Benjamin Franklin, who knew a thing or two about building one’s standing in the world, once advised, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” This adage has aged well. In fact, we should take this guidance even more seriously in the current digital decade, in which criticism—deserved or not—can easily spread like wildfire, and in ways, Franklin could never have envisaged.
A more modern mogul, Warren Buffett, offers similar advice with a contemporary twist: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Like Franklin, Buffett implies that carefully maintaining your reputation should be a daily concern, not an occasional one, if you want long-term success.
This is true for people in business and arguably even more so for those who practice law. Client trust is paramount for lawyers and legal executives, so the stakes surrounding maintaining a favorable reputation are extremely high. Whether you are a seasoned legal professional or a freshly minted JD, never lose sight of the fact that fostering a positive reputation will be central to your success. And because today’s potential clients will frequently evaluate you based on what they find about you on various websites and in reviews, proactively taking the reins with respect to cultivating your online reputation is particularly important. If this leaves you wondering where to start, or if you think the jury might be out on whether your online reputation is currently at its best, try adopting these key habits.
Put yourself in a potential client’s shoes: You are in legal trouble, and you urgently need an experienced ally. The first thing you’d do is go online to find an attorney with an irreproachable reputation.
Now, with this scenario in mind, go online and do a Google search on your name to see what comes up. If you don’t find much information because you are just starting out or don’t yet have an established online presence, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You can turn that to your advantage by consciously cultivating a positive online presence going forward.
If you aren’t an advanced Google user, you might not know that Google Alerts are free and can help you stay abreast of what is being said online about you and your firm. You can also use this tool to monitor news in your industry and keep track of your competitors. And other online tracking tools can be used in combination with Google Alerts to maximize your coverage. You just need to decide which options will give you the most comprehensive view while best suiting your notification preferences.
Potential clients take negative online reviews and commentary seriously. Legal services are costly, and no one wants to invest in a professional with a poor reputation. Any damage you incur to your image can cause long-lasting damage to your business reputation if not handled properly.
Because the work involved in mending a damaged reputation can be time-consuming, the best strategy is to prevent negative reviews and commentary from appearing in the first place, whenever possible. Thankfully, knowledgeable third parties are available to help you deal with a digital crisis when it occurs. Having a PR team on speed dial that you can expediently rely on can help you avert a viral spread and regain control if you need to.
Ignoring a negative review in hopes that it will simply fade into non-relevance is never recommended. Always let readers in the cybersphere know that you take any criticism seriously and clearly communicate that you are working to resolve the matter with the client personally. Try to maintain a cool head as you do so. If you find what you suspect is a fake review or one that constitutes misuse of the internet, you can take steps to have it removed. In addition, take time to plan ahead and determine what your ideal response should be in different situations. Better yet, enlist a strong online communications team you can trust to keep on top of new reviews
Also, always appreciate the positive reviews you receive, and take the time to thank reviewers for their compliments. The professionalism and care you show by doing so will impress future readers and win you more clients.
Websites such as Avvo, Novo, ABA Journal, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Justia can serve as excellent jumping-off points for boosting your online presence. Invest time into creating profiles and accounts on these websites so they appear on page one of the search results associated with your name. You want potential clients to find positive information about you effortlessly. Having a presence on multiple legal platforms suggests to searchers that you are established in your field and, by implication, competent and trusted.
Some of these platforms also provide opportunities for lawyers and legal professionals to provide peer reviews and be nominated for awards that can add prestige.
Be discerning about what information about yourself you want to be private and what you can comfortably share on social media. While you might be tempted at times to reveal a little more about your personal life on such platforms as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, establish firm boundaries and stick to them.
CLE and other education programs can provide some perspective on appropriate private/professional boundaries to set with respect to social media. Consciously adopt the guiding principles of these valuable programs and, if you have employees, make sure they are informed of and follow them as well. In some situations, social media can be a powerful tool you can leverage to build your individual reputation but in others, it should be avoided like the plague. Know the difference.
Your website is often the first contact a client has with your brand, and as such, it should be an ongoing priority. Ensure that your website makes an excellent impression from the consumer’s very first click, making abundantly clear the services you specialize in and why clients should work with you. Make it friendly and engaging but also responsive, so users don’t have to struggle to find the information they need most. And always have compliant disclosures and privacy policies so you are never in danger of someone reporting your site to the search engine.
Blog content on your site can be highly beneficial for potential clients. Focus on topics that address the legal questions your clientele is most likely to be interested in and that demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the latest developments in your area of the law. Your blog should give clients a reason to trust in your expertise and authority.
Remember that content is king. Sharing engaging content through your social media network and on your website can make a massive difference when you are working to establish yourself as an expert in your field. And make sure that you are disseminating the content you produce widely. Perception is reality in the digital world, so you should take advantage of every possible opportunity to showcase yourself as an industry leader.
When you are building your online reputation, testimonials are pure gold, so you should ask clients for them frankly. You can always add testimonials to your website, and LinkedIn has space dedicated to testimonials as “recommendations.” Because your LinkedIn profile is likely to be one of the first places potential clients go to find information about you, requesting such recommendations is definitely worth your time (as is reciprocating by providing them to others). Consider the following example of LinkedIn recommendations that add significant value:
Returning to Benjamin Franklin’s fount of wisdom, he also famously declared, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is precisely the mind-set with which you should approach the information that populates your Google results. If you want to ensure that what appears about you online accurately reflects your level of expertise and the value you offer, you will have to actively cultivate your digital and personal reputation.
If you could use help maintaining a positive digital presence, especially if you are an attorney or other legal professional, qualified experts are available to help. By having the right professionals monitoring what is being posted about you and managing anything that might pose a reputational risk, you can remain firmly in the driver’s seat with respect to your reputation—and confident that your online presence makes the right impression on any potential clients.
Toggle Content
Toggle Content
Toggle Content
Toggle Content
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
Please provide your information below to receive the white paper.
"*" indicates required fields
A positive reputation is a valuable asset. You deserve to be in control of what the internet says about you or your brand. We specialize in building, monitoring, and protecting digital reputations. Schedule time with our team to audit your existing digital presence and find ways to elevate and enhance your online impression.
A positive reputation is a valuable asset. You deserve to be in control of what the internet says about you or your brand. We specialize in building, monitoring, and protecting digital reputations. Schedule time with our team to audit your existing digital presence and find ways to elevate and enhance your online impression.
Error: Contact form not found.
A positive reputation is a valuable asset. You deserve to be in control of what the internet says about you or your brand. We specialize in building, monitoring, and protecting digital reputations. Schedule time with our team to audit your existing digital presence and find ways to elevate and enhance your online impression.
Error: Contact form not found.
Error: Contact form not found.
[showchatbox]
Brittney Bagiardi
Business Development & Marketing Manager at Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP February 4, 2020
The Legal Marketing Association's Tampa City Group was honored to have Sameer come to speak with us regarding Online Reputation Management. Sameer is an energetic presenter who took the time to answer each and every one of our questions. His expertise was evident in his polished presentation, and our members were engaged thoroughly. All communications leading up to the event were timely and friendly, and I have enjoyed my time working with Sameer on this speaking engagement.
Tamie Maffeo
Marketing Manager at NEIRG Wealth Management. & Business Succession Advisers, LLC
Working with Sameer and the team at Blue Ocean Global Technology has been such a positive experience! The ongoing communication combined with the efficiency of work of the team is very much appreicated. Sameer is quick to respond to any questions we may have. He and his team is quick to to resolve any questions that arise. They go above and beyond for us no matter what day or time we reach out. I have had many dissapointing engagements over the years with similar firms but must say that this is a refreshing experience. I am in a niche business with complicated regulations surronding our marketing platform. Having the peace of mind that the team at Blue Ocean is there to impliment and guide our firm gives me great satisfation. That being said, I give them my highest reccomendations and would gladly speak with anyone who has any questions regarding my experience.
Jay Chong
EVP, Head of e-Mobility Group at SK Group
I had a chance to work with Sameer for several months, and he has been one of the most transparent and responsible people I have ever worked with. He has been highly responsive, always responding within a day despite the time zone difference, and thoughtful, which was a big relief for me as some I worked with in the past were "Catch Me if You Can". He has delivered all his promises and more. He has been genuine and results oriented. It has been a pleasure working with him, and I highly recommend his service.
Vern Hayden
Client Advocate at Sovereign Financial Group, Inc
Sameer lives outside the cliche’s of life. Let me put it this way:
If you were looking for someone totally committed to helping in a mission, a cause, or company you would want Sameer.
If you were looking for someone who would drop everything to help you, who knows the best and worst about you, someone with empathy and understanding, in short someone you call a “true friend” , you would want Sameer.
If you want someone who has aligned themselves with the great causes of women you will want Sameer. If you want someone who gives a damn about kids that are abused,misplaced,without direction,kicked to the curb, and need help get Sameer.
If you want someone to give a mesmerizing presentation get Sameer. He will stay up all night doing relentless research on the subject and the audience and inspire your audience to action.
If you want someone with a consistent well defined philosophy of life combined with a remarkable code of ethics you want Sameer.
If you want a leader with emotional and academic intelligence combined with magnetic charisma check in with Sameer.
If you want a team player who has been in the trenches as well as the mountain tops Sameer has been there.
If you want someone to help stabilize your business and take it to greater fulfillment Sameer will be there for you.
If you need a George Gilder tech genius as a resource., Sameer knows the best and can bring innovative solutions to your challenges. ( the right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh said if he could choose another brain it would be Gilder’s.)
If you need someone to trust with integrity and accountability you need to meet Sameer. I could go on but I think you know how I feel about this guy now. I have known and been a friend for over two decades.
Najah A. Edmondson
Marketing professional at National Center For College & Career Transitions (NC3T), The TASA Group and ASK For Tutoring
Sameer Somal is a personality you cannot forget! I met Sameer one year exhibiting at the Delaware Valley Legal Expo in King of Prussia, PA. It was the end of the night and he came over to introduce himself to me and my colleague. We engaged in an amazing conversation about The TASA Group and about relationship management. He helped us take our belongings to the car at the end of the night. We all left with a new connection and a lifelong friend. So excited with meeting Sameer, we immediately figured out how we could work together - webinars, articles and in-person presentations to some of the organizations we are partnered with. It's been a few years since we met and Sameer continues to thrive in his field and in his expertise. The light he exudes is both infectious and comforting. I would recommend Sameer for any job!
Walt Wiesenhutter
Certified Small Business Mentor at SCORE Mentors Philadelphia. Taught at Harvard University Executive MBA & at Columbia Executive MBA & Northwestern Executive MBA
My name is Walter J. Wiesenhutter and I am loyal client of Sameer Somal’s and Blue Ocean Global Technology. I founded Jay Associates in 1984 and served as president of our consulting company for several decades. Regretfully, our offices were in the World Trade Center in 9/11 and we lost key team members as a result of those tragic events. We persevered for the next few years to replace the seemingly unreplaceable. I met Sameer, one of the co-founders of Blue Ocean Global Technology in 2005. I was immediately impressed with his genuine character and commitment to serving others. The emergence of the internet and digital technology changed our business so much and our meeting couldn’t have been more serendipitous. I was quite fortunate to learn of this company’s world-class resources. Over the years, they were instrumental in improving our stellar reputation and building a digital presence that reflected the trust we had with our clients offline. As business partners, clients, and friends complained about their Google presence, disappointing web development projects, and digital marketing companies over promising and under delivering, I referred them directly to Sameer and his team at Blue Ocean Global Technology. Their needs and requirements were always handled with care; the feedback is always exceptional because they deliver results based on exactly what the companies want to help them grow. When Blue Ocean Global Tech did not feel they could provide the best service or guidance on a particular situation, Sameer and his colleagues are honest with me or anyone from my network. They then took the time to find resources and partners within their trusted network that were a better fit. Today, at 75, I am delighted to share and document my successful experiences with this team of excellent professionals. If you are looking for a global team that is diligent, honest, and transparent, you have found the right company in Blue Ocean Global Technology. Not only do I give them my highest and best recommendation, I feel fortunate to call many of their global team members my friends!
