The SlideShare Advantage

As a lawyer, you are your brand. Your education, courtroom successes, and expertise make up the package clients are buying when they choose you to represent them. No matter how high-quality the package, your legal expertise and experience alone will not automatically garner you new clients.

While there is still something to be said for word of mouth in the field of law, people now expect an attorney to have an online presence. While your official website should provide the bulk of information potential clients need about your practice and the services you provide, sites like SlideShare give you the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise while simultaneously directing people to your business.

SlideShare: What is it?

At the most basic level, SlideShare is the world’s most popular presentation-sharing website, but it has a lot of things going for it that the definition alone doesn’t encompass.

According to the company, the site gets 60 million unique visitors every month, making it one of the top 120 sites in the world. Obviously, that is a huge audience to tap into for new business.

The site is also business-oriented, attracting a professionally-focused audience.

One of the great advantages of SlideShare is its seamless integration with another site where you should be marketing yourself, professional social network LinkedIn. When LinkedIn purchased SlideShare in 2012, they made it easy to embed SlideShare presentations into LinkedIn profiles, which means you can create your slideshow and have it show up on two popular websites without a lot of extra work, a huge advantage when it comes to organic Internet search traffic.

SlideShare Marketing

Like any marketing website, getting the most out of SlideShare means learning how to use the site tools effectively and to retain your audience. Than can be more difficult than you might think.

Even if the information is what a user needs, information alone won’t keep them interested in your presentation. The most popular slide shows are those that have striking visuals and quick-flowing information.

It’s a lot like being in a courtroom actually. Keep information easy to digest possible, and entertain the audience. If your presentation doesn’t manage that, someone else’s surely will, so be bold, be funny, be interesting, and don’t be afraid to be unique. Yes, SlideShare is about demonstrating your expertise, and sharing your brand, and, as an attorney, you want to keep your brand professional. You also need to stand out, though, and dry, boring content doesn’t cut it.

SlideShare as a Tool for Branding

While you are your brand, your areas of expertise are a big part of that brand, and those areas are what you want to get across with your SlideShare presentations.

There are already plenty of attorneys in the SlideShare race. The trick is to find out which race you belong in to gain the advantage. The more focused you are with your presentations, the less competition you face. If you’re a DUI lawyer in Ohio, for instance, a presentation that focuses on DUI penalties in the state of Ohio is going demonstrate your area of expertise more effectively and have far less competition than a general presentation on drunk driving.

SlideShare as a Tool for SEO

Being specific is also important when it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO. If you are board certified in Ohio, it does you little good when someone in Nevada happens upon your presentation. While you will still be providing them with good information, the point of putting time in on SlideShare is to generate business.

This is why a slideshow about DUI penalties in Ohio is an effective presentation for an Ohio-based DUI lawyer. A person looking up information on Ohio DUI penalties is more likely to need Ohio-based representation at some point.

When used well, SlideShare is an incredible tool for lawyer marketing. It is a reputable website that allows you to share your expertise and drive organic traffic to your business. By providing the public with useful information they need, you not only get your name out into the world, you start building relationships, so those people who look to your presentations for advice online are more likely to look to you when they need an attorney.

Follow me on Slideshare at http://www.slideshare.net/usvisalaw.

Do you use SlideShare in your practice? What are your thoughts and experience?