How to create a real Web 2.0 marketing mix.

• Author: Eckart, Adam N.

For many people inside and outside the legal field, Web 2.0 tools and touch-point mechanisms have become a part of daily life. Students, young professionals and other early adopters spend their class and working hours listening to iTunes lectures and podcasts. In their free time, they are blogging, Skyping and Twittering. Several law schools have launched programs that allow students to download and listen to lectures, educational advice and programs on MP3 players.

Many clients and young lawyers now expect to see and use Web 2.0 tools throughout the normal course of business. This expectation is forcing many firms to implement new tools and technologies in a smart and meaningful way--by integrating Web 2.0 practices into the firm's marketing mix.

With clients and attorneys expecting a well-integrated marketing plan, Web 2.0 initiatives need to be effectively implemented into a marketing mix. Successful firms will, among other things:

Increase awareness and visibility by integrating specialized sites or custom URLs into advertising or brand management campaigns, thereby segmenting traffic and driving users to focused content;

Increase consideration and engagement by exhibiting breadth, depth and thought leadership in introducing new or key players through video, replaying recorded innovative events online or hosting Webinars and online seminars;

Increase choices and drive conversion by communicating with and delivering content to clients and prospects through online settings, portals and Web-based services;

Deliver more mobile alerts and regularly scheduled Webcasts to clients about industry developments and case updates; and

Encourage support and advocacy by seeking brand promotion through syndication, blogs and groups on social networking sites.

The task of implementing a real Web 2.0 marketing mix is daunting, because firms often struggle to make huge strides directly out of the starting gate. Instead, marketers should seek to connect Web 2.0 practices with their traditional marketing elements in easy and measurable ways at first, eventually building larger Web 2.0 initiatives. Firms that struggle with integration may consider:

Developing updated content and landing pages for practice areas or sub-areas in anticipation of launching a fully developed mini-site;

Videotaping and posting past events online while moving towards...