I spent this past weekend at PodCamp AZ, a social media unconference for bloggers and podcasters. It was my third year attending, and I had a great time. I always walk away with new tidbits of information.
Image by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ via Flickr
This year, I attended Carey Pena’s session, “Branding, Not Bragging.†Carey gave great advice on creating and promoting your brand. She challenged us to think about our personal brand, which is hard to do yet so simple – it’s who we are. Our brand is our personality, not our jobs. To promote your brand, you just have to be yourself. The best quote I took from her talk was, “The best branding is authentic branding.”
Someone at Carey’s talked asked if they should have separate Twitter accounts for their personal and professional lives. That question made me smile, because that was my question at PodCamp AZ in 2009. That year the lovely Heather Lynn Herr did a presentation about online personas. I was a 2L at the time and seriously questioning if I need one Twitter account that would be 100% professional and a separate account where I could be a little more outspoken and free with my thoughts. I posed the question to the room and the group responded with a resounding, “No!†They said it was better to rock on with my quirky, geeky, flash mobbing self because some people are going to love it and they are going to seek me out because I’m different, even in the generally conservative legal community. And they were right . . . about everything.
When I think about personal branding, I think about a question that Bill Richards asked me during an interview for a law school externship. He asked, “If you could do anything for a living, what would it be?†That’s a great basis for discovering what your brand is. Your brand is about what’s important to you, how you spend your time, and who you spend it with. Sharing those things gives the rest of a glimpse into who you are. And then when I need to hire someone, I’m going to go to seek out the people I inherently like first and their recommendations before turning to Google or a referral service.
Disclaimer:I am not a lawyer. This blog should not be viewed as legal advice. It is simply my experiences, opinions, and information I looked up on the internet.
Last week, the world was saddened to learn about the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer. This 14 year-old was repeatedly bullied by his peers since the fifth grade. To the outside world, it seemed like this was a child with enough self-esteem to overcome this adversity. He had support from his therapist, social worker, friends, and family. He even made a video for the It Gets Better Project where he said, “All you have to do is hold your head up and you’ll go far.†All of this support wasn’t enough to keep Jamey from taking his own life.
Image via Wikipedia
According to reports, Jamey was repeated bullied at school and online. It’s not uncommon for victims of bullying to remain quiet because they are too ashamed to report that they are being victimized. Also, many teens feel a need to be independent and handle their problems on their own. They need to know that they have resources and recourse for addressing cyberbullying when it occurs.
Here are my top three tips for responding to cyberbullying.
1. Limit Who Has Access To You Online
Jamey received hateful messages via Formspring. In his It Gets Better video, he admitted it was a mistake to create a Formspring account. It allowed people to send him hateful messages anonymously. I wish Jamey knew he could have avoided this harassment. You can adjust your Formspring settings to disallow anonymous postings. It won’t stop all the harassing posts, but it will stop anyone who is too cowardly to let their name be seen. Likewise on Facebook, you can adjust your settings so certain people can’t see you at all or so that only your friends can send you messages or post on your wall. On Twitter, you can block people who are harassing you.
2. Report Abuse To The Website Where It Occurs
If you’re being harassed on a social media website, report it! Formspring, Twitter, and Facebook all have policies against using their sites to abuse other users. The same holds true for email providers. I suspect these site start by warning users who violate their terms of service, but they don’t change their behavior, they could have their account suspended.
3. Keep A Record Of The Abuse
I know it’s hard to do, but don’t delete abusive posts, emails or text messages. Take screenshots of posts online in case the bully deletes it later. It’s easier to prove you’re being abused when there’s hard evidence. It’s not a he said-she said situation at that point.
It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself and report abuse. I know it’s scary, but remember that reporting abuse is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.
Ari Kaplan’s new book, Reinventing Professional Services: Building Your Business in the Digital Marketplace addresses the question of how professionals can integrate new technologies into their businesses to be more influential and effective. Loaded with resources and stories from professionals in all industries, Ari’s book provides suggestions about how to use social media, blogging, e-newsletters, and video/audio recordings that makes them less daunting.
As I read this book, I reflected on the legal profession, which has the stereotypes of being dignified and particular, and where deviating from the norm is often frowned upon. Many lawyers and law firms shy away from online resources and tools. Perhaps this is because of the strict rules in the profession about advertising and soliciting clients, or because members the profession have a low tolerance for making mistakes.
I’ve compiled the top five lessons lawyers can integrate from this book into their professional lives.
1.      Social Media is a Tool, not the Goal.
It seems that a lot of professionals think that having a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, or a blog is enough, but then they never use them. Doing this is like buying a hammer and never building anything. These professionals do not understand that these are tools to communicate more effectively with other professionals and clients. These are merely channels to “cultivate relationships.â€Â These are fantastic tools for building trust by being genuine and consistent. Using these tools is not a one-time event; it requires “habitual participation.â€
2.      Be a “Visible Enthusiastic Expert.â€
This is one of the best lessons I took from this book. Being a visible enthusiastic expert means being part of the online conversation on topics where you have interest and expertise. It’s important to contribute “rich content†and to convey your passion. Conversing with other experts in an online forum is an effective way to become associated with them. Even the simple act of sharing a link to another’s work shows that you are aware and informed about a topic. Additionally, being transparent about who you are and what you can do without being a salesperson conveys to others that you care about a particular issue or population.
3.      Pick Your Targets.
Having a solid online presence is a good start, but it’s not the end. When there are people you want to connect with, you have to reach out to them. Don’t wait for them to find you. Websites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+ are instant ice-breakers for introducing yourself to new people. They provide comfortable opportunities to ask a person for advice or for an informational interview. If your first attempt at interaction fails to produce the desired result, be sure to follow up.
4.      Do Not Be Afraid to Fail.
Law students are instilled with the notion that they must always be perfect – perfect appearance, perfect cover letters, perfect work product, etc. They graduate thinking the worst thing they could do is misspell a word on an email. This can make them gun shy to try new things. Ari’s book demonstrates that most of these new tools are easier to use than you think. He encourages readers to consider who they want to connect with, where they are interacting, and to join the conversation. He promises that you will fail some of the time, and that’s ok.  If you try using an e-newsletter and it doesn’t work for you, you can use another tool like blogging or LinkedIn to reach your audience. Figuring out what works for you and your business is part of the process.
5.      Never Forget the Value of In-Person Contact
Using technology to communicate with someone is less intimidating than picking up the phone; however it is more impersonal. Nothing will ever replace face-to-face contact, which is more personal and memorable. It is important to look for opportunities to meet people in person whenever possible and to continue to build relationships with thoughtful follow up.
Using these tips and tools requires willingness and commitment. The potential benefits of using technology should overpower any fears that come with trying new things. Always keep in mind that these tools are to facilitate interaction, not for self-promotion.
