Okay

If you have never been let go from a job at some point during your career, consider yourself incredibly fortunate.

I recently wrote an article, “It’s Okay to Fail Sometimes – Your How-To Guide After Getting Fired or Let Go,” because a few friends of mine have recently lost their jobs and their news brought me back to the important lessons that I learned as a result of being let go myself. The article goes into what to do right after it happens and then the days and weeks afterwards. 

customer-centric

It’s never been more important to stand out from your peers in this crowded, saturated market. Becoming totally immersed in your clients and prospects by learning as much as you can about them is one way to separate the good lawyers from the great lawyers.

This requires time and effort by asking smart questions and conducting thorough research (for example, by setting up free Google alerts on your top clients/prospects so that you are informed about important news about them, and using social media tools such as LinkedIn to learn about job moves and updates of your important connections). Today, most people just don’t send emails announcing their new positions anymore – it’s now up to you to do research.

Being aware of major developments and news affecting your clients’ organizations enables you to better anticipate their needs and it shows that you care. In this case, knowledge is power.

So how do you put this into practice? 

Relationship Building through your own social media

Recently, social media strategist Spencer X. Smith (if you’re not following him you should!) said something on LinkedIn that really resonated with me.

It was about the idea of using your social media platforms and reach to promote the successes of others vs. only posting about yourself (or “me-centric” posts), and he talked about the fact that each of us has the ability to do this  within our own networks to significantly strengthen our professional relationships.

Harnessing the power of your own social media platforms to promote others and build stronger relationships and your brand is actually very easy and incredibly worthwhile.

evergreen

The ultimate goal of content marketing is to drive readers to take action, preferably in the form of hiring you. So it should go without saying that it’s not how often you post content to social that makes a true impact, but rather what you say and how you say it. But it’s not always easy to generate a steady stream of strong content to fill your editorial calendar year-round. That’s where owned media or “evergreen content”​ can save the day. I often call this my “what to say when you have nothing to say”​ strategy. By incorporating evergreen posts, your end result will be a much more sophisticated content strategy with higher engagement.

The ultimate goal of content marketing is to drive readers to take action, preferably in the form of contacting and retaining you and your firm. So it should go without saying that it’s not how often you post content to social media that makes a true impact, but rather what you say and how you say it. The quality not the quantity of your posts should always be your primary focus.

But it’s not always easy to generate a steady stream of strong content to fill your editorial calendar year-round, especially when you work at small- or mid-sized firm, where it can be a challenge to regularly achieve top-tier media placements.

That’s where owned media or “evergreen content” can save the day. I often call this my “what to say when you have nothing to say” content strategy, because it really is just that. Don’t mistake this for spam or posts about nothing – because they aren’t as you will see – in fact, by incorporating evergreen posts into social media, your end result will be a much more sophisticated content marketing strategy with higher engagement. Here’s how to do it. 

One of my biggest LinkedIn pet peeves is when people who I’ve never met send me connection requests. Most of them have no personalized message at all (another pet peeve of mine). Some are accompanied by super salesy messages. Others say things like (these are real messages I’ve received):

  • “LinkedIn suggested you as a marketing leader with whom I should connect. if you are open to it.”
  • “I think we can mutually help each other, let’s connect.”
  • “You seem interesting, let’s get to know each other.”
  • “I want to tell you about a terrific new product we have”
  • “Came across your profile here and noticed we had LinkedIn groups in common, was intrigued and would love to connect. I see your an attorney in New York. Excited to learn more about what your up to professionally.” (Just oy vey on this one. Note: I am NOT a lawyer, which is clearly noted on my profile, and the grammar errors with “your” instead of “you’re” are just sloppy – there is no room for careless mistakes here. Also, having “LinkedIn groups” in common is not a reason to send a connection request.)
  • “I developed a method that gives you many leads and more on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and many others in 24 hours! I would love to run a quick test 🙂 What is your PHONE NUMBER?” (Note: So many things wrong with this one as well – but especially the exclamation point, the smiley face and the all caps, not to mention the false promises!)

Um, how about no to ALL OF THESE. Please make it stop.

Let’s be honest, if I’ve never met you before, why would I want to connect with you this way? LinkedIn is a professional network to grow relationships with people you already know. It’s not a place to mine for new connections and find leads, although I know some in the sales profession may disagree with me.

content marketing

While many firms are content producing powerhouses, pushing out alerts, social media posts and other information daily via the many distribution channels with which they engage their target audiences, they often fail to take the time to think about the how, what, when, where and why of the content they are creating and disseminating and how it will help/benefit their clients and other influential readers.

For example, do you ever feel as if you are a content machine who is just going through the content motions, following orders of those around you, because “that’s the way they’ve always done it,” or because you don’t want to question a partner or someone more senior to you?

If so, take a moment to give yourself a “content timeout” so you can really think about why you are doing what you are doing. If it doesn’t make sense with your brand and business development goals, immediately change your course. Taking the time to ensure that your content marketing strategy and your BD strategy are aligned will enable you to create more focused, strategic content that will better engage and resonate with your target audiences (more on this below).

Remember that the goal of content marketing is not just about populating your social media feeds with a steady stream of content. Rather, the goal is to use content as a differentiator and a tool to help position you and your firm as a thought leader, which will help to keep you top of mind with key individuals. Here are a few things you can do right away to take your content strategy to the next level to help you achieve these goals.

Always a bridesmaid and never a bride no more! After several years of speaking at the Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference’s pre-conference programs, I am excited to report that for the first time, I will be speaking at the main conference! Please stick around for day two of #LMA19 in Atlanta when my fellow Legal Marketing Association’s Social and Digital Media Special Interest Group co-chair Jennifer Simpson Carr and I will present a deep-dive workshop on “Beyond Branding: Aligning Social Media Strategy with Business Development Goals” at 1:30pm on Wednesday, April 10!

In the program (for marketers of all levels and firm sizes), we will explore how social media has developed into a powerful tool that often leads to new business and enhanced client relationships. Attendees will learn how to effectively use social media for lead generation through practical, innovative, actionable and budget-friendly strategies and tactics. Learn more about our session and how to register.

jay_harrington2

My friend Jay Harrington often speaks my language on social media and content marketing topics – but especially in his recent post on how lawyers can use LinkedIn to harness business development success. If you aren’t yet following him, you should! And if you like this topic, join me and Jennifer Simpson Carr at the LMA Annual Conference where we will be presenting a deep-dive workshop on this very topic on day two of the LMA Annual Conference on Wednesday, April 10 at 1:30pm at our program on “Beyond Branding: Aligning Social Media Strategy with Business Development Goals” – we promise two hours of interactive, useful takeaways for marketers of all levels and firm sizes.