Seriously, Everybody is Doing it. Social Media Tips for Lawyers
As attorneys, we are always looking for new ways to reach potential clients, as well as others within our industry. Any lawyer that has spent anytime online knows how much social media has grown.
- Facebook has more than 500 million users
- 62% of social media users are between the age of 24-54
- Users spend 22% of their time online visiting and interacting on social media sites
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that business owners of all kinds are falling over themselves to find ways to interact with these users.
Our firm has been using social media for some time now and we have experienced some surprising success. For instance, by using Facebook to draw attention to specific blog postings, we have turned our Facebook Page into one of our top website referrers each month. In the past, if you would have told me that social media would do that for our sites, I wouldn’t have believed it. Here are some basic tips that we have found success with and you may find helpful:
- Listen! Social networking is about creating two-way relationships, so be sure to listen to what others are saying about you and your practice online. This includes monitoring your feedback and what others are saying about you.
- Participate in the discussion. Although time consuming, your firm has to follow up on all comments, @replies, etc that you receive online. You have to let others know that you are there to converse, not just to project.
- Know your audience. Social media is no different than any other marketing or communication tool; you must know your audience. Are you targeting attorneys? Clients? Both?
- Know your message. This goes along with the last tip. Once you know your target, you must know your message. What you say online, is what your firm will be known for.
- It’s NOT about automation. Social media is about relationships between HUMANS, not about spamming your followers and fans with automated feeds or links.
BONUS TIP- Have Fun! Social media is about talking and connecting with people. As lawyers, it’s safe to say that none of us have ever had a hard time talking to people, even strangers. Who knows, you may even find yourself connecting with old friends from high school or law school. (Mostly a good thing….)
Of course I am no expert on social media, and this is certainly not a comprehensive list. I just wanted to share some of my experiences and hope that it has been helpful for you. If you would like to connect online, you can follow me on Twitter @JeffRasansky or @RasanskyLawFirm as well as on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/theRasanskyLawFirm.
As always, best of luck with your practice and I look forward to hearing from you, online or otherwise.
Category: Legal Briefs
