SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SMALL LAW FIRMS – WHY YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT

For many small law firms, just launching a website was a big move. Many attorneys are still not entirely comfortable with the concept of law firm marketing; and the idea of doing so on line – for many an intimidating territory– can be a daunting prospect.

Big law firms, on the other hand, have widely recognized the importance of marketing and have recognized the opportunities that technology offers. It’s time for small law firms and solo practitioners to embrace what large firms have know for a while – in an increasingly competitive legal marketplace, smart marketing is critical. The need to stand out from the crowd has never been stronger.

Studies report that nearly 20% of all time spent on line is now being spent on social media sites, and the percentage is growing. You built your website, but why do you need to get involved with Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites? The answer is simple – because they can help you to market and grow your practice. Here’s how:

Improve your website’s search engine results – Having social media sites that are linked to your website, and to which your website links, will help your search engine results. Not only will these sites drive traffic to your website, but the ability to put out specific pieces of content on individual topics will help you reach more needs-driven potential clients.

      Social media is an excellent networking tool – Phone calls, lunches and other one on one interactions are always going to be important, but the ability to reach out to dozens or hundreds of people at once is amazingly powerful. Used wisely and judiciously, posts to a firm LinkedIn site or an e-newsletter can enable you to provide news and updates to many people at once.

Maintain ongoing relationships with former and current clients – If your practice is case-oriented, keeping in touch with former clients, who are one of your best referral sources, is critical. There is no better way to do so efficiently and cost effectively than via social media. The same goes for current clients or clients with which you maintain long-term business relationships. 

      Maintain visibility – Out of sight, out of mind. Regularly posting content on social media sites gives you the ability to stay on the radar of potential referring sources – other attorneys, former clients, accountants, brokers, et al. 

Establish or embellish your credentials – Well written blog posts are a good way to impress prospective clients, as well as other attorneys, with your knowledge of a particular subject. Social media posts trumpeting recent or upcoming speaking engagements, publications or volunteer engagements are all good ways to establish or enhance your bona fides as an expert in your field of practice.

      Brand building – A lot is written today about branding – creating an image and identifiable presence for your firm. Being active on social media sites helps to establish your firm’s identity and stature.

As you can see, there are a number of compelling reasons to be actively engaged on social media, but which social media sites are right for you? For most of our small law firm clients, we find that there are six platforms that, taken together, make up an effective social media program:

      LinkedIn – You may already have an individual profile on LinkedIn, but unless you are a solo practitioner, you also need a firm LinkedIn page, where you can describe your firm and your practice and post updates of interest to those in your network.

      A blog site – Having a blog site is one of the best things you can do. Putting out regular (monthly) content on subjects within your area of expertise is an important part of establishing brand identity, visibility and credibility. If your firm concentrates in more than one practice area, you should have separate blog sites for each.

Facebook – A firm Facebook page, separate from your individual page, is an important tool for conveying what your practice is about and how you can help prospective clients. There are now more than 1.1 billion Facebook users. Some of them are potential clients.

Google+ - We originally weren’t big fans of this Facebook wannabe site, but we’ve come around. Although it replicates a lot of what Facebook does, it’s owned by Google, so having a presence here can only help your search results.

Twitter – Being able to quickly put out news and updates, or to comment on topics of interest, cannot be overemphasized, particularly when there is a potential audience of 500 million users.

           Firm newsletters – The availability of attractive, easy to use mass e mail programs (like Constant Contact and their less expensive competitors) provides an excellent mechanism for directly reaching out to everyone within your network. Subscription forms placed on your website and social media sites will also help you to expand that network.

There is no end to the number of social media sites out there. According to the social media tracking blog Digital Marketing Ramblings there are over 200 active social media and related sites in operation. While it is important to put together a program that has breadth and depth, you don’t want to over-saturate. Although you could put your firm on dozens of different social media sites, sticking to a core group of 5-8 platforms is going to be most effective for most firms. 

Depending on the nature of your practice and the extent of your marketing ambitions, however, there are two others worth considering:
 

 You Tube – Google owns You Tube and puts a search engine premium on video content. If you have more than a handful of videos, setting up a firm You Tube channel makes sense.

Pinterest – This site is like an electronic public bulletin board, where you “pin” up things of interest to you or your potential clients.

Of course, what you put on social media is critically important. But if you’re serious about growing your firm and building your practice, you need to have a social media strategy as part of your overall marketing plan.

The Omega Legal Marketing Blog is a service of Omega Legal Marketing, a dedicated law firm marketing company specializing in creating custom designed, comprehensive marketing programs for small law firms and solo practitioners. You can learn more about us at http://omegalegalmarketing.com; you can contact us at admin@omegalegalmarketing.com.

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