Social Media I Dont Think Hank Done It That Way

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Social Media: “I Don’t Think Hank Done It That Way” Do you have songs that you hear and then can’t get out of your head? I do and one of them is Waylon Jennings song “Are you sure Hank done it this way” out of my head. I sing it until Nancy asks I find another tune. If you never heard of it, you can watch and listen here: What is Waylon saying? He is criticizing the more contemporary country singers from the 70s with their rhinestone suits and new fancy cars. Somebody told me when I got to Nashville Son you finally got it made Old Hank made it here, we’re all sure that you will But I don’t think Hank done it this way I don’t think Hank done it this way Are you waiting to figure out how I can connect this to practicing law? If you are a regular reader you know that I am a strong advocate of blogging and social media. I would use both tools to build relationships if I was still practicing law. But, I would also get up from my computer and build relationships the old fashioned way. I began my practice in a city of 100,000 people. If you are practicing in a city that size or in a smaller town where everyone knows everyone, you want to be visibly active in the community. You should consider being active in the Bar and being active  in local charities and community organizations. If, you are in a larger city, especially one where people leave the city and go home to a variety of different suburbs, it is more difficult to be involved in a community organization. After all, when your work day is done, you want to go home and be with the family. I have known lawyers who have been active, but they are the exception, not the rule. I know several lawyers in big cities who have raised their visibility by being active in the Bar. I also know lawyers in big cities who have raised their visibility by being a leader in their college alumni association. I am a Virginia Tech grad and we have a very active alumni group in Dallas. if I was 40 years younger, I am sure I would be actively participating. I believe it is more important in a big city to  find a niche that suits your talents, passions and client needs.  The best thing I ever did was go from commercial litigation to government contracts to construction contracts to transportation construction contracts. Each time I narrowed my focus I was better positioned to discover client needs and write and speak about them. So,  even if you are using social media as a tool, you should find other ways to become visible and credible to a more narrow target market. Get involved in something you are passionate about. Write articles, speak at industry meetings and create valuable guides are three additional ways to do it. I don’t think Hank done it that way. Neither Hank nor Waylon needed social media as a tool to build their fan base. Even contemporary country singers who use social media use the old fashioned tools to reach out to fans. You should keep using those old fashioned tools also. Make a list of tools and create a plan to use them. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.