Social Media Data Insights & Resources for Social Media
Most law firms struggle when it comes to creating a policy for their use of social media. Due to the generally conservative and cautious nature of law firm management, the key decision makers often only see the real (in most cases, alleged) danger of using social media, but very few even bother to understand these tools or even appreciate their potential. But since the use of social media is now widespread, indifference can be a huge mistake. This is because the fruits of well-maintained social media presence can be as rewarding as the consequences of shunning it.
Social media offers an opportunity for flaw firms and partners to position themselves as leaders in their profession. But first, they have to formulate a sound strategy for reaching out to their audiences and engaging them through the popular social media platforms such as Google plus, twitter, LinkedIn.
1. Ethics are Still Vital on Social Media
Many companies have fallen into the trap of using social media unethically. It is important to keep in mind that Twitter, Facebook, Google plus, and the rest are a lot less secure than the traditional means of communication since they are always accessible to the public. It is therefore important to stick to the same professional ethics governing law firms as you would when engaging connections through other communication platforms. For instance, it would be atrocious to let the details of a case, or your client’s secrets, leak out through imprudent use of social media. Likewise, law firms should not advertise themselves as experienced in fields they are not just because it’s Twitter or Facebook.
2. Choose the Right People to Connect With.
Social media is about building connections, whether personal or professional. Kick start your social media presence by ensuring that all your employees have filled LinkedIn accounts complete with their experience and position in the firm as well as their educational credentials. Next find out the people your current clients are connected to and join in. in many cases, legal costs often form a barrier against potential business but you can easily go around this by sharing your experience and knowledge through reports and Webinars. This will position the firm as an industry leader and open the doors for communication.
3. Start a Blog, not Everything can be Tweeted
The applications of social media are diverse but most people only use it to post short updates and tweets. But law firms can maximize their use of social media by starting a blog where they can post engaging content for users. Many issues in law are too complex to be communicated through a simple Facebook update or a 14-character tweet and deserve in-depth analysis. It would stand any law firm or attorney in good stead to consider hosting and writing a blog post to deliver this vital content. Again, you will have complete control over the content and your public brand and image.
4. Keep Adapting
Law firms that are populated with grizzled veterans of the court room are increasingly finding it hard to keep up with those who keep hiring young graduates when it comes to optimizing emerging tools like social media. Do not shy away from seeking the input of the younger employees in the firm (even if they are not attorneys on the direction your social media presence should be taking. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that web is always changing.
Facebook took five years to amass its 1st 100 million users, but in the next 5 years, it added nearly ten times that number. In the same breathe, other social media platforms are always cropping up. It is vital that you and your firm stay on your feet, keep your ears on the ground and adapt to any changes in the way users interact on social media.
5. Be Transparent
Law firms should join social media to take part in conversations, not to look for conversions. Your strategy should be designed to connect with your target community at every level and make sure that you make human connections. Grow your credibility by helping others through sharing work and inviting them to events.
At one point or the other, issues related to your firm will be discussed online. In such cases, it is important that you allow a guided discussion of the matter and defend and manage both your personal reputation and that of the firm by clearing up any confusion.
Bottom line
Having an effective social media strategy is indispensable for law firms of all sizes and specializations. We suggest that you get a plan in place as soon as possible to start enjoying the benefits that social media has brought to the world.
Author Bio:
Robin Fitzpatrick is blogger for Surratt Law. He likes to write on law, various legal issues related to family law and also on different SEO related topics. For More Details Please Visit – http://surrattlaw.com/child-support.html
