Page 74 - The Handbook - Legal and Accounting Networks 81
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Law and Accounting Networks and Associations
this type of content. If a network is a repository for all of the member’s content, Google will serve it up to
potential clients.
Marketing strategies for networks have shifted to include the latest technologies. This is for two primary
reasons. First, technology is more cost-effective in reaching individuals. The second reason is that the clients
use the same technology to promote their own business operations. Having a common platform is a great way
to reach clients.
While there is a separate chapter on technology, there are specific products that relate directly to marketing
and are referenced in this chapter. There are two types of changes that have taken place in the use of technology.
One is in traditional marketing tools, such as press releases, publications, business guides, etc., which are now
online. Technology integrates what has traditionally been print media with online versions. This is cross-media
marketing.308 The second are the new social media technologies that greatly expand the number of internal and
external professionals who can become aware of a network.
Cross-media marketing also allows for the repackaging of materials. They can be repackaged in podcasts,
webinars, and blogs.309 The information can be further repackaged and disseminated through Twitter,
LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media networks. Collecting information to use can easily and
cost-effectively be done on such sites as Wufoo,310 SurveyMonkey,311 Zoomerang,312 and Meebo,313 to name
only a few.
Technology developments have made the cost of delivering information by networks almost free. The
challenge in finding an audience is focusing these types of marketing efforts to address both the internal market
and the external presence to achieve the objectives that the network has set out.
Social Media
Today no discussion of network marketing is complete without a thorough discussion of social media. Social
media is the convergence of internal and external marketing to become the ultimate cross-media platform.
Social media offer tremendous opportunities for all networks because networks do not have to develop the
software. Importantly, social media tools such as Hootsuite314 allow networks to easily manage their social
media campaigns from a central location. The search engines give priority to social media sites in searches for
the organization. This can expand on the network’s Internet presence by being found in multiple ways.
The principal social media outlets for publishing by professional services networks are: LinkedIn, Twitter,
YouTube, Facebook, Google+, and blogs.
308 Cross Media, WIKIPEDIA, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossmedia: “Cross-media communication is communication in which the storyline will invite the
receiver to cross-over from one medium to the next. Making it possible to transform from one-dimensional communication (sender -> receiver(s)) to
multi-dimensional communication (sender(s) <-> receiver(s)). Good cross-media communication will enhance the value of communication: The level
and depth of (message) involvement will be more personal and therefore more relevant and powerful. Advantages can be: 1. Financial profits can be
gained through equal or decreasing costs for the same or better communication effects with single medium communication. It is possible to shift costs
for communicating from the sender to the receiver if the story is attractive enough for the receiver to want to interact with it. 2. Deepening relations
between story (teller) and "receivers" on several levels of communication.”
309 See infra Chapter 7, Regulations and Other Legal Considerations for Networks.
310 Wufoo is a way to collect and collate information on the web. WUFOO, www.wufoo.com/.
311 SurveyMonkey provides survey tools that are user friendly. SURVEYMONKEY, www.surveymonkey.com.
312 Zoomerang is also an online survey site. ZOOMERANG, www.zoomerang.com.
313 Meeboo is a site that allows member to use all forms of chat from a single location. This is useful in providing member services. MEEBOO,
www.meeboo.com.
314 HOOTSUITE, hootsuite.com/.
62
this type of content. If a network is a repository for all of the member’s content, Google will serve it up to
potential clients.
Marketing strategies for networks have shifted to include the latest technologies. This is for two primary
reasons. First, technology is more cost-effective in reaching individuals. The second reason is that the clients
use the same technology to promote their own business operations. Having a common platform is a great way
to reach clients.
While there is a separate chapter on technology, there are specific products that relate directly to marketing
and are referenced in this chapter. There are two types of changes that have taken place in the use of technology.
One is in traditional marketing tools, such as press releases, publications, business guides, etc., which are now
online. Technology integrates what has traditionally been print media with online versions. This is cross-media
marketing.308 The second are the new social media technologies that greatly expand the number of internal and
external professionals who can become aware of a network.
Cross-media marketing also allows for the repackaging of materials. They can be repackaged in podcasts,
webinars, and blogs.309 The information can be further repackaged and disseminated through Twitter,
LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media networks. Collecting information to use can easily and
cost-effectively be done on such sites as Wufoo,310 SurveyMonkey,311 Zoomerang,312 and Meebo,313 to name
only a few.
Technology developments have made the cost of delivering information by networks almost free. The
challenge in finding an audience is focusing these types of marketing efforts to address both the internal market
and the external presence to achieve the objectives that the network has set out.
Social Media
Today no discussion of network marketing is complete without a thorough discussion of social media. Social
media is the convergence of internal and external marketing to become the ultimate cross-media platform.
Social media offer tremendous opportunities for all networks because networks do not have to develop the
software. Importantly, social media tools such as Hootsuite314 allow networks to easily manage their social
media campaigns from a central location. The search engines give priority to social media sites in searches for
the organization. This can expand on the network’s Internet presence by being found in multiple ways.
The principal social media outlets for publishing by professional services networks are: LinkedIn, Twitter,
YouTube, Facebook, Google+, and blogs.
308 Cross Media, WIKIPEDIA, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossmedia: “Cross-media communication is communication in which the storyline will invite the
receiver to cross-over from one medium to the next. Making it possible to transform from one-dimensional communication (sender -> receiver(s)) to
multi-dimensional communication (sender(s) <-> receiver(s)). Good cross-media communication will enhance the value of communication: The level
and depth of (message) involvement will be more personal and therefore more relevant and powerful. Advantages can be: 1. Financial profits can be
gained through equal or decreasing costs for the same or better communication effects with single medium communication. It is possible to shift costs
for communicating from the sender to the receiver if the story is attractive enough for the receiver to want to interact with it. 2. Deepening relations
between story (teller) and "receivers" on several levels of communication.”
309 See infra Chapter 7, Regulations and Other Legal Considerations for Networks.
310 Wufoo is a way to collect and collate information on the web. WUFOO, www.wufoo.com/.
311 SurveyMonkey provides survey tools that are user friendly. SURVEYMONKEY, www.surveymonkey.com.
312 Zoomerang is also an online survey site. ZOOMERANG, www.zoomerang.com.
313 Meeboo is a site that allows member to use all forms of chat from a single location. This is useful in providing member services. MEEBOO,
www.meeboo.com.
314 HOOTSUITE, hootsuite.com/.
62
