Legal Marketing & PR

Social Networking: Changing More Than How I Do Business

By Amy Derby

@rex7, @lisasolomon, @lawfirmblogger, @edscanlan after All aTwitter: What?s the Buzz about Microblogging? panel at ABA Techshow

This is a follow-up post to ABA Techshow: Bringing Networking Home.

Part of my joy in attending ABA Techshow came from being able to meet up with folks I already knew. I did run into a few folks I knew from my past life (haha) at DLA Piper, and I met up with a few local clients and other legal professionals I know from various Chicago associations/groups/events. But the majority of people I hung out with at Techshow were folks I’ve met online — primarily via blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Ten years ago if I had attended a conference, being the relatively shy person that I am, I would have spent most of my time feeling like a small fish in a big pond. I would have attended the sessions I was interested in, shaken a few hands, and spent the rest of my time holed up in a corner with my laptop. (Ok, ten years ago, it would have been a pen and paper or a good book).

Social networking has made doing business easier. I get more than half of my business through people I’ve met via blogs and social networks online. The rest of my business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations. The two overlap, because I’m no longer able to clearly differentiate who knew me online before they hired me or how they spread the good word about who I am and what I do. For me and my business, social networking is a no-brainer.

Social networking is changing more than how I do business. The surprise for me this week was that social networking is changing the way I interact in person. Face-to-face events used to be overwhelming — even a bit terrifying, because I have that whole social anxiety disorder thing going. But I walked into Techshow on Thursday morning and was immediately greeted by friends… ones I hadn’t met in person yet.

Think Twitter is for the birds? Think again. The first familiar face I recognized as I was heading into the 8:30 a.m. panel on All aTwitter: What?s the Buzz about Microblogging? was my Twitter pal Lisa Solomon. She was easy to spot, since she was wearing a Follow Me On Twitter Lisa Solomon tshirt. I was then quickly greeted by Rex Gradeless of Social Media Law Student, who was nice enough to dress like his Twitter photo so I would recognize him. Also at my table was estate planning attorney David Shulman, who I met a few weeks ago in the LinkedIn Legal Blogger group and now follow on Twitter.

After the session, I was shocked by how many folks walked up to me and shook my hand and said, “I know you from Twitter! It’s great to meet you!” I knew folks followed me on Twitter, but I didn’t know that so many people were actually listening and connecting. I never want to be one of those “Twitter Celebrities” I’ve heard rumblings about, but it’s always nice to have a few friends you haven’t met yet, eh?

It was great to FINALLY meet Kevin O’Keefe of LexBlog in person. I loved what he had to say about social networking and using Twitter. I took a video of the session with plans to post it, but I am waiting on permission from the appropriate folks at the ABA.

Some of the other Twitter friends I had the opportunity to meet at ABA Techshow include: @nikiblack, @carolynelefant, @allisonshields, @jdtwitt, @stevematthews, @conradsaam, @jordan_law21, @legaltypist, @econwriter5, @trecritelli, @gabeacevedo, @roblagatta, @prebynski, and the folks from @rocketmatter and @goclio.

It was also nice to hang out and reconnect with my local pals @retheauditors, @simasays, @edscanlan, @chelseylambert and @bethbond.

Is social networking changing the way you connect with people offline as well as online?

Full post as published by Law Firm Blogger on April 05, 2009 (boomark / email).