Interview with Conrad Saam of Avvo
Posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010As a legal blogger, I’ve always been interested in how social media and the internet are changing the practice of law, and the way that attorneys and clients find each other. I’ve done some research, and posted on this blog about some of the things I’ve noticed, or found out about simply while being online. And in January, I attended the Avvocating Conference, where I learned more about it from some of the people who have the very best understanding of how the internet and the practice of law come together.
I recently decided I wanted to know a little more, and I wanted to share with readers some of the insights of those very people who understand this topic the best. So this week, I’ll be sharing interviews with some really bright people. The goals are to share with potential clients ways that they can use the internet to find the attorneys that are right for them, and to help attorneys understand how to put their best foot forward online so that they are the attorneys the clients find.
So today I start our GJEL interview series with Conrad Saam of Avvo. Conrad is the head of Marketing at Avvo. Avvo is a directory of attorney profiles that clients can use to find the right attorney for them. Clients can view attorneys’ Avvo rankings, reviews from other clients and attorneys, and answers to basic legal questions to help them decide which attorney to hire. For more on Avvo, see my past post.
GJEL: Conrad, there’s no doubt that social media is a great way to network with other attorneys and reach potential clients. Here at GJEL, we have a blog, and a Twitter account, which are great ways to build relationships—but what Avvo does is different. What advantages does the profile-based directory have over other forms of social media?
Conrad: Avvo provides a comprehensive overview of the legal industry – 90% of licensed lawyers have profiles on the site. As such, we provide consumers with breadth and depth of information that they have never been able to access before.
GJEL: I mentioned that we have a blog and a Twitter account, but of course, we’re on Avvo too. Mark Britton, CEO of Avvo gave a great presentation on maximizing Avvo Profiles at the Avvocating Conference. Of course, not everyone could attend the conference, and many attorneys I know are still discovering the things they can do with their Avvo profiles. What would your top 5 tips be for them in terms of maximizing their Avvo profiles?
Conrad: 1. Claim your Profile! – take control of your profile by claiming it for free. This enables you to add as much information as you want and interact with attorneys and consumers on the site.
2. Add a photo – profiles with photos are 10 times more likely to get clicked on.
3. Complete your profile – make sure you fill out the profile completely – consumers are craving information and the more information you add, the more likely potential customers are to pick up the phone and call you.
4. Keep your information current – the award you won in 1984 is less relevant to your reputation (and your Avvo Rating) than the award you won yesterday.
5. Participate in Avvo Answers – we get 20,000 questions a month from consumers seeking basic guidance. Avvo Answers is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and connect with prospective clients.
GJEL: There’s some concern about the fact that anyone can leave an anonymous comment on an attorney’s profile on Avvo. Is there anything an attorney can do if a defamatory comment is left on his or her profile?
Conrad: Avvo is the gold standard when it comes to high quality client reviews. First – every review is read by a human before it is published. Reviews that don’t meet our guidelines are rejected. Secondly, lawyers may challenge reviews that they feel are inaccurate. In this case, Avvo acts as a mediator between the reviewer and the attorney. If the reviewer affirms the review, it will stay up. Finally, attorneys can comment directly on the reviews. All of this human interaction is very expensive, but important to ensure a quality experience for both our attorneys and prospective clients.
GJEL: I’m a bit entrepreneurial myself, so I’m curious: how did the idea for Avvo come about, and when did you know you could really make a go of it?
Conrad: Our founder, Mark Britton is a lawyer and was taking a year off teaching finance in Italy. While overseas, he kept fielding questions from friends and family who were looking for a specific type of attorney in a specific location in the US. It became very clear that consumers were lost when it comes to hiring an attorney – and the idea of an unbiased, easy-to-understand legal directory was born. When did we know we could make a go of it? There was an overwhelmingly positive response, almost a sense of relief, from people in the early focus groups who saw unbiased client reviews, objective information and an easy-to-understand rating system in the Avvo prototype.
GJEL: Finally, it seems that Avvo is enjoying booming success and is growing much faster than other online lawyer directories like Lawyers.com. What do you think is the primary reason that Avvo is surpassing all the competition?
Conrad: Avvo became the most trafficked legal directory in just two years while competing against large, established corporations with sophisticated marketing departments and massive television advertising budgets. The simple answer is, we have the only product in the legal directory space that takes the consumer’s perspective. We provide more information and better guidance than they have ever had access to – which helps them make important legal decisions with confidence. An extremely positive experience with the site is our primary marketing channel.
