A social media hub page is a virtual business card: a single web page with a brief bio (or link thereto) and links to your websites, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts. This allows you to provide a single link in your email signature, your (paper) business card, in an article byline, and anywhere else your name appears in print or online. A single link is clean and professional looking, one reason why virtual business cards are becoming more popular.
I've experimented with different options. Recently, I set up an account with about.me. My page was easy to set up and customize. I uploaded a background image (me, looking fierce) but did not include a bio. Instead, I listed my professional roles as attorney, writer, and entrepreneur.
If you click on the doo-hickey at the top of the page, it will take you to a random assortment of other about.me pages, many of which are quite creative. Great for ideas.
About.me is integrated with Klout, a new social media "rating" service that tells you how influential you are in the online world. It also tells you who you influence and who influences you. I'm not sure how useful this is but it's interesting to watch my klout index increase.
I also set up an account with flavors.me, which allowed me to create an almost identical page. They have a paid version ($20/yr.) with added customization features. Attorney Dan Gold set up a page on flavors.me and took advantage of those upgraded features.
About.me is free; I couldn't find a paid version. I'd like to see more options for configuring pages, like the paid version of Flavors.me seems to provide, but all in all, this is a great way to quickly set up a virtual business card. Give it (or flavors.me) a try. Send me a link to your page and I'll feature it in a future blog post.
Filed under Business cards, Online Marketing, Social media by 
There are billions of people in the world who aren't able to read this.
No, not attorneys, although I'm sure there are still a few who haven't evolved into the 21st century. But they aren't my target market.
Would I like to communicate with them? Sure. But I'm willing to lose, say, the 5% who aren't connected, in favor of the economics of reaching the 95% who are.
How about you? Is your target market connected? Do you know how many are not?
If a significant percentage of your target market isn't online and you do most of your marketing online, you obviously need other ways to communicate.
But what if the bulk of your target market is online? Can you safely ignore the few who aren't?
If you're just looking at the numbers, sure. But there are some situations where it makes sense to have other options.
Take business cards, for example. There is a trend today towards the digital business card whereby you collect the other person's information digitally in your smart phone, via a a "bump" or other method, and they collect yours as well. You don't need to carry paper business cards, all you need is your phone.
There's nothing wrong with a digital card, of course; it does save the effort of manually transferring information from paper to your electronic database and it's kind of cool. But what about the prospect who doesn't have a smart phone or the right app to collect your information? If all you have is a digital card, you may have squandered an opportunity to make a potentially lucrative new connection.
Whether or not you've gone digital, you still need to carry (paper) business cards. And, if you do carry paper cards, you shouldn't assume the people you give them to can read your QR code. Have your practice areas and other information printed on the card as well.
I love technology and use it extensively; you may, too. But we shouldn't assume that everyone knows what we know. I'm not saying you have to translate all your marketing documents to print or do a print newsletter in addition to your ezine, unless most of your target market is offline. But with something as inexpensive and effective as a business card, there's no excuse for not having them.
High tech marketing may be the future but low tech will always work–and you never have to worry about a dead battery.
Filed under Business cards, Networking by
When one of your clients has a friend or business contact who needs a lawyer, they'll hand their friend your business card (we hope) and say, "Here, call my lawyer".
Notice they don't say, "Here, call my law firm."
Your clients have a relationship with you, not your firm. Even if you are a partner, your brand is "you" and "you" is what you should be promoting.
If permitted, you should have your own web site or blog, your own social media accounts, your own domain name, and your own email account (you@yourdomain.com).
If all you do is promote and brand your firm, what happens if you leave the firm or the firm disbands?
Your brand is valuable. It should be protected, nurtured, and grown.
(Note, the above photo is a business card from lawyer James Rains, circa 1857. It says, "Will practice in any of the Courts, and attend promptly to the collection of claims." It looks like he was a partner in the firm of "Kernan & Rains," yet the card promotes Mr. Rains.)
Filed under Business cards, Client relations, Referrals, Relationship marketing, Social media by
This Labor Day weekend, many will attend parties and meet new people. Social (or business) gatherings are an opportunity to expand your network of contacts, all of whom could be potential clients or referral sources.
If you have something planned this Labor Day weekend, before you go, I know you'll check your wallet or purse, making sure you have plenty of business cards on hand. But if you're like most people, the opportunity to connect with new people will come and go. You will neither pass out cards nor collect any.
You'll meet people and politely discuss sports or the weather or how tasty the hamburgers are, but you won't get their contact information and they won't get yours.
But you don't have to squander this opportunity. All you have to do is ask three simple questions:
First, introduce yourself and ask for their name. "I'm David, what's your name."
Easy enough. Now you know their name and they know yours. Use their name a few times so you don't forget it three seconds later, as we so often do.
Second, ask them what they do.
You can first ask how they know the host or how they are otherwise connected with the event, but then ask them what they do for a living.
"So, what do you do?"
Also easy.
Ask a follow up question or two and let them tell you all about what they do. When they are done, most people will ask you what YOU do. On the rare occasion when they don't, just go on to the third question.
Third, ask for their card. "Do you have a card?"
When they give you their card, give them yours.
Voila, instant contact.
If they don't have a card with them (and many won't, especially at a social function), give them one of yours and ask them to write their information on the back.
"Write your contact information here." At least get their email address or web site.
It will help if you offer them a reason you are asking. If appropriate, tell them you might run into someone who could use their products or services. Or, simply tell them you would like to stay in touch.
Any reason will do.
Your objective at any social or business function is not to pass out your card (although that's good, too), it is to find out something about the people you meet and capture their contact information so you can stay in touch with them.
To accomplish that, all you need to do is ask three simple questions.
Have a great weekend!
Filed under Business cards, List building, Networking by
When you hand out your business card, always hand out two. "I'm giving you two cards, one for you and one to give to someone who might need my services."
This causes them to think about who they know who might need your services. They might think of someone immediately and tell you. They might ask for additional cards, because they know several people to give them to.
It also plants the seed in their mind that they should be on the lookout for referrals.
Simple, but it works.
Filed under Business cards, Referrals by
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