Four Ways to Get More Out of Your Social Media Marketing

July 27, 2015
Daniel Decker

Social media is here to stay. Statistics continue to reinforce this reality – Facebook alone has over 1.4 billion active users worldwide. While many lawyers were initially resistant to the idea that social media could be a profitable marketing tool, that skepticism is beginning to wane as more law firms establish a presence and see results from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks.

But it’s not as simple as creating a profile and waiting for the business to roll in. Below are four tips to help lawyers and other professionals get more out of their social media marketing efforts:

1) Define your objectives. What are you hoping to accomplish on social media? If your practice needs an immediate surge of new clients, launching a social media campaign wouldn’t be our top recommendation. On the other hand, social media is a great tool for engaging potential clients and bringing them into your marketing funnel, it’s a great tool for increasing referrals, and it’s a critical part of your overall internet presence which should reflect your expertise and enhance your credibility. It’s also an excellent complement to your offline networking – because when you meet a potential client or referral source at an industry function, they are very likely to look you up on LinkedIn or on Facebook. If you have an active presence there, they have the opportunity to learn more about you, and you have the opportunity to keep them engaged and maintain top-of-mind awareness. Take the time to think through your overall marketing strategy and define the role that you want your social media presence to fill.

2) Become consistent. Possibly the most common social media mistake that lawyers make is failing to stay active. They create a Facebook page or a LinkedIn profile, post content for a few days or a few weeks… and then forget all about it. For social media to be an effective part of your marketing funnel, you have to stay consistent. Your audience needs to hear from you regularly. They need to be reminded of what you do, who you help, and how to get in touch. And in addition to posting consistently in terms of time intervals, it’s also important to maintain a consistent voice and marketing message. Rarely does a single Facebook post persuade someone to become a client or send you a referral. But a consistent message over weeks and months creates a strong brand perception and leads to top-of-mind awareness in your market… which in turn leads to new clients and more referrals.

3) Engage with your audience. Don’t look at your social media presence as a loudspeaker – a one-way source of communication TO your listeners. Instead think of it as a cocktail party or a networking event, an opportunity to tell people about yourself and what you do, but also a place to listen, learn, and answer questions. Social media is built around engagement and interaction, and when you engage with your audience, you’ll be more successful. Look for opportunities to respond to questions. Take the time to “Like” or re-tweet content posted by others. Be especially sure to respond quickly to comments or questions addressed directly to you.

4) Run everything you post through the “value filter.” Radio advertising is popular in part because listeners are essentially a “captive audience” – they’re typically driving in their car and aside from changing the station, they can’t really go anywhere. Social media is the OPPOSITE of this. On social media, it’s incredibly easy for your audience to ignore your message… there are distractions everywhere. So if you want them to pay attention… you have to focus on value. You have to give them a reason to care. The good news is that, as a lawyer, you have a great deal of value you can provide to your target market: practical tips, answers to common questions, updates on breaking news that impacts your market, resources to help them make sense of their legal options, and so on. Before you post anything, ask yourself if it will engage, inform, inspire, or otherwise provide value to your audience. If the answer is no… don’t post it!

Questions or comments? Contact us today to learn more!

 

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Daniel Decker

Daniel Decker is a co-founder and Partner at Spotlight Branding. In addition to helping lawyers stand out from the crowd, he spends his time writing, dreaming up new marketing strategies, and coming up with catchy subject lines. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys playing sports, guitar, politics, and Minnesota sports.