Managing Your Law Firm’s Online Reputation

Online Reputation Management for Your Law Firm

Frequently, a potential client’s first introduction to your firm is online. The client may see your firm’s website, a legal directory listing, or even a blog post written by an associate. These are generally good things. Unfortunately, if you have disgruntled former clients, potential new clients are likely to come across negative reviews on Yelp, disparaging Facebook posts, or a poor review on Google Places. It is essential that you prevent bad reviews from happening in the first place, and quickly take steps to counteract them if they pop up anyway.

The Key to a Good Online Reputation Starts Offline

The best way to get new clients is word of mouth. Personal referrals lead to law firm growth in a way that usually cannot be matched through advertising. At the same time, a law firm’s reputation is most vulnerable to attacks by its own clients. The best thing you can do to manage your firm’s online reputation is the same thing you already do to manage your professional reputation: Be professional! Treating clients with respect, giving them frequent updates about their case, and staying in touch and open to their concerns can only help you both in your practice and from a business standpoint. Of course, even the best attorney will find themselves at the receiving end of undue anger from a client who should really be upset with their own actions or the law.

The Most Important Places to Monitor Your Reputation

• If your firm has a Facebook page, monitor it. Make sure that any negative comments or posts are dealt with quickly. Simply deleting them can work, but it can also cause a major uproar. Addressing the concerns voiced in a malicious or unflattering post is the best way to fix the problem. Communicate as openly as possible to show other potential clients that you are responsive and have nothing to hide.
• Many unhappy customers take their complaints to Twitter. Searching Twitter daily for your name and your law firm’s name can help you ward off negative attention before it picks up steam.
• Perhaps the worst two places to fight negative reviews are Google Places and Yelp. Both of these services allow for detailed reviews of your firm. Google Places search results appear on nearly every relevant search, while Yelp results are often ranked very high in searches. One or two poor reviews on these services can do incredible amounts of damage to your reputation. It is essential that you not respond negatively to these types of reviews, as this will intensify the situation. If you are having a problem with either of these sites, it is essential that you contact an Online Reputation Management professional.

How to Deal with an Unfair or Negative Review

There are both online and offline solutions to this problem:

Offline Solutions

If a client has posted a negative review, your best bet is to address their concerns. Contacting them directly in an attempt to rectify the problem is generally a good idea. It is essential that you do not accuse or argue with them. Do what you can to persuade them to remove or correct their own review.  Threatening your own clients, especially with legal action, will generally only make the problem worse. Even if you believe that the review or comment is defamatory in nature, escalating the dispute will be seen by the public as you attacking your own customers.

Online Self Solutions

Many websites have built in mechanisms for disputing or removing false information. Try to ask a website (politely, and without threatening!) to take down the false information. Encourage other customers to write positive reviews which contrast the problematic post.

Reputation Management Companies

When all else fails, or you feel that you are in over your head, your best bet is to contact a Reputation Management Company. If you are a larger firm, this should probably be the first thing you do. While the services provided can be costly, your reputation is your most valuable asset, and is worth defending. These companies can often work to change search results in a way that hides the problem from simple searches by potential customers.

Other Ideas?

Reputation management is a quickly developing field responding to an ever-evolving problem. Have you found any other useful tools for monitoring or managing your reputation? Have you figured out any strategies for dealing with a rogue client? Does your firm’s social media policy address these situations? Do you have a plan in place for how to quickly and decisively deal with online reputation problems as soon as they pop up?  Feel free to discuss these issues in the comments below!

Featured image courtesy of Ethan Hein licensed under creative commons.

Samuel Ballen

Samuel Ballen is Social Media Manager for DotCO Law Marketing. He graduated from Tulane Law School in 2010 with a certificate in Maritime Law. He is a member of the New Jersey Bar. Samuel currently lives in New Orleans and spends his free time exploring with a camera.

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