PodcastingForLawyers

CTF Podcasts Now Available on iTunes

2009-09-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

CTF Podcasts Now Available on iTunes: "by John L. Watkins

We are pleased to announce that our series of legal podcasts is now available free of charge for download and subscription at the iTunes Store. Just search “ctflegal” at the iTunes Store, and you can download particular podcasts or subscribe to future podcasts. The podcasts are also available on the firm’s website, www.ctflegal.com, or at www.ctflegal.blip.tv.

The firm began recording and distributing podcasts earlier this year addressing various legal topics of interest to business. The podcasts provide general information and hopefully allow our clients and friends to identify and understand legal issues that may affect their businesses. The podcasts are not intended, of course, to constitute legal advice and are no substitute for legal advice from a qualified lawyer addressing the particular circumstances a particular business may face.

Currently available podcasts include a three-part series on trade secrets and non-disclosure agreements (“NDAs”), and a three-part series on mediation. Our most popular podcast to date is entitled “Common Legal Mistakes Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them,” based upon a presentation I gave earlier this year to the Chamblee Business Association. This podcast addresses a number of mistakes we have observed businesses (particularly small and medium-sized businesses) make repeatedly.

We are currently working on completing a series of podcasts on common legal mistakes international companies make in doing business in the U.S. The first two parts are available, and we expect to release further podcasts in this series shortly. Future podcasts will address insurance issues and other topics.

We need a social media/networking policy?!? Why, what could possibly go wrong?

2009-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

One of my podcasting clients and its very informative too!

We need a social media/networking policy?!? Why, what could possibly go wrong?: "Corporate Social Media Policies- Part 1

By Tom McLain

Do companies really need to develop policies to address social networking or social media? The answer to this question may be surprising – Yes. Or, in light of reports of the NFL's recent decision to implement restriction on the use of Twitter (a micro-blogging site) on game days, maybe a 'yes' is not so surprising. Still, the NFL is a lot different than most businesses and the fact that it feels the need to put limits or bans in place does not necessarily mean that other companies should. The reality is that the social networking/media phenomenon may be falling below the radar screen of management of many companies for many reasons, including the informality of the media. However, there are some very real dangers that need to be considered.

At the outset, the terms 'social networking' or 'social media' are themselves misleading, due to the inclusion of the word 'social' and due to mistaken belief that, because they occurs on a computer over the Internet, they are not a serious endeavor. For example, it is easy to dismiss social networking as just a new way to chat or gossip. However, a better way to think of social networking it is 'computer-based' networking. Company executives understand the concept of networking in the traditional sense – meeting with people in face to face settings that may or may not be social for the purpose of advancing one's business. 'Social networking' needs to be thought of in the same terms – its just traditional networking facilitated by computers instead of being face to face.

It is also a mistake for company executives to dismiss or underestimate the social media phenomenon as a fad or as something that is reserved to a small number of people. In August, 2009, a video was produced (for the Internet, of course) entitled 'Social Media Revolution' that provided some amazing statistics:

1. By 2010 members of Generation Y will outnumber Baby Boomers;
2. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females;
3. There are over 200,000,000 blogs and 54% of bloggers post content or 'tweet' (post on Twitter) daily;
4. What happens in Vegas no longer 'stays in Vegas,' but shows up on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook…

Quite simply, the raw numbers associated with social media are huge and so the question quickly becomes whether social media has any real power, reach, or impact. There is little doubt that the sheer numbers have caught the attention of sales and marketing teams. Consider the following additional statistics from 'Social Media Revolution:'
1. 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, while only 14% of consumers trust advertisements;
2. People care more about how their social group ranks products and services than how Google ranks products and services;
3. 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands and 25%Internet search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.

Very quickly, two things become evident: first, the sales and marketing groups of any company will be forced to begin using social networking and social media to promote the company's products and services and, second, the sales and marketing groups of any company will be forced to begin monitoring social networking and social media to manage negative publicity about the company's products and services.

Given the informal nature of these media, there will be a stronger need to establish guidelines on how to promote products and services and how to defend them, particularly with respect to company-sponsored communications or 'official' activities. Unfortunately, it’s the 'unofficial' activities that can raise even higher levels of concern.

One of the aspects of social networking and media is that user profiles of the party doing the communicating typically indicate where the person works. Moreover, the communications themselves are public and may be of endless duration. So informal, unofficial communications by employees are of considerable potential concern. It is easy to imagine all manner of scenarios which could lead to embarrassment if not liability for the company. For example, suppose a public company employee is active on Twitter and well identified as a mid-level manager for the company. Suppose further than an unrelated but unscrupulous twitter user decides to use twitter as a part of a pump and dump stock scheme for that company. If our mythical company employee were to innocently pass along information from the unscrupulous Twitter user simply because he was proud of his company and that information was false, would our mythical company employee be an accomplice to the pump and dump scheme? Perhaps not, but the circumstances could prove to be highly embarrassing.

Thus, there are several points which need to be addressed in any social media policy adopted by a company. Such policies will need to address communications that are made on behalf of the company or clearly in a person's capacity as an employee. The policy may also need to address communications made in other capacities. The details of how to develop a social media/networking policy will be discussed in later blog posts, but some of the things to be weighed and considered are:

1. 'Official Communications'

(a) Procedures used to approve communications?

(b) Personnel authorized to communicate?

(c) Subject matters to be communicated?

(d) Require a separate 'official' account?

2. 'Unofficial Communications'

(a) Require a separate 'personal account?'

(b) Disclosure to company of all accounts?

(c) No references to the employee's company affiliation?

(d) Disclaimer?

(e) During office hours
(1) Time restrictions?
(2) Subject matter restrictions?
(3) Network restrictions?

(f) During personal time
(1) Subject matter restrictions?
(2) Other restrictions?

My new online business CD ROM

2008-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, check this out! Ah, but before I give you the URL, let me tell you about what you are going to see. I make this really clever CD ROM business cards, which contain video and click-able sections. What is a business card supposed to do anyway? Well, they are to get you remembered and provide a means to contact you. Enter the business cards size CD ROM... Here is a direct link to my online CD ROM business card...http://www.podcastingforlawyers.com/PodcastingForLawyersv2Online.html

Now you have to imagine what a the receiver of one of these business size CD ROMs will say... WOW.. what is on this? I have never seen something like this before, and what more could you ask for? Well, business I know but it beats the heck out of a standard business card. It carries up to 10 minutes of video and has click-able sections. The CD is constructed with the same philosophy as how people purchase things: they purchase with emotion, backed up by logic. The video is the emotional part to the purchase equation, and the click-able sections bring in the logic part. Take a look at it and see if you are not impressed.

A success story: Helene Wasserman, ESQ

2007-11-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show case one of my recent success stories: Enter Helene Wasserman of http://employerhelpcast.blip.tv show. She had three ROI efforts to her podcasting.. here is her success story and I will put a conclusion on this already published story with an update..

Enter Helene Wasserman, a successful lawyer but not well known; both in her 200 lawyer firm or on the web. Yes she got an article or two published a year but she really had no marketing going for her. Enter PodcastingForLawyers. She started podcasting, both audio and video, blogging, using a video business CD, and recently an SEO website. Now, what has happened is amazing!

In six months, she is the newest “rock star” in her firm. Her name and show is all over the Internet from the, get this, the fishing channel to women’s health network! Her show is about employment law and as she has almost 20 episodes on the web now, she and her show appeals to the masses. Other podcast shows and video based websites are picking up her content. Her show has viral marketed and she is now enjoying the benefits. She has become a recognized expert in her field! Print media is now swarming around her; both from the legal profession but also from national based magazines not in the legal industry! Her ROI one might ask?

First, she wanted to be recognized by her firm as a driver: that happened. Second, she wanted to become the a recognized expert in employment law: that happened as other articles are quoting her as “High profile employment law attorney, Helene Wasserman…”. Third, to drive new business to her firm; this is now happening as she uses her show to introduce her to potential clients. We are watching what she is doing, and so are thousands of others! Way to go Helene Wasserman! She was even showcased at the “Blogworld and new media show” as an example of success in the podcast industry. Need we say more?

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The update: She got her first customer from podcasting! One of the guests on her show recommended her to a friend.... this wouldn't have happened unless she was podcasting! Way to go Helene Wasserman!!!!

Lawyers... get podcasting working for you too! Give me a call and I can discuss this exciting new media for you to brand yourself, become the recognized subject matter expert in your field, and to have this new tool to help gain clients!

Peter Brusso, 714-931-8123 or visit http://www.podcastingforlawyers.com

Watch this

2007-09-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Click To Play

New and powerful podcasts are up on the site

2007-09-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well.... I out did myself! You have to go see the video on the front page of the http://www.podcastingforlawyers.com which for those who want the one click:

http://www.podcastingforlawyers.com/Podcast1.html

and then visit the podcast page for desert!
http://www.podcastingforlawyers.com/Our_Podcasts.html

Simply awesome!

New podcast to listen too

2007-08-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

A great podcast with Helene Wasserman on how she uses podcasting to rise above the noise in her industry. Take a listen and see what you are missing if you don't podcast as a part of your marketing plan.

http://101marketing.blip.tv/file/339772/

Podcastingforlawyers is on the air!

2007-08-25T09:23:00.001-07:00

Wow.. Hello everyone! Podcastingforlawyers is on the air now! We are helping law firms to market themselves by podcasting and integrating with their imarketing efforts. Helene Wasserman of Ford & Harrison LLP, is one of our primary clients and she has a very successful podcast: http://employerhelpcast.blip.tv, where you can see and hear (that would be video podcasting and audio podcasting) about employment law. She just recently passed 1200 unique and complete show listenings. The way blip.tv works is that to count as a listen, y0ur listener must make it all the way through your material... wow, its a very popular show and is also listed on itunes.

I am putting streaming video on the podcastingforlawyers.com site to help instruct other lawyers and firms on the benefits of legal podcasting and how it can raise them above the noise of their competition. I will post more here as I'm still building the site. I plan to have a booth at the California Bar convention in Anaheim in Sept 2007! So I will keep everyone posted on that development.