Social Media: Legal Business Development c
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How Law Firms Approach Social Media
Social Media for Business Development MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL MEDIA Awareness Interest Desire Hire Source: Fred Cavazza.net
Old Paradigm Call a colleague Look in Martindale Lawyers R Us Read a printed news-letter Go to a seminar
New Paradigm Watch a YouTub e video Follow a banner ad See a Twitter post Read a blog Lawyers R Us Call a colleagu e Get 16 alerts on a topic Do a Google search See a firm on LinkedIn Attend a webinar
Social World Facts Social media is cool but no Managing Partner that I know will fund cool Management wants business developed as inexpensively as possible
Social World Facts Legal sales are relationship sales and social media helps everyone create and sustain relationships, especially I types Firms HAVE generated REVENUE from integrated social media strategies. Most commonly through blogs integrated with other social mediums AmLaw 100, watch out, Social Media has leveraged the playing field!
Are We All Just Doing It Wrong? Evolution of Legal Marketing: Individual lawyers siloed with no marketing Focus on only marketing the firm New world order: Individual attorneys and firms must be marketed and support each other Its time to shake things up!
SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDY
Integrated Social Strategy = Revenue Problem: Differentiate market leading Corporate Social Responsibility practice from consulting firms & educate clients/prospects on why they a lawyer should do this work Tools: Sr. Associate who was devoted to business development, liked to write & interested in social media Tactics: Developed a blog, Leveraged twitter, strategic online advertising, LinkedIn and the firm s social media platforms Result: New business from one Fortune 100 company that did not know about us until they saw our blog content and asked to pitch to another
CSR Blog Developed www.csrandthelaw.com
Online Targeted Advertising
Attorney and Firm Tweets
Highlight on Firm s Social Channels
Firm Google+
Referral Sources to CSR Blog Content Sources 1. foleyhoag.com 1,150 4.02 2. google.com 508 2.77 3. lexology.com 262 3.35 4. business.humanrights.org 249 3.28 5. facebook.com 137 3.10 6. google.co.in 121 2.55 7. google.co.uk 115 2.65 8. twitter.com 103 2.65 9. thecorporatecounsel.net 84 4.23 10. lexology.intranet.gbp.co.uk 78 2.85
Market Success Stories Internally
SOME BEST PRACTICES
The primary social channel for law firms and attorneys as it is deemed Safe and Professional Has it become just a recruiting tool and is it really safe? Reviews/references can be very dangerous for lawyers For firm sites Option to post Specialties should be turned off
Firm Page No Specialties Section
Firm Tweets Many firms are holding their Twitter name but not using it Designate one person, with support, to be the voice of the firm. Ideally the CMO as we have ultimate responsibility for our brand Tweet alert/blog content but mix it up RT attorneys and others Interact with clients and organizations Follow people important to your firms practice Follow clients and mention them TweetDeck and Hootsuite allow you to share message across platforms DO NOT install firms account on your phone or ipad.
Fan Gate Start interactions with calls to action
Tell who you are If you do not tell your story, Facebook will do it for Easy way to communicate with law students, laterals and some alumni Post events Feed from website Post Blogs and client alerts Post recruiting content Use Call to Actions Encourage firm to like the page. Attorneys are friends with great prospects. Easy way for them to know about where their friends work we know they forget to tell them!
Tweeting Lawyers Support attorneys to tweet If they tweet about work or RT the firm, they should indicate that they work at the firm. To leverage Twitter for business you must have a personality on it RT others Engage in appropriate twitter chats Do not be afraid to insert personal content/interests
Blogs Create fresh content that engages readers without crossing the line Require existing content and editorial schedule Review comments but allow them and RESPOND Do not micro-manage attorneys but require conflict checks if company names are used Encourage/require attorneys to market on their personal social platforms Monitor activity
Remember Social Media IS about a longer-term marketing and communication strategy Social Media IS a tool in the marketing/communication toolbox that can be leveraged for disseminate our message to the broadest possible audience Social Media IS a tool that allows consumers of our service to consume information in the manner that THEY choose Marketers who embrace social media will out distance competition, build community following and boost loyalty Social networking is essential to professional service firms for business development and marketing reasons. Forrester Research 2008
Tracking Clients Your clients are someone else s prospects. If they are on social channels, they expect you to be as well If you are not tracking them, someone else may be Connect on LinkedIn, FB Follow on Twitter and monitor what the people and companies you follow say!