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P. 66
Online Social Media Marketing
Nancy Myrland1
President, Myrland Marketing &
Social Media
What are Social Media?
We see social media referred to in two ways. One is a substitution for what is called social
networking. You will hear people say, “Yes, our firm does social media,” or “No, I have no idea
what I’m doing in social media.” These comments tend to refer more to the actions, which are
social networking, than the platforms, social media, which leads to my definition of social media.
Social media are those platforms, or media, that are virtual, and that offer the ability to
interact and establish relationships by being
“social” with our intended audiences. The
latter enables the former. Just like broadcast
media (what we see on TV) is a platform that
delivers a message, so, too, social media
deliver messages.
The main difference between
broadcast and social media — and it is an
important distinction to make — is that
broadcast media enable one-way
conversations, and social media enable, and
even thrive, when there are conversations
between at least two people.
These media are relatively new to the entire world and are certainly new to the legal
profession, where we tend to follow marketing and communication trends started elsewhere. The
fact that we were not allowed to advertise or promote before Bates v. State Bar of Arizona in 1977
has resulted in our profession’s adoption of many marketing practices to be a few years behind
those outside the legal profession.
Why Is Social Media Important?
The use of social media in law firms at the individual, team, group, business unit, and firm
level is the most comprehensive development in communication that the profession has seen since
the advent of email. This statement might seem far-reaching to some, but it was not that long ago
that firms introduced email as a new way of communicating with the outside world via a simple
1 With an early career in sales, management and marketing in corporate America, Nancy Myrland entered legal marketing as an in-house marketing
director for then Baker & Daniels, now Faegre Baker Daniels. Nancy founded Myrland Marketing & Social Media in early 2002, where she helps
lawyers and legal marketers understand marketing, content, and social & digital media, and how they can fit together to help retain and grow their
client base. She frequently consults, trains and speaks on LinkedIn and other social media, and can be found blogging at The Myrland Marketing
Minute Blog at www.myrlandmarketing.com.
51
Nancy Myrland1
President, Myrland Marketing &
Social Media
What are Social Media?
We see social media referred to in two ways. One is a substitution for what is called social
networking. You will hear people say, “Yes, our firm does social media,” or “No, I have no idea
what I’m doing in social media.” These comments tend to refer more to the actions, which are
social networking, than the platforms, social media, which leads to my definition of social media.
Social media are those platforms, or media, that are virtual, and that offer the ability to
interact and establish relationships by being
“social” with our intended audiences. The
latter enables the former. Just like broadcast
media (what we see on TV) is a platform that
delivers a message, so, too, social media
deliver messages.
The main difference between
broadcast and social media — and it is an
important distinction to make — is that
broadcast media enable one-way
conversations, and social media enable, and
even thrive, when there are conversations
between at least two people.
These media are relatively new to the entire world and are certainly new to the legal
profession, where we tend to follow marketing and communication trends started elsewhere. The
fact that we were not allowed to advertise or promote before Bates v. State Bar of Arizona in 1977
has resulted in our profession’s adoption of many marketing practices to be a few years behind
those outside the legal profession.
Why Is Social Media Important?
The use of social media in law firms at the individual, team, group, business unit, and firm
level is the most comprehensive development in communication that the profession has seen since
the advent of email. This statement might seem far-reaching to some, but it was not that long ago
that firms introduced email as a new way of communicating with the outside world via a simple
1 With an early career in sales, management and marketing in corporate America, Nancy Myrland entered legal marketing as an in-house marketing
director for then Baker & Daniels, now Faegre Baker Daniels. Nancy founded Myrland Marketing & Social Media in early 2002, where she helps
lawyers and legal marketers understand marketing, content, and social & digital media, and how they can fit together to help retain and grow their
client base. She frequently consults, trains and speaks on LinkedIn and other social media, and can be found blogging at The Myrland Marketing
Minute Blog at www.myrlandmarketing.com.
51
