So, during the day, I work for LexisNexis… which owns Lawyers.com, the largest lawyer directory online. But before they went online, they pioneered the idea of lawyer ratings. So you can imagine they’re constantly re-considering the ways you can measure “trust”.
As I was looking over a site where you can rate congress, the (somewhat obvious) principle of leveraging user-generated content to complement the trusted AV rating service comes to mind. I know that team is working on great things in that area, but my question to the blog world out there is Would you trust community ratings/comments about lawyers? Is it true that the dissatisfied are far more likely to submit content and thereby skew results? What about shill posters who put up favorable ratings, who could do the same. The idea of expanding into 2.0 is attractive, but more complicated when you look deeply. [see the problems Avvo is running into lately...]
Written by jclayc on May 14th, 2008 with 3 comments.
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A friend of mine works with a Florida boating accident firm that would like to expand their market into Miami (specifically, Miami-Dade County). Conventional wisdom dictates that you do a few things like setting up a local office and advertising online through directories and the like. Savvy lawyers go one step farther and begin actively spreading the word about their practice through press releases, social bookmarking and article syndication.
Enter my friend (Eric): he’s produced a good article about boating accidents and tied in the law firm via an accident checklist. But something inside me asks if article syndication is enough to attract quality incoming links anymore? The market has become so saturated, a smart marketer would investigate ways to make the firm stand out. This is a great opportunity to create “link bait” (content that actively attracts incoming links). So let’s take a look at the article and mull over how it could be reformed:
The summer is fast approaching and, for many, it is time for summer activities. Recreational boating is one summer activity that gains popularity year after year. With most summer activities that are fun there also is a potential for danger and accidents. National statistics show that recreational boating is safer today than ever before, with the number of boating fatalities declining even as the number of boat owners increases. However, lives continue to be lost needlessly, and we must remain committed to boating safety.
With over one million registered vessels, Florida is the number one state for boating in the United States with an economic impact that is greater than the citrus and cruise ship industries combined. With two-thirds of boaters saying they have never taken a boating safety class a first time boat owner may not be aware of all the regulations. Some of the most common causes of boating accidents include: boating under the influence (BUI), careless or reckless operation, excessive speeding, operator inexperience and rules infractions.
What is one to do if involved in a boating accident? The Miami-Dade County law firm of Steven E. Slootksy created a list that he gives to his clients. He recommends:
- Take photographs of the accident scene
- Take photographs of the boat damage
- Take photographs of your and other passengers’ injuries
- Get copies of your medical records and receipts
- Keep receipts of repair work done on your boat
- Take notes regarding how your injuries hinder your ability to perform daily activities
- Take down names and contact numbers of witnesses
- Note bills relating to the accident and injuries
- Keep your documentation in a safe location and make copies for your injury lawyer
Safety should always be the first priority and hopefully if the proper care is given to the laws and regulations when operating a recreational vehicle then a fun time will be had by all. No one wants to think of potential accidents while going on vacation. If something does happen it is always good to be prepared.
This is great copy, don’t get me wrong, but consider how attractive to boat-owners it would be if you turned this list into something Florida boat owners could download online as a notecard to laminate and keep on-board. Even better: with submission of the boater’s information, he/she could get a free laminated card with the firm’s name across the top, relevant law enforcement contacts and the same bulleted list. Now that’s the next level of online marketing for law firms. This “tactic” will gain contacts for the firm and build incoming links stand out under the scrutiny of search engines now and in any future updates.
[tags]link bait, article syndication[/tags]
Written by jclayc on May 3rd, 2008 with 3 comments.
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