Editor’s note: This is an installment in the “Reference Manual of Legal Tech Lists Vol. II,” an eBook set for release this summer.
In our continuing effort to explore the various nooks & crannies of the legal tech world, we’ve now taken up list creation by category.
Each entry of our brand-new Reference Manual of Legal Tech Lists will explore a new category lurking in the dark recesses of legal tech — you know, the kind that are buried deep down, of the sort you don’t talk about at parties.
For this segment of our series, we’ll explore the 5 best things about hosting legal tech panels.
No. 1: Intelligence by Association
Now, hosting tech panels isn’t all champagnes and roses, my friends, but there are some cool things about it.
You get to work with really smart people, who are doing some amazing things in the legal technology sector.
And the best thing about that is that you may also be deemed a visionary by working with these folks — even if, in reality, you’re just some dummy who walked into this whole thing by accident. (Trust me, it happens *ahem.*)
So, soak up those rays, when you’re in the sunshine!
No. 2: Building PowerPoints
Look, trying to get lots of really intelligent people together to create a program agenda is like pulling teeth. It’s the worst.
But then comes the reward: building the PowerPoint. I don’t know about you, but I love doing PowerPoints.
I try to pull off some bonkers stuff in those. Let’s go for some wild, potentially copyrighted imagery. Let’s try to pull this off with as little text as possible, so we can explore the studio space during the presentation.
It’s also a fun challenge to find someone’s high school yearbook picture to add to their bio page.
(I also recently taught my daughter how to create PowerPoints — which I realize is a weird thing to do. You know what they say, though: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree — even if I would never use KeyNote.)
Next slide!
No. 3: New Client Leads!
Now, most people are doing webinars for one reason: to get more business. I mean, that’s cool; that’s as it should be.
If you’re running a business, it’s probably a good thing that you actually believe strongly in what you’re doing and that you can actually help people.
And if you can come up with an interesting (and, non-salesy) presentation, you should be able to draw additional business.
Now, when you’re moderating, it looks like you’re in charge, which is something that people gravitate to — so, that may be the best pathway to generating new work from tech panels.
No. 4: New Referral Sources!
When you’re running legal tech panels, you can take advantage of that opportunity to gain more clients — but that process does not always have to be direct.
You’ve got 3-5 panelists sitting directly in front of you, who may be actual referral sources for you, too.
And those referral sources may be more consistent than the one-off client(s) you retain for your work on the program.
So don’t miss an opportunity to pitch those panelists on what you do, at least once — it should come up naturally, in the planning process.
And don’t forget to connect on social media with everyone you meet. If you’re not, at least, adding LinkedIn connections for every panelist you meet on a webinar, what are you even doing?
No. 5: Listening Party
Maybe you’re showing off your audio equipment? I could see that.
What takes hosting a webinar to the next level is when you have the most badass audio equipment on the planet.
If you think your rig is underwhelming, you can fix that!
Grab a Shure or Blue microphone, and add an audio mixer to the mix, even if you don’t need one — and people will start mistaking you for Rick Rubin.
And if your audio setup is sort of toothless these days, the holidays are coming up.
Now you know just what to ask for.
BONUS ITEM — No. 6: Linkbacks!
One of the best things about hosting legal tech panels is that you get (usually, multiple) linkbacks.
What are linkbacks? Basically, links to your website appearing at another website.
Why are those important? Because, linkbacks are something that Google and other search engines use to establish your domain authority.
What does that mean? Well, it means that the search engine believes that you know what you’re talking about, and will offer you up as a resource for relevant searches, higher up in the search results.
And if you can get linkbacks from quality sources: like legal publishers, and legal tech companies — that’s pretty sweet, too. Also, those links tend to be evergreen.
BONUS ITEM — No. 7: Great Content! And, of course: We’re just over here creating exceptional content for attorneys! Who doesn’t love that?
(Probably children — but, whatever: They don’t have any money.)
Jared Correia, a consultant and legal technology expert, is the host of the Non-Eventcast, the featured podcast of the Above the Law Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers.
