A lot of people ask me how they can make the case for why their lawyers and firms should use social media or why it’s worth the time or financial investment. I could give you a hundred reasons, probably more, why social media is well worth the time and effort, but I put together a few of my top ones. Remember, that lotto saying “you’ve got to be in it to win it?” – well why wouldn’t you try something that could potentially bring your firm new clients, help you retain the ones you have and attract new candidates to your firm?
That being said, what I am not advocating is that you immediately fire on all cylinders and launch firm accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest – I’m exhausted just thinking writing that! If you will be stretched thin, unfocused and absent of a strategic focus. In addition, you must go where your clients are or else your social media efforts are just random acts of social media.
And you must adjust the message for the medium. What do I mean by that? One size doesn’t fit all on each of the social channels – so even if you are posting about the same topic, the posts that you craft would not be the same on each of the channels. So many firms don’t get that right. You’d be much better off choosing to focus your efforts on only two social media channels – the ones that your clients actually use the most – and build a strong presence on those. In this case, less is definitely more.
So the next time someone asks you if your firm needs a social media program, reply to them with a few of the reasons below and watch them ask you to get started on a few of them immediately. You can thank me later (I like ice cream, just saying).
- A strong social media program will help your firm/lawyers attract and acquire clients
- It can generate leads, raise awareness and builds credibility
- Social media enables you to reach broader audiences for your thought leadership, extending the reach of the power of your content
- It can build a lawyer into a subject-matter expert, which is great for junior partners and lawyers who are trying to shift their practice focus
- Your competitors are doing it (*this is always a strong motivator for lawyers!)
- Social media enables you to bolster your brand and directly engage with and reach your target audiences
- You are able to keep updated on what your competitors are doing on social
- Your clients, contacts and others who are interested in information about you expect you to be on social and if you’re not, it sends the wrong message
- Enables you to build a stronger professional network, which can lead to new business and referrals
- Often enables you to build and grow relationships faster than you can offline
- Enhances and improves SEO
- Gives you a powerful way to disseminate information to interested parties
- Is a low-cost, easy way to keep contacts informed
- In-house counsel are increasingly going to social media for news and information
- Sharing updates and content keeps you top-of-mind with law students and laterals, which is vital for the future of your firm
Happy posting!