The marketing landscape is covered in so-called social media “experts” — some of whom are good at what they do but most have no business calling themselves an expert at anything but obfuscation.

We should approach self-proclaimed social media experts with a healthy dose of skepticism. There are  three rules for separating the experts from the BS artists:

1. Make sure their claims are backed up by their numbers.

2. Make sure they have been where you want to go.

3. Make sure they know how to replicate their success.

Here are thoughts  on how attorneys should vet any individual or company they are thinking of entrusting with their marketing, social media or otherwise:

1. Do they specialize in working with attorneys? Attorneys have legal rules and ethics they must follow. If you hire someone who doesn’t know those rules and ethical boundaries, it can get you in trouble!

2. How many attorneys have they worked with? Over the past 12+ years, we have worked with over 18,000 attorneys. That is a quantifiable number and one you should solicit from any person or company that you are considering to help market your firm.

3. Who asks them to speak as an expert on the topic? I’ve spoken for 35 of the largest state and local bar associations on legal marketing for more than a decade. When the State Bar of California—the largest bar in the nation with 250,000 members– recognized it needed to reach more of its members via social media, guess who they hired? We set up, run and manage their entire social media presence now and I make annual presentations at their Solo and Small Firm Summits.

4. How big is their social media footprint? We have over 200,000 followers on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

5. Do they have a successful track record? We have helped over 18,000 attorneys learn how to double their revenues and increase their referrals. We have probably helped more attorneys break the 7-figure barrier than anyone else in the nation. Ask them to show you specifically what they have done for other law firms and ask to speak to a few attorneys they have represented so you can get a true picture of their capabilities and ability to deliver.

6. Do they have a blueprint plan or is it just hit or miss? We have Social Media blueprint that helps guide  clients to success.

7. How big is their team? Is it just them? What happens if they go on vacation or get hit by a bus? At The Rainmaker Institute, we have a team of five social media specialists who do nothing but social media for our attorney clients. They are true experts in the industry.

They say you get what you pay for, but we all know that is not always true, especially when it comes to marketing. Be sure you know exactly what you will be getting before you hire your next “expert.”