Category: Social Media

What's Ahead for Legal Marketing in 2014?

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WebDAM, a web-based digital asset management company, took the time to gather data from industry experts and leading sources on digital marketing to create the infographic below, which illustrates the trends and statistics they believe will drive marketing in 2014.

Of primary interest to attorneys looking to strengthen their marketing program next year:

  • 78% of marketing executives think custom content is the future of marketing(Google agrees!)
  • B2B companies say blogs generate 67% more leads than those that don’t blog
  • Marketers are finding actual, money-paying clients on LinkedIn and Facebook
  • Customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for content marketing (89%)
  • Inbound marketing delivers 54% more leads than traditional outbound marketing

Captivating marketing strategies

 

Article by:

Stephen Fairley

Of:

The Rainmaker Institute

10 Blogging Tips for Your Law Firm

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Everyone blogs.

These days, that sweet grandma down the street probably blogs.

With so many voices chiming in on the Web, how can yours stand out?

More to the point, how can your blog pique the interest of your target audience? You can accomplish this by simply providing unique content that answers your prospective clients’ questions and builds up your firm as an authority.

Attracting interest in your law firm by offering useful information is the essence of inbound marketing; making it easy for people to find you and making your marketing appealing enough for them to convert. Content development is a prime inbound marketing component and there is no better place to test out the effectiveness of content than through a blog.

Here are ten blogging tips for your law firm:

1)      Be You

Just as your law firm’s website design reflects your practice, so should your blog. If your brand is that of a serious litigator, you would not want to share humorous or carefree content on your blog. If your firm’s goal is to provide a listening ear to personal injury victims, you should steer away from hardball posts. Embody your personality and keep your blog content consistent with your brand.  Perhaps you want to be an authority on court opinions from your state appellate courts. If so, you’ll want to post about the latest appellate rulings, as Millar & Mixon does.

2)      Develop a Writing Voice

Since your blog is driven by the written word, it is through your words that you will make the strongest impression. Try to echo the way you talk, using phrases that are unique to you or language that reflects your education in your writing. A simple way to pinpoint your writing voice would be to write a mock blog post or a few paragraphs about why you are a lawyer. Then, get someone who knows you well to read the piece and ask them if the content “sounds” like you. If the answer is no, keep working at it. If yes, then congratulations! You’ve just discovered your writing voice.

3)      Be Interesting

It goes without saying, but your posts should be worth reading! Your blog should not be a dry repetition of facts or, worse, a carbon copy of another post. Rather than simply reporting on a new law or verdict, write on the implications of that legislation or decision for your readers. Maybe you have a unique opinion on a legal trend, a knack for explaining legal matters or you have the opportunity to interview a mover and shaker in the field. Leverage such strengths and your blog will quickly become bookmark-worthy. Here’s an example from Texas lawyer Kevin Krist, who explored the dangers posed by kids operating personal watercraft.

4)      Think Outside the Box

The struggle to find compelling material is a challenge all writers face sooner or later. If you find yourself in a downward spiral, it’s time to get more creative. Grab a few people in your practice and have a five-minute, intentional brainstorming session. You will be delighted with the results a quick, focused chat can bring. Also consider using tools such as Google Alerts to prompt ideas for upcoming posts.

5)      Use, Don’t Abuse, Keywords

While you should thoughtfully employ targeted keywords in your blog posts, don’t overuse them. Unnaturally using keywords in your content, a black hat SEO tactic called keyword stuffing, is seen as manipulative and spammy by search engines. Research the keywords that are competitive for your practice area and use them naturally.

6)      Stay in Your Niche

Don’t blog about everything. Not only will you be drained by trying to keep up too many industry changes, your readers will become confused and not certain of what they should expect from your blog. It is in your best interest to choose specific topics that are connected to your firm’s practice areas. There may be opportunities to blog outside of your niche, but you should choose those moments wisely.

7)      Don’t Duplicate Content

Not only is copy and pasting someone else’s thoughts an act of plagiarism, it is duplicating content. Duplicate content will be penalized by search engines and can eventually cause your site to fall in rankings. Quoting portions of other blog posts (with appropriate links back to their site) is perfectly fine, when done in moderation. When in doubt, use your own wording.

8)      Track Results

The devil may be in the details, but the profits are in the data. Use Google Analytics to track which of your posts are gaining the most traction. With this information, you will know exactly what kinds of material your readers prefer.

9)      Feature Guest Posts

Do you have a mentor who has taught you much of what you know about being a lawyer? Or maybe you know someone who is an expert in matters concerning your practice area. Reach out to these industry connections for guest blogging opportunities.

10)  Don’t Force It

If writing just does not come naturally to you, don’t force it. Play to your strengths. If you are an excellent litigator but a mediocre blogger, don’t feel as if you have to be someone you are not to succeed online. Honestly assess your abilities and your time obligations.

Article by:

Victoria Wilson

Of:

Consultwebs.com, Inc.

10 DOs and DON’Ts for Employer Social Media Policies

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In recent years, the National Labor Relations Board has actively applied the National Labor Relations Act to social media policies. The Act exists to protect employees’ right to act together to address their terms and conditions of employment. What many employers fail to realize is that the Act applies to union and non-unionized employers. With the Board’s increased scrutiny of social media policies, including review of non-unionized employers’ policies, the following list of dos and don’ts is meant to assist employers in drafting or reviewing their social media policies.

1. DON’T have a policy prohibiting an employee from releasing confidential information. The Board has found that such an overbroad provision would be construed by employees as prohibiting them from discussing information that could relate to their terms and conditions of employment, such as wages.

2. DO have a policy that advises employees to maintain the confidentiality of the employer’s trade secrets and private or confidential information. The Board advises employers to define and provide examples of trade secrets or confidential information. However, the Board cautions employers to consider whether their definition of trade secrets or confidential information would include information related to employees’ terms and conditions of employment.

3. DON’T have a policy prohibiting employees from commenting on any legal matters, including pending litigation. The Board found that such a policy would unlawfully prohibit discussion about potential legal claims against an employer.

4. DO have a policy prohibiting employees from posting attorney-client privileged information. The Board recognizes an employer’s interest in protecting privileged information.

5. DON’T have a policy prohibiting employees from making disparaging remarks about the employer. The Board held that such a policy would have a chilling effect on employees in the exercise of their rights to discuss their terms and conditions of employment.

6. DO have policy that prohibits employees from making defamatory statements on social media about the employer, customers, and vendors, and generally remind employees to be honest and accurate.

7. DON’T have a policy advising employees to check with the company to see if the post is acceptable, if the employee has any doubt about whether it is prohibited. The Board held that any rule that requires permission from the employer as a precondition is an unlawful restriction of the employee’s rights under the Act.

8. DO have a policy that prohibits employees from representing any opinion or statement as the policy or view of the employer without prior authorization. Advise employees to include a disclaimer such as “The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the [Employer].”

9. DON’T have a policy prohibiting negative conversations about co-workers or supervisors. The Board held that without further clarification or examples, such a policy would have a chilling effect on employees.

10. DO advise employees to avoid posts that reasonably could be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, or might constitute harassment or bullying. Provide examples of such conduct such as offensive posts intentionally mean to harm someone’s reputation or posts that could contribute to a hostile work environment on the basis of a race, sex, disability, religion or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law.

Read more: http://ecommercelaw.typepad.com/ecommerce_law/2013/10/ten-dos-and-donts-of-employer-social-media-policies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+E-commerceLaw+%28E-Commerce+Law%29#ixzz2ir3v2KvK

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5 Ways to Boost Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Right Now

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On October 21, I posted an interview that originally appeared on LawMarketing.com about the latest Google Penguin update andwhat it may or may not have done to affect legal websites.

John Jantsch over at the Duct Tape Marketing blog had a good post last week about the 5 ways you can boost your SEO right away, taking into consideration the latest Google search engine update:

1. Boost your social share. Google is giving a lot more juice to social share signals, so add the Google +1 and Facebook Like or Share buttons at the top of each page of your website or blog.

2. Use larger embedded images. This can help your blog posts you put on Facebook get shared more, and sharing is the name of the game right now. Facebook recently redesigned their posts to make images a lot more prominent; the new standard for images is 600 x 1200 pixels.

3. Zero in on long tail keywords. In a competitive category like law, going after the long tail keywords that people use to search for your services will help your SEO. Jantsch recommends using Long Tail Pro, a keyword research tool that is easy to use and inexpensive.

4. Use micro data with rich snippets. If you use WordPress for your blog or website, be sure to add the micro data plugin. Micro data is HTML code used by search engines to identify categories of text and Google uses it to understand website pages better. You can learn more about this on Google’s Webmaster blog.

5. Build relationships with authorities for your category. Just like it is important to build a good referral network offline, it has become increasingly important for you to do it online – it’s just known as building authority relationships. Find authors in your practice area that rank high in search and find ways to connect with them to foster a value-added relationship.

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To Track or Not to Track Re: Digital Advertising

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Digital advertising based on tracking users’ interests and related privacy concerns have been the subject of many recent news articles.  What does this mean for businesses?  Evolving industry practices and new legislation relating to online privacy and user tracking likely require changes to online privacy practices and policies.

Online privacy and user tracking are in the news almost daily.  Consider these highlights from the past few weeks about online tracking of California minors, big data brokers, California legislation addressing “do not track,” new mobile and online interest-based advertising technology, and a warning to all website operators from the Better Business Bureau:

New Privacy Rights for California Minors

On September 23, 2013, Governor Brown signed into law new Sections 22580 through 22582 of the California Business and Professions Code titled “Privacy Rights for California Minors in the Digital World.”  The new law, which goes into effect January 1, 2015, requires an operator of a website (including online services and applications, such as a social media site) or mobile application that is “directed to minors” to allow minors (defined as anyone younger than 18 years old residing in California) who are registered users the opportunity to un-post or remove (or request removal of) their posted online content.  The operator also must provide minors with notice and “clear instructions” about how to remove their posted content.  The operator is not, however, required to remove posted content in certain specific circumstances, such as when the content was posted by a third party.

This new law also prohibits website and mobile app operators from advertising to California minors certain products and services that minors cannot legally purchase, such as alcoholic beverages, firearms, ammunition, spray paint, tobacco products, fireworks, tanning services, lottery tickets, tattoos, drug paraphernalia, electronic cigarettes, “obscene matter” and lethal weapons.  Operators also are prohibited from using, disclosing or compiling certain personal information about the minor for the purpose of marketing these products or services.

Senator Rockefeller Expands Investigation of Data Brokers

On September 25, 2013, Governor Rockefeller (W.VA) announced that he sent letters to 12 operators of popular family-, health- and personal-finance-related consumer websites requesting details about whether and what information collected from consumers is shared with data brokers.  In his letter to the operator of self.com, for example, Rockefeller noted that “[w]hile some consumers may not object to having their information categorized and used for marketing purposes, before they share personal information it is important that they know it may be used for purposes beyond those for which they originally provided it.”

California Adds Do-Not-Track Disclosure Requirements Effective January 1, 2014

On September 27, 2013, California Governor Brown signed into law amendments to the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA), a 2004 law requiring all commercial websites and online service providers collecting personally identifiable information about California residents to “conspicuously” post a “privacy policy.”  The amendments to CalOPPA, which take effect on January 1, 2014, add two new disclosure requirements for privacy policies required by CalOPPA:

  • The privacy policy must explain how the website “responds to ‘Do Not Track’ signals from web browsers or other mechanisms that provide California residents the ability to exercise choice” about collection of their personally identifiable information (Cal Bus and Prof Code §22575(b)(5)).
  • The privacy policy must disclose whether third parties use or may use the website to track (i.e., collect personally identifiable information about) individual California residents “over time and across third-party websites” (Cal Bus and Prof Code §22575(b)(6)).

The “Bill Analysis” history indicates that CalOPPA amendments are not intended to “prohibit third-party or any other form of online tracking” but rather to “implement a uniform protocol for informing Internet users about tracking . . . and any options they may have to exercise choice . . .” (6/17/13 – Senate Judiciary).

A website operator may meet the “do not track” disclosure requirement by including a link in the privacy policy to “an online location containing a description, including the effects, of any program or protocol the operator follows that offers the consumer that choice” (Cal Bus and Prof Code §22575(b)(7)).

The reference in §22575(b)(7) to “an online location” suggests that businesses already complying with the “enhanced notice link” requirements of the Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising of the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) will comply with amended CalOPPA.  Among other requirements, the DAA’s self-regulatory program requires website owners/operators (called “First Parties”) to provide “clear, meaningful and prominent” disclosure about data collection and use for advertising purposes, and to offer consumers a way to opt out of tracking, such as through the DAA’s consumer choice page.  As noted in the Bill Analyses, while the DAA’s consumer choice mechanism enables consumers to opt out of receiving advertising based on online tracking data, it only works for companies that participate in the DAA’s program and “does not allow consumers not to be tracked.”

User Credentials Subject to California Breach Laws Effective January 1, 2014

Governor Brown also signed into law amendments to California’s breach notification laws on September 27, 2013.  As amended, the definition of “personal information” that triggers breach notification requirements includes consumers’ online credentials: “user name or email address, in combination with a password or security question and answer that would permit access to an online account.”

Mobile Advertising: Mobile Telephone as Tracking Device

In the October 6, 2013, edition of the New York Times, an article titled “Selling Secrets of Phone Users to Advertisers” describes sophisticated profiling techniques for mobile phone users that feed on data collected through partnerships with other various online service providers.  These companies are developing alternatives for cookies, which do not work on mobile devices and, as the new California law illustrates, are increasingly irrelevant as an online tracking technique because users can block or delete them.

New Tracking Technology from Microsoft and Google

On October 9, 2013, AdAge reported that Microsoft is developing a new kind of tracking technology to replace cookies.  The new technology would function as a “device identifier,” allowing user tracking across devices that use Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Internet Explorer, Bing and other Microsoft services.  Similarly, USA Today reported that Google is developing its own digital tracking mechanism known as “AdID.”  While both of these new trackers will be used to collect and aggregate date for advertising and marketing purposes, they purportedly will offer users more control over how and what online activity is tracked and who has access to their personal data.

Better Business Bureau Issues Compliance Warning to Website Operators

On October 14, 2013, the Better Business Bureau issued a Compliance Warning noting that a “significant minority of website operators” are omitting the “enhanced notice link” (as required by the DAA’s Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising) when ad networks and other third parties collect data for interest-based advertising purposes but cannot provide their own notice on the website on which the data collection occurs.  The Better Business Bureau operates the Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program, through which it monitors businesses’ advertising practices and enforces the DAA’s self-regulatory program, even for companies that are not participating in it.

All of this news has created consumer confusion.  While consumers are increasingly aware of being tracked, they don’t know what exactly it means or which websites are doing it—and they are not happy about it.  A study from data privacy company TRUSTe found that 80 percent of consumers are aware of being tracked and 52 percent don’t like it.

What to Do?

A check-up for the privacy policy (or “privacy statement,” which is the increasingly popular industry term) posted on your company’s website is a good way to start evaluating your company’s digital advertising and privacy practices.  The online privacy statement is the primary means by which website operators (also known as “publishers”) communicate their privacy practices to users.

These Four steps can help you successfully evaluate your company’s privacy statement:

First, find out if your company’s marketing strategy includes advertising based on consumer information collected through cookies or other tracking technology.  Even if this type of advertising is not part of current plans, your company’s website still may have third-party tracking activities occurring on it, and these activities must be disclosed in the privacy statement as of January 1, 2014.

Second, review the privacy statement displayed on your company’s website(s) and/or mobile application(s) and make sure it accurately, clearly and completely discloses the information collected from users, how it is collected (e.g., by your company or by third parties), how your company uses the information, and whether and how the information is disclosed to third parties.  If you use information that you collected from consumers for targeted advertising, make sure the privacy statement says so.  A federal judge in the Northern District of California recently reviewed a company’s online privacy policy to evaluate whether users reading the privacy policy would understand that they were agreeing to allow user profiles and targeted advertising based on the contents of their e-mails.  The court found that the lack of specificity in the company’s privacy policy about e-mail interception meant that users could not and did not consent to the practices described in the online privacy policy.

Third, find out when and how the privacy statement is or was presented to users who provide personal information through the company website(s) and/or mobile application(s).  Is the privacy statement presented as a persistent link in the footer of each webpage?  Are users required to agree to the privacy statement?  If not, consider implementing a mechanism that requires users to do so before providing their personal information.

Finally, if your privacy statement needs to be updated, make sure you notify all consumers in advance and ensure that the changes you propose are reasonable.  Unreasonable and overbroad changes made after the fact can cause reputational harm.  Instagram learned this at the end of 2012 when it tried to change its terms of service so that users’ photos could be used “in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to [the user].”  After a hail of consumer complaints, Instagram withdrew the revised terms and publicized new, more reasonable ones.

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Consent Isn’t the Only Consideration: NY Comic Con Attendees Disagree that Hijacking Twitter Accounts Makes the Event “100x cooler! For realz.”

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The comic book industry is no stranger to displays of heroic anger and berserker rage, but over the weekend New York Comic Con (NYCC) was on the receiving end of considerable fan fury after it began ghostwriting effusive tweets about NYCC and posting on the Twitter pages of NYCC attendees in a way that made it appear as though the attendee was the author of the tweet.

During the event registration process, NYCC attendees were given the option of linking RFID badges to their Twitter account through the event’s mobile application interface.  During the application registration process, attendees were asked to authorize NYCC to access their Twitter accounts.  At this point, attendees arguably consented to having NYCC impersonate the attendee when posting about NYCC on the attendee’s Twitter feed.

The NYCC website page explaining the ID badge technology and the site’s registration page did not mention that NYCC would be posting to attendee Twitter pages on the attendee’s behalf.  Rather, the registration process is explained as a method for giving the attendee access to enhanced social media content, while helping NYCC protect against fraudulent credentials.  The activation terms provided that NYCC could use the information collected through the badge “for internal purposes” and to contact the user about future events.  After a user registered his or her badge and elected to link a Twitter account, the user was presented with an opt-in notice (a screenshot of which can be seenhere), specifying that following authorization, the application would be able to, among other things, “post Tweets for you”.  This type of warning is not uncommon.  For example, any website that allows users to click to share news articles or stories on their Twitter pages requires this type of access.

In spite of the opt-in warning, the wide-spread surprise among attendees suggests that the opt-in language did not draw a clear distinction between posting tweets for a user and posting tweets as a user.  Moreover, the failure to mention this practice when explaining the registration process could have led attendees to conclude that even if they were agreeing to provide this type of access, NYCC would not be taking the unusual step of pretending to be the attendee when it published tweets on the user’s page.

NYCC’s initial response was a brief tweet telling attendees not to “fret” over the ghostwritten posts and informing attendees that the “opt-in feature” had been disabled.  However, after anger continued to spread, NYCC issued a longer statement apologizing for any “perceived overstep.”

This type of disconnect between online service providers and users is becoming increasingly common as advances in technology permit mobile device and social media data to be accessed and used in new ways.  Earlier this year, for example, Jay-Z and Samsung stepped into a public relations debacle when the “JAY Z Magna Carta” mobile application required that the user, in exchange for receiving a free music download, authorize the application to have extensive access to phone data and social media accounts. The response from NYCC attendees also underscores the lesson learned by Googleearlier this month, that consent provided by users who do not fully understand what they are consenting to may not be consent at all.

As your online business finds new and innovative ways to deliver products and services to your users, it is important to take a step back and consider whether additional communications in different formats, such as just-in-time notifications, are necessary to ensure that the only surprise your customers have is how great your products and services are.   Or, to put it another way, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

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Your Facebook “Like” May Be Constitutionally-Protected Speech

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According to a recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, pressing the “like” button on your Facebook page constitutes substantive speech that may be protected by the First Amendment.

Six employees of the Hampton, Virginia Sheriff’s Office were dismissed because they showed support for Sheriff B.J. Roberts’ electoral opponent. They filed suit against Sheriff Roberts, claiming in part that their terminations violated the First Amendment. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted summary judgment to Sheriff Roberts, in part because the court found that the employees failed to allege that they had engaged in protected speech.

The plaintiff of significance in this matter, Roy Carter, Jr., claimed his protected speech in support for Sheriff Roberts’ opponent came in the form of a Facebook “like” for the opponent’s page. The Eastern District of Virginia held that the thumbs-up button by itself did not constitute sufficient speech to merit First Amendment protection. Not so, ruled the Fourth Circuit – when Carter pressed “like,” he caused to be published on his Facebook profile and on his friends’ news feeds that he liked Sheriff Roberts’ opponent’s campaign, which is a substantive statement.

“That a user may use a single mouse click to produce the message that he likes the page instead of typing the same message with several individual key strokes is of no constitutional significance,” held the court. Further, the Court stated that hitting the “like” button is the internet equivalent of displaying a political sign in one’s front yard, which the Supreme Court has held constitutes substantive speech.

The district court’s ruling was reversed for Carter and two other plaintiffs and the matter was remanded. Although the three remaining plaintiffs may not recover monetary damages because of the sheriff’s Eleventh Amendment immunity, they may have an opportunity to be reinstated.

The full text of Bland v. Roberts may be found here.

What Social Media Users Like to Share

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A new study out from market research firm Ipsos reveals that 70% of Internet users have shared content on social media sites in the past month.

So why is this important?

One of the main reasons attorneys participate in social media is for lead generation, and having your posts shared with others boosts the popularity of that post and gives an implied endorsement to what you have to say.

So it would behoove you to be aware of the type of content that is more likely to be shared. Here it is:

The next time you find yourself stuck on what to post on your social media sites, refer to this list – and include a picture!

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7 Steps to Create a Lead-Generating Website [INFOGRAPHIC]

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It is estimated that 95% of law firms already have a website (I’m not sure what the other five percent are holding out for…perhaps they still think the internet is a fad), but too few attorneys are consistently generating quality leads from their online presence because they lack great content.

Google has made it increasingly difficult to rank high without putting a lot of quality content on your website. One of the best ways to do so is via a blog, which allows you to add unique, high quality content every day to your website.

The infographic below from ReachLocal.com provides 7 essential ingredients you must have in your website to help you land more leads:

Moving Parts of a Successful Law Firm Social Media Campaign

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Social Media seems pretty straightforward on the surface. Everyone is doing it! It seems simple enough to create a profile, upload a profile picture and start posting. And for the average Internet user, it is. However, if you want to achieve marketing goals, Social Media becomes a much more intricate process.

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Because it sends a message to potential clients that your firm is transparent, professional, approachable and connected, choosing to use Social Media is important. Sharing a good blend of content will enhance these qualities and showcase your law firm’s expertise.

Identify Your Goals

A successful Social Media marketing strategy begins well before the accounts are created. Start by identifying your goals.

Is your primary goal branding, conversions, social proof, traffic to your Website or simply creating a network around your brand where people can approach you, leave reviews, or even refer your law firm to their social network?

You must identify these goals early. They will even affect many choices you will make, including which social platforms you will be active on.

Choose Your Social Media Platforms

Once you know your goals and have set aside a budget, it’s time to look at the various social networks – namely Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and Avvo. Each of these platforms functions differently. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. And each one will accomplish different goals.

For example, if you are looking to enhance your SEO campaign with Social Media, create personal and firm Google+ profiles. On the other hand, if you are looking to share your content and connect with more people, create a Facebook business page.

Choose as many social networking sites as necessary to meet your demands. No one says you can only choose one.

To help you with creating an initial Social Media strategy, here is a brief look at each platform’s strengths and weaknesses:

  • Facebook – This is the most popular social network. It makes it much easier to connect with people and drive traffic to your website. Facebook Insights are in-depth and informative, while paid ads are cheap and effective. Facebook is also the most successful for converting followers into clients.
  • Google+ – This platform is closely tied to Google search, Local, and authorship / publisher mark-up. Google+ Communities are also a great place to target users who will likely find your content interesting or helpful. For SEO, Google+ is essential. However, its network isn’t as copious as Facebook.
  • LinkedIn – This is the place to connect with professionals. It is a great place to feature B2B businesses, start a referral network, create Groups to showcase your expertise, get endorsements or find clients who may be in need of your particular field of law (such as estate planning, immigration or business law).
  • Avvo – This is best for showcasing your expertise and connecting with people in your geographical area who currently need a lawyer. It requires vigilant maintenance to earn a good rating. We don’t suggest starting Avvo unless you plan to participate regularly.
  • Twitter – This platform’s use for law firms has been dwindling lately. It has a large network of users and doesn’t differentiate between people and businesses, which makes for easier networking. However, nearly everyone on Twitter has an agenda and is therefore deaf to everyone else’s agenda. There is much more spam to wade through.

Build Your Social Media Network

Once you have chosen platforms and created profiles, the next step is arguably the most important part of Social Media marketing – building your network.

There are many ways to do this on various platforms. However, one maxim remains constant: Build an organic network.

Paying for followers, +1s and likes looks impressive. However, it will hurt your campaign in the long run. Posting to a page with no followers is like speaking to an empty room, and posting to a page with bought followers is like speaking to a room full of mannequins. The result is the same: No one is seeing your content.

Here are a few effective ways to grow your network:

  • Use charity or community initiatives, donations and scholarships – These initiatives showcase your law firm’s passions and attract loyal like-minded followers.
  • Use paid ads – These ads keep your law firm in front of new users and target the right people. This is also a fantastic way (via Facebook) to promote your content and drive traffic to your Website.
  • Use outreach – This is a great way to foster mutually beneficial relationships. If done properly, outreach efforts can enhance your Social Media and SEO campaigns.

Post Quality Content

Posting quality content is essential. After all, what use is a large, loyal network if you never engage them? Post a variety of content that is interesting and shareable, such as:

  • Pictures
  • Blogs
  • Local and national news
  • Firm news.

Never try your hard call to action on Social Media. At best, it will be ignored. At worst, it will drive your followers away.

Social Media is about making your law firm approachable and connecting with people. You can achieve this by posting interesting, quality content that your followers will want to read and interact with.

It’s arguable which is more important to a successful Social Media campaign – content or networking. We believe it’s safe to say that one relies on the other. Both are crucial.

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