There are several prominent social media platforms that offer San Francisco Bay Area law firms unique ways to reach new and existing clients. Instead of relying solely on a website, firms can take advantage of Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to communicate their area of expertise, what they’re working on this week, and what it’s like to work on their team.
There are numerous questions on the proper use and benefits of Social Media:
- How much information is too much?
- What type content should our firm share?
- Who do we target with our posts?
Piedmont Avenue Consulting, Inc. works with law firms of all sizes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to develop social media strategies that increase their client portfolio, grow their revenues and increase their brand awareness in the marketplace. We believe that law firms should embrace social media as a component of their marketing strategy. Below are four tips and strategies for law firms to use to improve their social media presence.
Microblogging
Law firms can create microblogs on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook to help create social interactions with consumers and potential consumers. A microblog consists of small or short content posted on social media platforms and can include short sentences, a photo with a quick caption or a question for followers. The most infamous microblog platform is Twitter with its 140-character limit. Law firms can take advantage of microblogs by sharing a photo of their office’s seating area, its partners or a team event, they can create a link to a blog post discussing a hot topic in the law, or sharing other information related to their area of expertise. Businesses can use platforms such as Hootsuite and Buffer to manage all their social media accounts and schedule future updates. These applications allow firms to not only plan ahead for future posts, but to share the information across multiple social media platforms.
Blog Posts
Lots of businesses and firms shy away from posting blog articles, but this is an untapped area where firms can share legal expertise without missing out on potential clients or revenues. Blog articles can be written by a lawyer, paralegal or even an intern on a topic area that is up-and-coming, top of mind based on the time of year, or contentious. For example, changes in the California legal landscape over marijuana use, and the evolving and dynamic real estate market in San Francisco Bay Area, present opportunities for law firms to comment on the topic, offer a few points of sage advice, and recommend that the reader, a potential client, contacts the firm for more information. This is a great way to demonstrate a firm’s commitment to staying abreast of current trends, and sharing knowledge with interested people. Blog posts don’t have to take a lot of time to write either. Visit our blog to learn the 7 tips and tricks for writing blog articles.
Partnerships
Social media presents a unique opportunity to boost partnerships with related organizations. Firms can ‘tag’ other businesses in a social media post on Twitter or Instagram, which expands the firms’ reach to new clients, and opens the door to a reciprocal relationship from a partnering firm. Tagging an Oakland-based insurance company in a post containing tips of things to avoid, can boost your reputation and encourage clients to contact you in the future. Firms could also say thank-you to a local restaurant that provided lunch on a training day, and give credit to the training team for their informative session. These types of messages will reach new consumers, and also influence those businesses to reach out for future litigious needs.
Manage Pages
One of the most overlooked aspects of social media is a firm’s social media page. All law firms, and businesses, should conduct Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn searches to see whether or not their firm has a business page on these sites. Sometimes, a former employee may have created a page for your firm with good intentions, but may not have left the login information to update the content or contact information for these pages. In other cases, there may be multiple pages for each of a firm’s office locations in Walnut Creek, Sacramento and Richmond with inconsistent logos or messaging. We recommend that firms take control of their social media pages and consolidate them into one page for all locations. Login information should be managed by one source or team so that the information maintained on all platforms is consistent, up-to-date and accurate. Having an accurate LinkedIn page allows all of your employees to be connected to your organization, enhances Search Engine Optimization, and conveys a professional image to users which may include future clients or employees.
These four easy tips will help your law firm build its online presence through Social Media. Still need help? Piedmont Avenue Consulting, Inc. offers expert advice on key areas of Social Media and has helped many law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area with their needs. Please contact us today so we can specifically discuss your businesses unique needs.
