There may be no such thing as bad press, but there’s definitely such a thing as one out of five stars on Yelp. According to the “Reputation Management in the Digital Age” panel held at last week’s ABA Tech Show, the majority of would-be clients out there are researching prospective attorneys online, and reviews are among the first things that catch their attention.
Jordan Schuetzle, director of proposition strategy and market development lead at Thomson Reuters, compared an attorney’s online presence to a first impression, only without the element of control. It used to be if you wanted to build a good reputation, you’d dress well and practice good manners. Now most of those initial vibes—good or not—are being delivered secondhand.
