Year after year, law firm marketing myths persist, particularly when it comes to social media. If you’ve been hesitant to set up a profile for any number of reasons, below are a few social myths debunked that may encourage you to take the next step.
Myth 1: My Firm Doesn’t Need to Be on Social Media
Truth: Irrespective of how you personally feel about using social media, your firm needs to have a presence on at least one platform. This doesn’t mean you need to be everywhere (read: you can forgo creating a Snapchat account), but having a social media presence on professionally focused platforms such as LinkedIn, encourages a genuine connection.
Another lingering social media myth is that Facebook can’t be used professionally. It’s true that depending on your practice area, Facebook may not be the go-to social platform for generating business, but consider that more than 65 percent of Americans have an account. That means more than 225 million Americans are on Facebook. Where else could you potentially meet more referral partners or clients? When used correctly, Facebook can open up business development opportunities.
Myth 2: ROI Can’t Be Measured from Social Media
Truth: Most social media platforms provide terrific metrics, including clicks, page/post views and likes. Advertising can be relatively inexpensive and can easily be measured against the time/labor the ads took to create. You’ll have to determine how you plan to measure your efforts, but social media marketing can be at least approximately measured, which is at times, the best you can hope for with campaigns.
Myth 3: Social Media Is Risky for My Firm
Truth: There is some risk in having social media pages, but that risk can and should be managed. Have a limited number of appointed team members who run the accounts, so there aren’t multiple attorneys or staff posting. Create an approval process so that one lone staff member isn’t deciding what should be posted to the firm’s account. Social media profiles should be regularly monitored to ensure that insensitive content does not appear on your pages.
While it may seem like forgoing social media due to these risks is a simple safeguard, the reality is there is a risk in being online in any capacity. Emails can be hacked; websites can be targeted and/or taken down and sensitive information can be accessed. Social media isn’t particularly riskier than other online activities.
Myth 4: Social Media Takes Up Too Much Time
Truth: While managing social media can feel like a full-time job, if you carve out a little time each day or week, it can be done. Consider planning your content several weeks or even months in advance and scheduling your posts accordingly. For timely, topical posts, such as sharing breaking verdicts or settlements, designate one team member in your office who will be responsible for posting as news happens. Set a maximum time allowance for your dedicated social media leader each week to ensure that the time spent online is maximized through engagement, liking, sharing, commenting or researching articles for future use.
Myth 5: Social Media Is Only Good for Pushing Out Content
Truth: Yes, social media is a great vehicle for sharing content, but those who subscribe to the belief that pushing out content is the only objective of social media will likely find that their results suffer. When it comes to social media, you get what you give, in a manner of speaking. If you only pop up occasionally on social media to showcase a big win or to boast about an award without acknowledging comments from others, replying to questions or supporting the community, your metrics are sure to disappoint. After all, it’s not calling “bragging” media, it’s called “social” media—so engage!
Myth 6: Social Media Won’t Bring in Business
Truth: Social media makes no promises about delivering new clients or positively impacting your bottom line; however, there are some facts that simply can’t be disputed. For example, according to the 2017 State of Digital and Content Marketing Survey, nearly 75 percent of in-house counsel use LinkedIn as a tool for staying abreast of topical developments. Moreover, almost 50 percent of social media traffic directed to your law firm’s website will come from LinkedIn. By creating credible, useful content to share on social sites such as LinkedIn (which boasts more than 530 million user profiles), you’re casting a wide marketing net, where the opportunities for business development are in abundance.
