Having a presence on social media is an absolute must—we can agree on that, right?
However, what you do with that presence can make all the difference in how people perceive your firm and the success you have. When it comes to social media, most marketers out there will preach the need for likes, comments, and shares as the pillars of success for social media campaigns. And that’s true if you’re in other service-based industries like food or retail (or if you’re a giant brand like Coca-Cola or McDonald’s).
But if you’re a lawyer or finance pro, that’s not necessarily going to be the case. While there will be a handful of “influencers” in your industry who will garner a ton of engagement, that just won’t be the case for the rest of you. And that’s okay.
To put it frankly, your subject matter isn’t sexy enough to generate a ton of engagement, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have value to provide on social media. People are still looking for information. They’re looking for experts to lean on, especially with the epidemic of disinformation constantly floating around. That’s why it’s important for you to post, and post consistently.
But it’s not just focusing on engagement or an inconsistent posting schedule that hurts small firms on social media. No, there’s a bigger mistake that firms are making—they’re making their content all about themselves.
You need a balance of content. If 90% of your posts are all the same call to action with your slogan and phone number, you can rest assured knowing that you’re alienating your audience (if you haven’t entirely done so already).
People aren’t looking to get sold to on social media. They’re looking for information. They’re looking for updates. Amongst all of the pictures of their friends’ kids and political drama, people are scrolling down their timelines and clicking on articles and videos that pique their interest.
So what does a content balance look like? While there isn’t an exact formula, you should have a ratio that looks something like this each month:
- 30% lead magnets: Share a link to your ebook, whitepaper, or email newsletter signup. This can help you generate leads, but it also demonstrates your expertise as a thought leader willing to help their community.
- 40% blogs and videos: Inform and educate with evergreen content like blogs or videos of you answering a frequently asked question. Depending on what you’re covering, you may not get much engagement due to the private nature of the subject, but it’s valuable content nonetheless.
- 20% FUN!: Share behind-the-scenes photos of life at the firm. Share inspirational quotes. Talk about something cool going on in the community.
- 10% Self-promotion: Yes, only 10% of your social media content needs to be directly dedicated to a call to action for someone to call or contact your firm. Anything more than that and you risk alienating your audience.
What does your firm’s content balance look like? If it’s like most firms we see out there, the balance is heavily weighted towards self-promotion (assuming they post consistently in the first place). Instead, put your audience’s needs first. Post content that will be helpful to them, which will in turn raise your profile as the expert in the community and go a long way towards making you the obvious choice to work with.
Spotlight Branding
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