We get a lot of questions especially about social media:

How do ethics play into social media?

The same ethics rules apply online and offline. However, with the exception of direct solicitation and making blatant self-promoting statements, educating prospects and those who follow you online and social media platforms is perfectly OK. Of course, you must be mindful of what you put out there, but writing blogs and doing social media updates about new laws and other type of educational information is perfectly acceptable and very valuable to those who are looking to hire an attorney.

I don’t get any business off LinkedIn.  Do you have any suggestions on how to make the platform more effective for me?

I see attorneys make this mistake a lot. They simply set up a profile and do nothing with it and then are shocked when they don’t get business. You have to build a strong profile. Put your entire resume in there, list all your awards and education, give endorsements and recommendations and then ask for them in return.

Join groups and contribute in a meaningful way. Start your own groups and moderate appropriately. Post articles you’ve written and respond to comments. The most important thing is to be active on the platform, use it to give out valuable and helpful information to those you want to do business with or those you want to send you business. Lastly, reach out to potential referral sources and ask them to meet up for lunch. At the end of the day, you can’t replace face-to-face and building rapport with someone with an in-person meeting. It takes time and effort, but LinkedIn is a very powerful platform when used correctly.

I’m on social media and haven’t gotten a single client, what am I doing wrong?

Many attorneys are using social media but they are not using it in a way that allows for engagement, builds relationships and compels people to do business with them.

There are a few major mistakes attorneys make when using social media:

1. They have a Facebook fan page, but never post anything new, they have a Twitter account but have never tweeted and have no followers, or they have a YouTube channel and their most recent video is 3 years old. Essentially, they have the social media platforms but they don’t use them.

2. They use the social media platforms to sell.Social media platforms are about engaging with clients, prospects and referral sources in meaningful ways and directing them to your website. It is then your website’s responsibility to let others know who you are, how you are different and how you can help!

3. They don’t keep the conversation going. Social media is a long-term play, so don’t think you will set up your Facebook page today and get 20 clients tomorrow. It takes time, dedication and using the platforms effectively in order for it to give you a return and help you get more clients and referrals. If someone makes a comment on a post or a tweet or a video, it is key to keep that conversation going and get others engaged. Social media is a two-way conversation, not a platform to say what you want to say and then never address the comment, video, etc. again.