Get Online, or Get Lost
Last month the NWSidebar posted a great blog entitled “The Evolution of Online Marketing for Lawyers: Don’t Get Left Behind.” The post talked about the importance of lawyers implementing online marketing tools to grow their business.
The blog post offered a few tips to help attorneys get started with their personal online presence, I’d like to add these online marketing tips to the list:
Before going online
- Develop a plan. Prior to setting up a LinkedIn profile or sending a Tweet, think about the big picture. What is it that you want to accomplish? You may want to look around and see what other firms are doing with their online marketing as well. Brand consistency is key. While your social media presence does not have to be as formal as your website, it’s important to be consistent. Remember to set goals and figure out what online marketing success looks like to you and your firm.
- Research. All social media and online marketing tools are not created equal. Your firm may not have a need for an Instagram page. Remember: just because it’s available, doesn’t mean it’s for you. You know who your clients are and what is most appealing to them, use this knowledge to effectively develop your online marketing efforts.
Getting started online
- Find a social media management tool. Many lawyers avoid having an online presence because it seems time consuming and tedious. However, with the right social media management tool, it’s a piece of cake. Social media management tools allow you to post to various networks at one time, schedule posts in advance and view all your streams simultaneously. Hootsuite and Tweet Deck are both effective social media management tools. Social media is great for your online marketing because your online network will give you access to clients that you couldn’t reach otherwise.
- Consider blogging. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself as an industry expert and thought leader. This goes along with NWSidebar’s advice to “write all of your content.” Blogging is conversational and will allow readers to get a sense of who you are.
Online marketing is becoming increasingly popular. Those who have implemented social media and mobile-friendly website platforms will be the most successful. It’s rare to have someone look to the yellow pages to find an attorney. Your potential clients are searching for you online. What will they find?
Monisha Yowell is the Marketing Coordinator for Lawyers Mutual. Monisha connects Lawyers Mutual with our insureds and the legal community through the use of social media. You can reach Monisha at 800.662.8843 or monisha@lawyersmutualnc.com.
Sources:
http://nwsidebar.wsba.org/2014/09/15/online-marketing-lawyers/
Recommended reading:
"The Lawyers Guide to Marketing on the Internet” by Gregory Siskind. This title is available in our lending library
