Technology considerations for strategic legal marketing

As we settle into 2012, I’ve been reflecting on what is in store for legal marketing and PR this year, and how new and existing technologies will affect strategic planning. Here’s what I’m seeing in my crystal ball.

• Reputation management – In this era of Occupy Wall Street protests, attorneys and law firms must maintain squeaky-clean reputations. With the powerful social media channels ready to spread stories of inequality, greed and corruption, the legal industry cannot afford reputation-damaging exposure.
• SEO – Law firms are dedicating significant efforts to search engine optimization (SEO) again this year. As Google continues to refine its algorithm, being found in searches remains at the forefront of marketing strategy. (Not to ignore the other search engines, but Google dominates the search market.)
• Mobile websites – If you don’t already have one, now is the time to create one. With ever-growing numbers of visitors viewing your website on mobile devices, it’s time to deliver a site designed specifically for those devices.
• Trending topics – Staying abreast of current events no longer means watching the 6 o’clock news. Scanning social media trending topics will keep you on top of issues and ready to react instantly to industry happenings.

As media is continually redefined, our marketing and PR strategies must keep pace and adapt as dictated by ever-changing technological capabilities.  Feel free to add to my list!