With the speed of information travel on the internet, it’s more important now than ever before that you monitor what people are saying about you. In addition, you need to add to the online conversation so that you have a presence and forum for building your own reputation.

I want to address not only ways you can build your reputation online, but also some suggestions for tracking what is being said about you.

1. Create a blog and regularly contribute to it – By writing articles about the fields of practice you work in is a great way to build trust and reputation. Others will look to you as an expert and you will build a great catalog of material to “show off” to prospective clients.

2. Sign up for Google Alerts – With Google’s free tracking tool, you can submit terms you want to keep track of. By entering in your name, the name of your law firm, competitors, etc. Google will email you results when new instances of the words you are tracking appear on the internet. This is a convenient way to monitor what is being written about you and your firm.

3. Check Twitter – Twitter allows you to search the stream and follow when others are talking or mentioning you or your law firm. Some desktop Twitter tools such as TweetDeck will allow you enter search terms that will automatically populate when they are found. Utilize the Twitter stream to your advantage.

4. Involve yourself in social media – Take time to answer LinkedIn discussions and questions. Submit blog posts to Digg.com. Friend other professionals and lawyers on Facebook. Taking part in these activities will establish connections and build your reputation.

The web is really good tool for connecting and sharing information. Much like in the offline world, establishing your identity and expertise will help build trust. This helps if others complain and say negative things about you and your firm as well.

People will sometimes write negatively about an experience with you or your company. The best part about establishing a reputation and setting up tracking is that you can quickly respond to any criticism. This reflects well on you and can turn a negative into a positive quickly.

If you take the time to establish an online reputation and follow up on monitoring it correctly, you will see gains in trust and ultimately more business coming your way.

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