As is my way, I deleted the first two emails I got from somebody who called herself Jennie Reedy.  Her gmail address was a typical giveaway, as opposed to someone who at least had an email that led back to the source.  Like many blawgers, I get about 20 of these “requests” a day, and just chuckle at the stupidity and ignore them.

Protip: The “guest post” scam is a common method of clown marketers to enable ignorant lawyers to manufacture an overnight presence on the internet. It doesn’t work, both because no legitimate blawger will post this crap (and it is invariably total, utter crap) and because every other incompetent buffoon marketer is telling their lawyer clients the same thing. 

But this Jennie Reedy was a persistent one. After ignoring her first email, a second arrived. Then a third. Now she caught my attention, not because I took a sudden interest in her “guest post” offer, but because she became annoying.  What was unusual about the first email was that it included an attachment of the proposed “guest post,” whereas most make the offer but don’t send anything.

So I took a look at what she (if, of course, she is even a “she,” since on the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog) sent me.  It was awful.  The post was entitled “Drunk Driving: 5 Common Misconceptions.” and it was just dumber than dirt.  But at the bottom of the post was the kicker.

Jennie is a long time San Diego criminal attorney . Away from the office she unwinds by baking pies, doing crossword puzzles and spending time with her three beloved teenage daughters.

After you’re done laughing at the things Jennie does to unwind, because as marketers explain, people want to know more about your personal life so they will like you better, note that Jennie says she’s a long time lawyer linking back to the website of Bradley Corbett , a 2007 graduate of Thomas Jefferson Law School who opened his own practice in 2011. He’s also an Eagle Scout.

I checked  the link at his website where I could “Meet [his]Team,” and found no one there by the name of Jennie Reedy.  I wondered if Bradley knew that someone was masquerading as a “long time” attorney related to his short time law firm, so I sent him an email.  Bradley responded that he “had no idea who that is.” Shocking. I then sent an email asking whether he had someone doing marketing for him, but received no reply.

So what are the chances that someone is roaming around the blawgosphere offering an incredibly stupid “guest post” linked to a lawyer’s website, claiming to be a lawyer, and you don’t know who she is? 

As my pal, Eric Turkewitz, made clear years ago, outsource your marketing and you outsource your ethics.  Does any lawyer really think it’s a good idea to have a marketer spamming the blawgosphere claiming to be a lawyer for your firm?

I have no idea whether Bradley Corbett is a good lawyer or not. Based on his website and activity at Avvo, he’s certainly not shy about marketing himself, but that doesn’t make him a bad lawyer. What it does, however, is give rise to a deep question about his judgment, that his desire to get business is more important than his reputation or integrity. 

And please note that I’m not picking on a new lawyer for trying to survive, but rather had this forced upon me by the tenacity of Jennie Reedy.  So don’t blame me for doing no more than the guest post spammer asked of me. I looked. I found. That’s how it works.  Had she not pushed the envelope, I would never have bothered with Bradley Corbett. I was almost inclined to post the “guest post” together with its link back to him just because it was so mind-numbingly stupid.

Is that really what you’re trying to accomplish when you manufacture a social media persona?