iIf you feel as if you need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the world of social media, you are not alone. Most people fear what they do not know — and old traditions die hard, especially when it comes to the practice of law.
We focus a lot on teaching social media strategies to attorneys. Because social media is here to stay, and consumers are using it more and more to search for solutions to their legal issues. Becoming proficient at the use of social media to reach your target market is a powerful and inexpensive way to market your law firm. But I understand the hesitation.
Here are four of the most common fears I hear from attorneys:
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“I don’t have enough time.” You don’t have to spend a lot of time on social media for it to benefit your firm. Choose one or two social media networks where your target market is most likely to be found — for B2C attorneys, the #1 network is Facebook; for B2B attorneys, it’s LinkedIn. Then spend about 15 minutes a day on creating a post about something of interest to your target market.
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“I don’t know what my ‘voice’ should be.” The voice in your posts should be yours. It should sound human, not corporate. Have your personality and opinions reflect your firm’s marketing strategy and values.
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“I don’t know what to post.” Think about the top 10 problems clients have that you solve, and create posts with solutions to those problems. You can then turn those posts into a free report. How-to articles and Q&A’s are great ways to showcase your expertise as well. Share interesting and informative articles you’ve found that your audience can relate to, and ask questions to start conversations.
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“I’m worried about negative comments.” Yes, there are some trolls out there who will leave a negative remark every now and then. If it has merit, then you’ve just learned something about how you can improve your service. If it doesn’t have merit, don’t worry — it’s an opportunity to respond professionally to show you care enough to engage. And if it’s just off the wall, no one will pay it any mind.
The point in engaging in social media for law firms is to create trust through demonstrating your legal expertise and your concern for those who have problems you can help solve. Once you become a trusted voice, people are more inclined to interact with you offline — and those are the interactions that can turn prospects into clients.
