Since launching in 2002, Avvo has not been without controversy. However, the fact is that it still remains and can not be completely ignored. According to a recent ABA Journal article, Avvo continues to grow. However, what is more telling are the comments that the article has spurred.
Stephen Fairley recently posted on The Rainmaker Blog that he is “platform agnostic.” In other words, he only looks at tools from an effectiveness standpoint.
This should be the case for all legal marketers. We might not like the platform but if it exists, we have a duty to examine its potential. As social media continues to grow (not in number of users but in potential for generating revenue), web sites are going to continue to crop up to take advantage of niche areas on the web, like attorney rankings. From a general perspective, Avvo could be considered the Yelp for attorneys.
At least Avvo helps search engine optimization, unlike a number of attorney profiles that can be found on other similar sites. As such, Stephen’s post “Using Avvo to Market Your Law Firm on the Internet” offers some solid advice on taking advantage of the SEO.
Some of his recommendations include:
- Claim your profile.
- Put your ENTIRE resume into Avvo.
- Add all the seminars you have given, awards you have received, and articles you have written.
- Add your photo.
- Add videos.
Of course this advice should be used for all social media profiles. While we all should be platform agnostic, we should also be smart and take advantage of the benefits each platform offers – at least while they last.
– Chuck Brown