When many lawyers hear the term “social media” the image of their teenager spending hours on Facebook instead of on homework comes to mind. Social media is, however, emerging as a powerful tool for building and maintaining a positive online reputation to help you and your attorney advertising.

Just as the lawyers who first started marketing online years ago have an advantage today over those who are late to the digital game, you too can gain an advantage by being an early mover into the social media world. Whether you realize it or not, sites like Avvo, Google Places, and Yelp, are providing a platform for clients and associates to review your legal services and give their recommendations. By actively participating in these social media sites, you can broadcast yourself as a knowledgeable and helpful attorney while gathering and promoting positive reviews.

Here are five steps you can use to dive into the world of social media and enhance your online reputation:

1. Build profiles on multiple channels. There are many social media sites out there, all different in their purpose and audience. Here are the ones you should start off with.

a. Listings. Start by creating listings for you or your firm on Google Places, Yelp, and Yellow Pages.

b. Business profiles. Next build profiles on Avvo, LinkedIn, and HG.org.  Make these as robust as your background allows.

c. Social media. Third, create either a Facebook page or a Twitter account.  Facebook pages are more elaborate and can hold much more information about you and your firm, but they are more time-intensive to properly maintain and grow.  Twitter profiles do not display extensive information about you, but they are idea for broadcasting information to a large network.  Regardless of which you choose, be prepared to update with brief, fresh content 3-5 times per week. Using these profiles as a way of broadcasting new blog or article updates to your website is a great idea.

2. Update with varied content. Once you have created your profiles and established a social media presence, it is time to keep your profiles updated. Additionally, you should create content (on a blog or website) and use the above channels to communicate your updates.

a. Testimonials. These can be solicited from clients, attorneys, and vendors. Google Places, Yelp, and Avvo are three sites where client reviews and attorney recommendations are featured prominently. It is a good idea to have satisfied clients fill our a questionnaire after you have worked with them, or ask them to visit these websites and submit a review themselves.

b. Answer Questions. Whether on Facebook, Twitter, or Yahoo! Answers, devote some time to seeking out questions in your field and crafting thoughtful replies.

c. Videos. People now watch content online almost as much as they read online.  Videos are an ideal information-delivery vehicle for you because the prospective client becomes familiar with you while watching, and people prefer to use professionals they know.

d. Articles and blog posts. Educational content is the best way to demonstrate your expertise with the prospective client’s problem, and every potential client is searching for a lawyer who stands out as an expert.

3. Target your content. It is a good idea to focus your content in on one or two niches. Build a reputation as the go-to lawyer in your geographic region for that subset of the law.

4. Take the long view. Reputation-building takes time, whether online or in print.  Virtual networking often works faster than old marketing methods, but you should still think in terms of months and years, rather than weeks.

5. Expand. Regularly add to your broadcast methods.  The more ways you announce your content, the larger the number of people who learn of it.  But be careful not simply repeat the same message from different profiles.  You want your followers connected to you via all possible channels, but they won’t see value in that kind of loyalty unless you give them variety in your content.

By taking the time to follow these steps you are making an investment in your business. As social media is increasingly integrated with Google and other search engines, it will only become more important to build and manage your online reputation. in today’s online world, many searchers will form their opinion of you before you even have a chance to speak with them. With a consistent effort towards online reputation management, you can make sure that anyone looking you up sees an accessible, well-reviewed, and expert attorney.