Google and the Social Media Law Firm

This is where Google+ is a fascinating bridge between the consumer and enterprise worlds ' a destination where the firm can focus on pure social media integration, internally with clients and externally through marketing.

A different business model emerges in this scenario, with hosted IT and consumer-driven social media search and information sharing adapted through a combined KM, strategy and innovation department. A marketing driven reorganization is a natural byproduct in this scenario, in that from an identity perspective both the corporate and the individual merge. As the interface is social media driven, personal marketing tendencies, behaviors and contacts are elicited from the users through both their individual and corporate preferences within the Google+ shared circles. The entire concept of personal and corporate branding, knowledge and innovation are driven through the evolving interactivity within this model.

Enter Google for Business and Google+

For a full understanding of Google+ integration, we need a working knowledge of Google for business. The term “Google Apps” can be a misnomer in my opinion, and can create the wrong impression. I see Google Apps as a “Business Solutions Platform” that is built for integrating business solutions through a social media technology driven interface. Whether its chat, video calling, voice calling, e-mail, documents and presentations, analytics, project workflow, management and mapping, or team site building and client integration, the platform is built around a central login intranet interface. The Apps portion is truly about the Apps Marketplace ' a medium where third-party vendors can integrate their platforms relative to their industry seamlessly into a hosted, shared, evolving path forward. The concept runs similar to mobile apps, and provides a potential revenue source for firms with unique practice areas and innovative development concepts.

Google+ adds a new dynamic to this interface, and the potential to reshape an organization further through shared circles. Just as Facebook centers its landing page on an individual and that individual's shared contacts' interests, Google+ centers its landing page around a corporation's shared interest with its clients and customers, while still allowing the individual preference for networking. This is a completely new approach to shared client portals, shared video “hangouts,” and streaming Twitter-like news bulletins relative to the specific circle focus.

By leveraging Google Apps and Google+, the key to these investments can be in the collaborative nature of Docs/Sites/Groups/language translation/voice to docs and video and the circle interface. At Bradford & Barthel, we're using this to bridge attorneys and clients together, regardless of where they are. The collaborative social media features of Google+ will make the geographical disbursement of the attorneys and clients as immaterial as it is to consumers using Facebook.

How to Integrate

Beginning with senior members of our Competitive Intelligence Committees (who look at strategic firm issues), we work with the assigned account managers, project managers and lead trainers on the collaborative features within the business solutions platform ' client relations, messaging, research, pleadings, settlement negotiation, trial preparation, team brainstorming and project execution. Our goals in project management, client account management, workflow mapping, team building and AFAs are integrated with the potential touch and collaboration provided by Google+ integration.

Before rolling out Google+ to all attorneys and clients, we're deploying a targeted approach by training and assigning leads through our account managers and Competitive Intelligence Committee team. Weekly training organized through the team leads ensures quality assurance and a better understanding of the process and workflows. All knowledge is through the Google+ platform using internal circles within our test pilot group.

Future rollout and shared circles with our clients will begin with account managers. Each layer of client integration will preclude quality control using a combination of shared documents, revision collaboration, automation, assembly and group postings. By encouraging comment sharing on messaging forums through shared sites, we're looking to build a workflow process that evolves over time.

Moving forward, B&B would like to further engage Google Analytics by applying usage through Google+ to track attorney and client behavior through the shared portals.

By leveraging Google+, the firm can continue to engage clients through the same level of behavioral change being realized and executed upon by B&B itself. Nowhere is behavioral driven change via technology more prevalent than through professional networking, marketing and messaging environments like Twitter, or personal networking environments like Facebook. The identity merge between the consumer as an individual through individual shared connections and through corporate and business-driven connections within the social media knowledge sharing space leads to 100% Web social media driven organizations.

Conclusion

The concept of social media and search-driven innovators like Google as inter-arching entities ' with their client and customer base connecting through traditional shared social media ' is only just beginning to resonate.

Vendors like Google, Apple, and Facebook all have in common evolving behavioral driven search and knowledge platforms whose benefits are either best derived from total immersion within their respective platforms, or in using the social media driven enterprise interface as connectivity in reshaping internal organizations and strategically forming client partnerships.

For Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ followers, click here to subscribe to LJN's Legal Tech Newsletter at a special introductory rate of $309. This offer is valid for new subscribers only.

In our profession, most law firms focus on social media access, the Internet, intranets and shared client portals separately: Knowledge-focused firms will look at organizational and behavioral change as separate drivers from technology, and will treat the likes of Lean Six Sigma management principles, legal project management and alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) as standalone projects. If, however, the legal industry moves the way of consumer-driven market forces ' the merger of social media, Internet, intranet and shared client portals into a single seamless platform ' then the “Facebook firm” driving organizational and behavioral change for legal evolves and becomes a realistic business model. [Editor's Note: We have already seen some tech companies push a Facebook-like client interface. For example, see our product review of MyCase in the April 2011 issue, http://bit.ly/rKhhWH.]

Moving in the Right Direction

Some firms with a knowledge management (KM)-driven value strategy have focused on, or are utilizing, client-shared portals with revenue generating potential and are providing value-added client benefits through AFA arrangements or with face-to-face marketing integrated “pitch” components promoting a greater revenue-generating interface. While these firms may have a leg up in achieving this client-share “nirvana,” the legal profession should take a closer look at what's been happening (and working) on the consumer side. Since Facebook is the predominant consumer market tool of choice for connecting, why not leverage the likes of Google+ as the client portal, creating the enterprise driven interface and intersection between marketing, account management, clients and attorney-level work product.

This is where Google+ is a fascinating bridge between the consumer and enterprise worlds ' a destination where the firm can focus on pure social media integration, internally with clients and externally through marketing.

A different business model emerges in this scenario, with hosted IT and consumer-driven social media search and information sharing adapted through a combined KM, strategy and innovation department. A marketing driven reorganization is a natural byproduct in this scenario, in that from an identity perspective both the corporate and the individual merge. As the interface is social media driven, personal marketing tendencies, behaviors and contacts are elicited from the users through both their individual and corporate preferences within the Google+ shared circles. The entire concept of personal and corporate branding, knowledge and innovation are driven through the evolving interactivity within this model.

Enter Google for Business and Google+

For a full understanding of Google+ integration, we need a working knowledge of Google for business. The term “Google Apps” can be a misnomer in my opinion, and can create the wrong impression. I see Google Apps as a “Business Solutions Platform” that is built for integrating business solutions through a social media technology driven interface. Whether its chat, video calling, voice calling, e-mail, documents and presentations, analytics, project workflow, management and mapping, or team site building and client integration, the platform is built around a central login intranet interface. The Apps portion is truly about the Apps Marketplace ' a medium where third-party vendors can integrate their platforms relative to their industry seamlessly into a hosted, shared, evolving path forward. The concept runs similar to mobile apps, and provides a potential revenue source for firms with unique practice areas and innovative development concepts.

Google+ adds a new dynamic to this interface, and the potential to reshape an organization further through shared circles. Just as Facebook centers its landing page on an individual and that individual's shared contacts' interests, Google+ centers its landing page around a corporation's shared interest with its clients and customers, while still allowing the individual preference for networking. This is a completely new approach to shared client portals, shared video “hangouts,” and streaming Twitter-like news bulletins relative to the specific circle focus.

By leveraging Google Apps and Google+, the key to these investments can be in the collaborative nature of Docs/Sites/Groups/language translation/voice to docs and video and the circle interface. At Bradford & Barthel, we're using this to bridge attorneys and clients together, regardless of where they are. The collaborative social media features of Google+ will make the geographical disbursement of the attorneys and clients as immaterial as it is to consumers using Facebook.

How to Integrate

Beginning with senior members of our Competitive Intelligence Committees (who look at strategic firm issues), we work with the assigned account managers, project managers and lead trainers on the collaborative features within the business solutions platform ' client relations, messaging, research, pleadings, settlement negotiation, trial preparation, team brainstorming and project execution. Our goals in project management, client account management, workflow mapping, team building and AFAs are integrated with the potential touch and collaboration provided by Google+ integration.

Before rolling out Google+ to all attorneys and clients, we're deploying a targeted approach by training and assigning leads through our account managers and Competitive Intelligence Committee team. Weekly training organized through the team leads ensures quality assurance and a better understanding of the process and workflows. All knowledge is through the Google+ platform using internal circles within our test pilot group.

Future rollout and shared circles with our clients will begin with account managers. Each layer of client integration will preclude quality control using a combination of shared documents, revision collaboration, automation, assembly and group postings. By encouraging comment sharing on messaging forums through shared sites, we're looking to build a workflow process that evolves over time.

Moving forward, B&B would like to further engage Google Analytics by applying usage through Google+ to track attorney and client behavior through the shared portals.

By leveraging Google+, the firm can continue to engage clients through the same level of behavioral change being realized and executed upon by B&B itself. Nowhere is behavioral driven change via technology more prevalent than through professional networking, marketing and messaging environments like Twitter, or personal networking environments like Facebook. The identity merge between the consumer as an individual through individual shared connections and through corporate and business-driven connections within the social media knowledge sharing space leads to 100% Web social media driven organizations.

Conclusion

The concept of social media and search-driven innovators like Google as inter-arching entities ' with their client and customer base connecting through traditional shared social media ' is only just beginning to resonate.

Vendors like Google, Apple, and Facebook all have in common evolving behavioral driven search and knowledge platforms whose benefits are either best derived from total immersion within their respective platforms, or in using the social media driven enterprise interface as connectivity in reshaping internal organizations and strategically forming client partnerships.

For Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ followers, click here to subscribe to LJN's Legal Tech Newsletter at a special introductory rate of $309. This offer is valid for new subscribers only.