subject: Law Firm Social Media: No Longer A Luxury, But A Necessity [print this page] All too often, attorneys decide that it is easier to forego undertaking a law firm social media campaign in an attempt to avoid the issues that can accompany it. However, the truth is law firm social media is worth the effort, particularly in the area of lead generation (and couldnt we all use additional business).
Of course, establishing a law firm social media program requires time and effort (so do expensive lunches and dinners as well as attending boring events at which prospects may gather). In addition, the allure of social media is such that it conceivably could become a significant time drain; however, lets look at the plusses of such a program. One such plus in undertaking a law firm social media program is leverage you can multiply yourself through others without even leaving the confines of your office Additionally, law firm social media is relatively inexpensive vis--vis other forms of marketing.
What should you do to get started on the path of law firm social media program? Im glad you asked
LinkedIn: Is a wonderful site for beginning your law firm social media odyssey. Set up a profile for your firm as well as all of the practicing attorneys within it. List the specialties and other distinctions (e.g., honors, papers published, etc.) as there are places for such listings. Link to your website. Establish links to your clients, prospects, friends and so on this is that multiply yourself through others concept I mentioned earlier.
Twitter: Again, another freebie. Open a twitter account. Tweet about things that are of interest in your area of specialization. Start following others and comment on the things they are talking about. A side note about Twitter: the more tweets and retweets, etc. will place you higher in the Google search engine.
Blog: Still yet another freebie. It doesnt take much to set one up and make it a part of your Law Firm Social Media marketing arsenal. Lawyers are content generators by nature and penning a weekly blog on an issue is a good way to get things rolling. Do commit to updating it frequently as there is nothing worse than a blog that has been left unattended for any length of time.
Connect all of the aforementioned as there are easy ways to do this (virtually every social media vehicle has an option to include links of various kinds) so that if someone sees you on one social media outlet, they can find additional information about you on other outlets.
It should be remembered that if you build it, they wont necessary come. A law firm social media campaign requires a bit of marketing in and of itself. One fast way is your email signature line should include the addresses to all of your various social media vehicles. Just think that will be seen by both clients and prospects as well.
