One of the best ways to repair the damage to your on-line reputations is to strengthen your profile with positive content and push down negative content that can’t be removed. Piling good reviews on top of a bad one helps hide it and, if a bad one has affected your score, several good ones will bring it back up. So, make it a habit to ask for testimonials.
If you speak with your clients often, you’ll be able to spot and extract good testimonials in the moment. That’s not necessarily at the conclusion of your services. It might be after a successful hearing or meeting. But watch your timing. I asked both parties to a successful mediation for a testimonial when they (separately) told me how much they had appreciated my empathy, my mediating talents, and my caring approach to their issues. The wife (who, throughout the proceedings, had alternately sobbed heart-brokenly and harangued her husband angrily for giving up on their marriage) assured me that she would leave me a fabulous review, and she did, the next week. The husband, on the other hand, was concerned enough about his wife’s state of mind that he wanted to hold off for a couple of months on his testimonial in case she should see it, until she had become used to the idea that he had divorced her.
I thought his concern was intelligent; after all, they shared two children together.
Go through your contacts and, if you haven’t yet, ask current and former clients to post positive feedback on your website, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Avvo, if you’re a lawyer. Ask them to “like” your Facebook page. Follow up on those requests until the clients either post or indicate that they would prefer not to do so.
A Good Testimonial
A good testimonial is specific as to who wrote it and what problem your services solved for him or her. It is not vague or gushing. Don’t just ask for a review but walk the client through the steps required to hit the most important traits of a great testimonial. Review your file on him and/or your emails back-and-forth, ask how his kids are doing, and then remind him what you accomplished for him.
Never post a testimonial until you’ve received permission from the giver to do so.
Be sure to set up and maintain your social media profiles. The more you participate in social media, the stronger your on-line profile will be. So “like” and share posts. Post and comment often. Make connections, and gain followers. Only set up social media accounts in which you can actively participate.
Register domain names that match your name and your business’ name. Add fresh content often by writing blogs a few times a week. Write about the remarkable cases you have had, the clients you have counseled, and the lives you have improved. Write about The Ten Worst Mistakes you have witnessed people in the shoes of your clients commit. Write The Top Ten Tips for your clients. Write about the issues, whether ethical, procedural, or pragmatic, that you have read about, discussed, been confronted by, or considered, or that you might have seen in the news or read on your newsfeed.
Improve your search engine optimization so that you appear on page one of relevant Google searches. Check regularly to protect that status.
Improving your on-line profile can be time consuming. However your business will benefit greatly from your efforts. An intriguing profile will attract the right clients and professionals to your practice. You’ll no longer be required to chase opportunities; instead, you can afford to be choosy about the opportunities that come your way. A compelling profile will encourage potential clients and colleagues to want to learn more about your mission, services, and uniqueness.
