Don’t Put All of Your Eggs in the Social Media Basket

March 31, 2010 - We're firm believers that a strong social networking presence -- whether it is through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. -- can be an important factor in your law firm's online marketing strategy. But lawyers who jump on-board the social networking bandwagon need to keep a realistic (and reasonable) grasp on what these websites can do for them in terms of attracting and converting potential clients.

It seems that nearly every day, we read stories about the increased importance of social media, particularly Facebook, and how every business should participate in social marketing. And while an active Facebook profile can certainly be an engaging method of marketing for lawyers, it shouldn't be considered as the end-all, be-all of your Internet marketing platform.

When you're allocating funds and man-hours to your legal marketing strategy, don't put all of your eggs in the social media basket. In other words, don't overestimate what a Facebook profile will do for you at the expense of other marketing components, specifically, your law firm's website.

Listed below are a few factors to keep in mind when using Facebook to market lawyers or your legal firm:

• If you've been active with online marketing, do not suddenly shift resources from your website to Facebook or Twitter, and expect to maintain the same level of client conversion. It takes time to build a strong social media presence, and in the weeks and months that you are building a following, you cannot leave your website to languish. This will hurt your page rankings and make it more difficult for people to find you.
• Think of Facebook as a support system and promotional tool for your website, not a replacement. Provide links to new articles or blogs on your site, contact information and relevant news links, but don't make the mistake of thinking that a free Facebook page is going to serve the same function as a carefully executed website with a library teeming with search engine optimized articles and blogs.
• Choose the right person to create and maintain your Facebook page. Just because your neighbor's kid has a Twitter account for their hamster and knows how to post photos on Facebook doesn't mean he or she knows how to use those Websites for marketing purposes. You need to hire someone who is not only tech-savvy, but who understands the ins and outs of marketing for lawyers. The ideal candidate knows how to develop an effective campaign and understands how to attract your target audience.
• Don't come on too strong. When you're posting Web content on your company's site, you're expected to use persuasive marketing language. Your website can be all about you; your practice areas, your knowledge of the law and your track record of helping clients win favorable results. With social media, the conversation is a two-way street and your (likely fickle) audience is NOT interested in maintaining ties with an organization that subjects them to a steady stream of monologues.

Too often, it seems that business owners and marketers are told -- by friends, colleagues, the media -- that in order to generate Web traffic and be found on the Internet, that they must be active on Digg, Facebook, Twitter, etc. While these are great steps to take in a well-rounded online marketing plan, simply creating a Facebook profile isn't going to suddenly generate tons of quality leads. A law firm that is successful at online marketing will have an optimized website that is full of informative, engaging web content as their main focus.  

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