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Reputation Management for Lawyers Some simple strategies that work. Welcome to Legal Marketing 101. I'm Toby Rosen. Your reputation. A lot of the time, it's your most valuable asset as a lawyer. But in today's digital world, one bad review, a misleading article about you all of these things can do serious, serious damage. So how can we take control of our online presence and build a rock solid reputation? Today we are going to dive into some of the easiest proactive reputation management strategies and things like how to handle negative reviews professionally, how to actually build a reputation that attracts high value clients and you need to listen up, because 80% of your potential clients are checking online reviews before hiring you. That is just a fact today and the referrals and word of mouth stuff all of this is also happening in digital spaces today. So having a strong online reputation is not just something we can ignore. It is really the foundation of what we are doing today. So what we really need to talk about is the foundation of that strong legal reputation, because when potential clients search your name online and trust me, they will search you, whether they came through a referral or not what they see on the first page of Google essentially becomes your online business card. We've talked about this before in relation to Google my Business. It is that critical first impression.

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Think about the last time you Googled someone. Did the results that you saw inspire confidence or did it leave you questioning their credibility and clicking through to something else? Your online presence sets the tone. It sets the narrative, so it is incredibly essential that we control it proactively Now. Controlling the narrative so it is incredibly essential that we control it proactively Now. Controlling the narrative doesn't mean we're trying to manipulate every little thing on the internet. That's obviously impossible. Instead, it's really about creating a consistent, strong and trustworthy brand. Imagine that our firm's website says we're innovative and client-focused, but we haven't updated our LinkedIn profile in four years or something. Or worse, it contradicts our messaging by showing people commenting and saying we don't care about them. Those inconsistencies might seem a little bit minor and maybe someone won't see them, but to prospective clients, if they do see them, they are big red flagsency in branding across your website, your online directories, your social media. All of this helps build trust and it makes you memorable.

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But what exactly shapes your reputation as a lawyer online? Let's focus on these few key elements. First is our past clients. These are our strongest ambassadors. Genuine testimonials and well-crafted case studies speak volumes, way louder than any self-promotion we can possibly do A client that's saying we handled their complex case with empathy and expertise. This resonates way more powerfully than we just saying that you know. We're declaring that we're experienced and we have, you know, so many cases. Those reviews are much more powerful.

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And second, we need to be active on the professional platforms. This is LinkedIn, martindale, hubble, avvo. These show potential clients that we're engaged and we're respected in the field, beyond what we're doing offline Participating in the discussions on these platforms, sharing thoughtful commentary, updating our achievements. This is not just marketing fluff. It's proof of our ongoing commitment and presence in the industry, online and offline. And finally, thought leadership. This is a little bit of a nebulous term. You guys have all heard it, but it can really elevate your reputation from good to exceptional. It's the extension of that active engagement on the professional platforms. So, whether this is done through publishing insightful guest articles, appearing on podcasts, speaking at conferences, this doesn't just position you as knowledgeable, it positions you as the go-to expert in your practice area. Clients feel reassured hiring someone who's recognized by their peers as an authority Because, remember, reputation is not static.

Speaker 1: 4:01

It is always evolving with every word you say, every move you make. A strong foundation is built brick by brick, with consistency, credibility and proactive storytelling at the core. Take a quick audit today. Google your firm. Does it align with the professional that you want to be perceived as? And if not, now's the perfect time to start taking control of that narrative.

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And here's the thing when it comes to reputation management, playing defense after something negative surfaces online, it's just not enough. We have to stay ahead of the game. That means being proactive, consistently highlighting our strengths and actively working to shape our online narrative. And the first thing is, first, positive client reviews. We all know this. We all know that happy clients often stay quiet, while unhappy ones rarely hesitate to voice their frustrations. Your job is to gently encourage the satisfied clients to speak up, but there's a right and a wrong way to do this. You certainly don't want to pressure anyone or, worse, breach any of the ethical boundaries.

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Now, we've talked about this before, but the trick here is to make requesting reviews part of your natural case closing process A simple email or a text after a case wraps up saying something like if you felt that our team or that I did great work. Sharing our experience on this link could mean a lot to us, and it could help others find quality legal help. It's perfectly appropriate to say something like this, and you can even automate this with tools like Lawmatics, active Campaigns or even something simple like a to-do list app or a calendar app. This makes it much easier to send gentle, ethical reminders. That'll save you time and keep your approach consistent, and where these reviews appear matters almost as much as having them at all.

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Google business profiles, avvo, lawyerscom, facebook all of these and a huge list of others are crucial sites because they're frequently visited by prospective clients. By strategically placing our reviews across these platforms, we're effectively spreading our positive reputation further and wider and making sure that potential clients find these glowing endorsements no matter where they look. Next up, we need to talk about owning your online presence, because you probably notice those Google business profile boxes when you search for services online. Claiming and fully optimizing your profile is a must-do. It dramatically increases your visibility and credibility and, frankly, if you're listening to the podcast and you haven't claimed your Google my Business profile, you haven't listened to our episodes on local SEO. You need to stop and go back and do that, because if you're trying to manage your reputation without managing your Google my Business, oh buddy, you're in trouble. But at the same time, we don't want to overlook Avvo, justia Martindale, all of these other Lexus-related sites, these other directories that are specific to the legal industry. These platforms rank really highly in searches, and so not only does keeping them updated with our current practice areas awards, publications, speaking engagements all of this is great for our online credibility, but it's also sending signals back to Google. So this is great across the board.

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But finally, let's talk social proof. One of the most persuasive ways to showcase your expertise is through video testimonials from your clients Short clips, that's all we need when the clients are sharing real experiences, real emotions and real outcomes. These instantly resonate and feel far more authentic than written reviews, because the user can verify them. Think about it Would you trust a lawyer more if you saw a real client on video passionately speaking about how their life improved after working with the lawyer? Or would you trust them more if it was just a few lines from a client with two letters instead of their actual name? On top of this, actively seeking media mentions, investing in PR all of this adds to that credibility. So when we're talking about the narrative of who you are being quoted as an expert in reputable publications, appearing on podcasts, speaking at prestigious events, all of this positions you very firmly as a leader if not the leader in your field.

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The bottom line is that being proactive here is key If you are trying to manage your reputation because someone has already damaged it. We're in trouble Regularly prompting our happy clients to review us, staying in control of our online presence all of these things are critical when it comes to actually leveraging this position into the online reputation. We need to attract high value clients, but let's face it, no matter how dedicated or careful we are, negative reviews, online attacks they're going to happen. It might be an unhappy client, maybe a misunderstanding, even someone we've never worked with that's just leaving misleading comments. When this happens, the instinct for most of you guys seems to be to just panic or fire off a heated response or get litigious. But the best thing we can really do here is to take a deep breath and respond strategically.

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So the first step when facing a negative review is to assess calmly and objectively Is this actually genuine feedback from an unhappy client or is it something unfair or malicious? If it's a legitimate concern. Responding professionally, promptly and politely goes a really long way. Clients appreciate transparency, so acknowledge the issue respectfully without violating confidentiality. Something like we appreciate your feedback and would welcome the chance to discuss this privately to resolve your concerns. This shows that we're attentive, professional and we can handle things, even if there's a little bit of criticism.

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But we don't always have to respond. Now, I've said in other podcast episodes that we should always respond, but sometimes there is a reason not to. Sometimes ignoring a clearly unfounded or insane complaint is actually better. Responding can unintentionally amplify a minor issue and that can turn it into a larger controversy. So trust your instincts. If it's obviously fake or abusive, start by flagging it with the platform. That's usually the best move, and when negative content surfaces, one of the most effective strategies is to bury it with positivity. This doesn't mean that we should pretend the criticism doesn't exist, but instead we outweigh it by consistently generating and showcasing positive reviews, pushing more client success stories and more of that valuable content. When prospective clients Google us and see the overwhelmingly positive results that one or two negative reviews there, they're going to lose their impact pretty quickly.

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And what about reputation management services? Can they be useful, sure, but really only in severe cases, especially if this damaging content stubbornly dominates our search results and that's more than just on our Google by business profile. But be cautious. A lot of the providers in this industry make big promises and deliver minimal results. Use them sparingly, only after vetting their credibility and, if you can, their past successes. And really I know this is not the way you guys like to go about things.

Speaker 1: 10:52

But legal recourse in this situation should be your last resort, but it is an option when facing serious, demonstrably false or defamatory reviews. Sending a carefully crafted cease and desist or formally reporting the content to the platform may resolve the situation, but if it escalates, further legal action could be necessary. But approach this really cautiously. Obviously, you guys know this. Lawsuits can amplify publicity, drawing even more attention to the negative review, and we don't want to Barbra Streisand ourselves Overall. The key with negative reputation stuff is just to stay calm, respond thoughtfully and focus on the positive content. By having a really clear strategy for this in place, you'll be well prepared and you'll be able to keep your head clear when, inevitably, a negative review does pop up.

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So before we go, I asked ChatGPT to summarize this episode and give me a couple of key takeaways and a call to action that I can share with you, so I'm just going to go through those really quickly. First is be proactive. I love this. We want to manage our reputation before the crisis hits. If we can boost our profile with tons of positive reviews, a few negative ones aren't going to be a big deal.

Speaker 1: 12:02

Number two is to encourage and highlight the positive client experiences. This is simple and really all of today's episode is simple. We just need to do the obvious thing. Occam's razor Number three is handle negativity with professionalism and strategy. Now I will say you lawyers are pretty good at this. Your poker faces are pretty strong most of the time, but the key here is to be consistent and make sure we have a strategy for dealing with the negativity. Finally, what you can do today. Our call to action First, take a look at your Google search results today. Ask your SEO person to send you a report. Google it yourself, whatever's the easiest. What's actually showing up? Is there anything you don't want to see there? And number two and I've said this many times start asking your satisfied clients for ethical, professional reviews today. Don't just do it this week, do it today. Ask at least somebody before they leave the office today. That's it for Legal Marketing 101. Check out RosenAdvertisingcom for more Thanks.