by Tricia Oliver
The second plenary session of AC10's first day of CLE
programming covered the full range of social media tools, including
the pros and cons for each.
Vanessa DiMauro, CEO of Leader Networks and a popular speaker,
researcher and author on online communities and social networking,
reported that "older professionals are adopting social media at a
more rapid pace than their younger professional counterparts."
DiMauro said that "nothing replaces a handshake," but she
encouraged attorneys to enlist social media strategies to help
extend and build business relationships and offered a 20-minute
social media game plan.
David Harlow, who has found success with his own health law
blog, encouraged fellow attorneys to start their own blogs as "part
of a conversation." Harlow also recommended participating in online
"blog carnivals" and to create one's own tweet deck to efficiently
follow other bloggers. Harlow also cautioned folks to not just
promote via Twitter, but to "engage the surfer" with one's
tweets.
Following panelist Robert J. Ambrogi's 10 tips for seizing the
power of social media, James Bolan brought to light the ethical
considerations when utilizing social media. "Twitter is no
different than the conversation you have in the courthouse," Bolan
cautioned. Online conversation and social networking activity
provide a "permanence that is a very different sort," he said.