reverse chronological order, keep clicking “older” to get to the beginning.)

Other articles you may be interested in:

A Very Simple Twitter Formula for Generating Legal Marketing Business

In Fortune 500 Companies Twitter Moves Ahead of Blogs – Are you Tweeting Legal?

In Social Media for the Legal Marketing Industry – Digital Branding Creates Clients

3 Reasons For Legal Marketers to Start Thinking Like Journalists

Legal Marketing Ethics in a Web 3.0 World

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

The last post I wrote about my friend, Philadelphia filmmaker Tigre Hill’s feature documentary “Barrel of a Gun” received some terrific feedback from my legal marketing audience.  I’m thrilled to find the Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog readers find his work as intriguing as I do!

His most recent coverage comes from  Philadelphia Magazine writer, Don Steinberg in the article,

The Gospel According to Tigre

The film’s take on the matter is that Mumia is guilty as charged — and convicted — in the 1981 killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. Hill released an incendiary three-minute trailer for Barrel in September, and the global outrage arrived on cue. Abu-Jamal supporters began labeling it an “anti-Mumia lynch-mob movie” and Hill an Uncle Tom. Protest-tourists from around the world started printing up signs to wave at the film’s premiere, which may be in Philadelphia, maybe this month or next, at least according to the last time Hill pushed back the timetable.

The Barrel of a Gun Trailer

Other related articles you may be interested in:

MOVE — A Legal, Political and Emotional Turmoil In Philadelphia’s History Revisited

Legal Marketers – Step out of the box with video

Karasma Media Introductory Video

Kara works with legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410