About 2-years ago, when I finished graduate school, I published two of my papers on SSRN, The Social Science Research network.  I was notified last week that

“Jazz Interpolation and Improvisation: George and Ira Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm as Recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Dianne Reeves” was listed on the   SSRN Top Ten Download list for Music.

It’s now been downloaded  49 times!

Gee, I’m either getting famous or just picked a great topic for kids to plagiarize.   Either way, you can view the abstract and download the paper here

Classic Jazz, Modern Jazz, Beebop, Swing, R&B, Pop, Classical all of these words lend apt description to the sounds emulating from my office on any given day.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines jazz as:

American music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre.

I equate the way I do business a lot like this…

“Distortions” in public relations has nothing to do with manipulating the truth!

Rather, it’s about shifting the perception of how much what we do really matters, and “raising the bar” on our ability to be of service to our clients and giving back to our communities.

I view the conversations I have here and with people who call me, a lot like the dialogue that happens between jazz musicians and their audiences.  Information is delivered in a familiar format, with some interesting, intriguing and often captivating turns thrown in to keep us all interested and ideally, coming back for more.

Dianne Reeves

Ella Fitzgerald

Top Ten Lists are updated on a daily basis, so if you’re interested download my paper and keep it at the top!

View the Top Ten list for the Journal Music Top Ten

View all the music papers in the Journal

Other Articles you may be interested in:

As the Legal Marketing Industry Shifts – We Can Differentiate By Making A Difference

7 Deadly Business Mistakes Legal Marketers Can Avoid

Legal Marketers Can Step Out of the Box With Video

There Has Never a Better Time for Legal Marketing Brands to Engage in Social Media

Mixing Business With Personal — Legal Marketers, it’s OK to “Cross-Brand”

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

Thanks to Guy Kawasaki’s blogpost on Holy Kaw Lady Gaga’s , “Telephone” video was bought to my attention.  It is a masterpiece of cinematography, costuming, and esoteric socially conscious storytelling that is sure to leave you thinking.  It must be for me to want to include on a blog directed toward legal marketers.

Not that I’m condoning breaking any laws, far from it.  Kudos to Ms. GaGa and Ms. Beyonce for taking a lead…  I do have a concern though.  There are a lot of folk whose cognitive skills aren’t “up to par”, and could take these messages too literally…

Sigh —  How and where are the artists supposed to draw the line — or are they?

I don’t usually post on the weekends,  but from now on when I do,  the articles will be a bit off the “beaten track” — even moreso than they usually are…

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Marketers Can Step Out of the Box With Video

Mixing Business With Personal — Legal Marketers, it’s OK to “Cross-Brand”

Lawyers, Forget About “Quitting Facebook” – Expanding Your Comfort Zone to Communicate is Key

There Has Never a Better Time for Legal Marketing Brands to Engage in Social 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

Sharon Rowlands, the CEO of Penton Media takes a retrospective look at the last year at Penton on B-to-B online. She makes note of how the media industry overall has shifted and how marketers in general need to differentiate themselves more, and have an even more in-depth comprehension of what their potential clients are looking for, so we can provide solutions that truly matter and make a difference in their lives.

As I restructure my business as a legal marketer and public relations professional, I often share my thoughts and insights here, so I wanted to give you an opportunity to hear what Sharon has to say, as well as hear your feedback.

Read the article on B-to-B

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Social Media Skeptics – Do you know the most important differences between websites & blogs?

Legal Marketers Can Step Out of the Box With Video

There Has Never a Better Time for Legal Marketing Brands to Engage in Social Media

LexisNexis Legal Business Community to Include Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog Content

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

Many of the people reading this blog are legal marketers who are running their own firms or other legal service business. Others are in professions completely unrelated to legal, and are finding value here, and still others of you are friends, relatives and wonderful to keep support me by continuing to read the articles here.

Whichever is your case, Janis D. Pettit of Manta Small Business article is a win.  Her article on 7  Deadly Mistakes people in small business can make is extremely pertinent.   I found it fascinating, mostly because I am currently taking or have all taken the actions she suggests as wins, and affirmation during the climb is always reassuring.   I’ve also successfully avoided most of her mistakes, although I have made a few doozies during the last 4-years of Karasma Media.

Read:

The 7 Deadly Small Business Mistakes You Must Avoid

I look forward to your thoughts…

Other articles you may be interested in:

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

Does social media end cold calling as a new business tactic for legal marketers?

Legal Marketers and Bloggers: The FTC’s New Regulations for Endorsements and Testimonials are Effective December 1, 2009 – FTC Toolkit Keeps You Informed

“Brandjacking” Can be Avoided by Legal Marketers Using Social Media

Ethics Checklists for Legal Marketers

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 National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) 2010 March Business Meeting, was held on March 4 – 5, 2010, in Washington, DC at the Dupont Hotel.

This free conference for in-house counsel, featured the launch of an exciting new initiative, as well as sessions for in-house counsel and NAMWOLF law firm members.

Attendees participated in an informative session presented by Stephen Hanas, Senior Counsel, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; an In-House Best Practices Session presented by Jason Brown, PepsiAmericas and Andrea Clark-Smith, American Airlines; annual meeting planning; and many networking opportunities.

Registrants of the meeting included:  Accenture, Time Warner Cable, PepsiAmericas, Prudential, American Airlines, FDIC, ALM Media, Choice Hotels, Ocwen Financial, Banco Popular, A. O. Smith, Amtrak and Sodexo.

I was first introduced to NAMWOLF last year, via a Direct Message Tweet I received from a graphic designer, whose sister was affiliated with them.  The organization is committed to providing opportunities for minority and women-owned law firms, so is indeed a privilege for me to support this year’s Business Meeting.

Karasma Media is also a member of NAMWOLF’s  Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program.

Members of the program have a committed to set a goal of eventually expending a minimum of 5% of your outside counsel budget with certified minority and women-owned law firms.

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 was recently contacted by Martindale-Hubbell Connected and the new LexisNexis Legal Business Community (http://www.legalbusinesscommunity.com).

Their request:  T0 mirror-publish the Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog on the Legal Business Community with link-backs here.

Of course I enthusiastically accepted!

Their open web community focuses on the best practices/strategies around running a law firm/business.   Topics covered include client acquisition, marketing, technology, people management and finance, among others.

I am thrilled to be a contributor on the LexisNexis Legal Business community, as it is exactly the kind of request I love to hear!

As legal marketers using social media, your expertise popularized via the online content you produce and the scope of your outreach.

Your commentary is a vital part of the communities you associate with, and it is up to you to consistently generate thought provoking and valuable material as an expert.

If you’d rather get my blog delivered to your in-box, I can do that too!
Subscribe to Karasma Media Blog Email Subscription

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Marketers, Attract More Clients With SEO Copywirting Strategis For Your Firm’s Blog

How To Write Better Headlines For Your Legal Industry Blog

Legal Firms — Don’t Allow Outside Parties Using Social Media To Control Your Reputation

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

Legal marketers, what you don’t know is hurting you…

Florida: A mistrial was declared recently after a federal judge learned eight jurors had researched the drug case on the internet.

England: A juror was dismissed from a sexual assault case after asking how she should vote on her Facebook page.

Dallas: A state District Judge recently terminated someone from a pretrial drug diversion program after a probation officer discovered Internet postings showing that the man clearly planed to get drunk on his graduation day.

There has never been a time where the legal field’s ability to interact with the world technologically has been more important.  Garnering your legal organization’s sensitivity toward online communication, whether as  professional spokespeople, within their personal conversations, or emphasizing your client’s awareness of their behavior is imperative.

The Dallas News covered a story detailing these disturbing incidents that are unfortunately occurring more and more frequently.

Unfortunately, becoming social media savvy is not something you can do with a book or seminar, it takes frequent, ongoing interaction, research and monitoring.

There is no more expedient or cost effective way  for your organization to master the social media tools necessary to attract your desired audience and monitor  your online conversation, than with a skilled professional who customizes a program to your specific needs.

I work with small to mid-size legal marketing organizations  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. 

Call me at 917-856-5410 for a free initial consultation.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Why technology and social media need to be integrated into your branded legal marketing strategy

Social Media as PR in Legal Markerting is Underused and Under Funded

Social Media is Public Relations for Legal Marketing

Change is happening faster than EVER…

Five years ago, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook,  JD Supra and the iPhone didn’t exist. Today Facebook has 350 million members; Twitter -  30 million; and Hulu having surpassed Time Warner Cable, is the second largest “channel” in America.

We all know technology has profoundly impacted consumer behavior.  Smartphones brand loyalty is a prime example. Smartphones empower us to comparison shop on the basis of price at the point of sale.  Not to mention a shopping experience at any Apple Store is just a “Tech & Customer Care Heaven”…

As legal marketers, we are already witnessing how technology can  alter how potential clients  purchase our services and  give  third-party influencers are having effect.  Paid media’s “management” of our target audience’s purchasing cycle is have a transformational shift on our brands.

Ironically, while consumers and retailers are embracing these innovations, legal marketers are significantly  lagging behind the rapid technological evolution of our marketplace.

Considering that ten years ago consumers spent about 30 minutes online per day. Today, it’s four hours, according to Media Metrix, (twice as much time as they watch TV — and that time spent does not include e-mailing!)

In this decade, broadband expanded from 3% to two-thirds of American homes. Yet legal marketers barely adjusted their approach.

Change is always difficult, but legal marketers need to be  more aware of the new marketplace or run the risk of consumers disengaging themselves completely and rendering their marketing programs irrelevant.

The legal marketing narrative needs to be rebooted and the architecture of legal-brand building re-engineered.

Several important points to note:

• Legal CMOs must recognize that the speed and scope of change are so overwhelming that they need to dramatically revamp their marketing ecosystem.

• Transparency is the new black, making public relations and social media essential elements in a successful marketing strategy.

• CMOs must demand that all of their agencies, and not just the digital shop, be technologically savvy.

• “Traditional” agencies, and other disciplines play supporting roles, but if you spend 90% of your budget with traditional agencies, it makes integration all the more difficult.

In an interview I did with BlackEnterprise.com, I talked about the necessity of companies hiring people who are inclined toward technology and accept change as a given. That does not necessarily mean that those people are IT experts, but rather that they are curious, adapt easily and are inclined toward collaboration and social media.

As the landscape changes, the digital agency, the PR firm and especially the media agency should play an equal role in brand creation.
This time of change may mean that outside sources,  fluent in effective legal social media PR,  are necessary to achieve the best ROI.

Article referenced:  Why Brands Should Embrace Technological Change, Avi Dan,  Advertising Age, 1/11/2010.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Developing a Social Media Hiring Strategy: How To Use Networking Sites To Find Employee

How Social Media Impacts Advertising and Marketing for the Legal Industry

A Legal Marketing Revolution Is At Hand

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.

I am proud to announce that this blog has become part of Alltop!  You can find the  Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog at http://law.alltop.com/

What is Alltop you may ask?

Alltop is a news aggregation site that provides “all the top” stories for forty of the most popular topics on the Web.  The headlines and first paragraph of the five most recent stories from forty to eighty sources for each topic are displayed, and the stories are refreshed approximately every ten minutes.

They gather together the best suggestions from the most active social web users and compiles links into a simple, clean discovery space.

When Guy Kawasaki launched  Alltop last year, Chris Shipley, the chairman of the  Guidewire Group and executive producer of DEMO stated, “For many, Alltop will replace their RSS readers.”.

A good metaphor is that Alltop is an “online magazine rack” that displays the news from the top publications and blogs. Our goal is to satisfy the information needs of the 99% of Internet users who will never use an RSS feed reader or create a custom page. Think of it as “aggregation without the aggravation.

Guy Kawaski – Alltop Founder

One of Alltop’s most impressive attributes is that it curates and organizes.  So, I’m very proud to be listed beside some other wonderful law blogs.  Do take a few minutes to look-see.  You can create your own individual “Front-Page” stories for yourself!

Read more

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.

Harvard Business School is using social media for a variety of endeavors including publicizing faculty work, reaching out to potential students, customer service and event promotion.

Brian Kenny, CMO of Harvard Business School

Brian Kenny, the Chief Marketing Officer for (HBS) was in New York City this week to discuss his professional journey into the world of social media. As social media is changing the platform on which our society communicates and conducts commerce, Kenny says HBS is a embracing the behavioral shift brought on by social media and that the school is going to great lengths to harness viral marketing opportunities.

However, he also emphasized that with any social media program, there is some risk involved.

Read the full interview with Mr. Kenny on PR Shoptalk