As social media begins to progress from infancy to adolescence, its role in digital marketing continues to expand. Your firm needs to begin thinking of social media in an entirely new light. It’s no longer enough to simply post a link on Facebook or Tweet a recent settlement. You should view social media as a way to interact directly with potential clients ― to engage with them on a personal level and stress what makes your firm more appealing and effective than your competitors. With that in mind, let’s examine some of the recent trends in social networking and how you can leverage them to create more brand awareness and expand your client base.
The Slow Decay of Organic Search
In the early days of Facebook, marketers were attracted by the ability to build large communities and then keep those communities engaged by posting content that was published in their News Feeds. In recent years, however, we have seen a precipitous decline in the organic reach of content published on branded pages, and it appears inevitable that we are headed toward the total dissolution of organic reach on Facebook (and perhaps other platforms as well).
So how can your firm continue to benefit from Facebook? Does the platform still have value in an inorganic landscape? Of course it does! Unfortunately, it will now cost to create and seize these opportunities by “boosting” your posts to reach a larger audience. Luckily, you don’t have to spend much to reap a substantial return – targeted clicks can be achieved for pennies, literally. Still, those pennies do add up, so it’s important that your spend is carefully calculated and that your social media tactics are part of a larger strategy.
Integrated Channels
It’s also important to remember that the elements of your marketing strategy should work in unison. They are each vital, individual parts of a larger collective sum that cannot be fully realized without cross-channel promotion. As more and more new channels are being invented, it becomes even more essential to coordinate and cross-promote.
As it relates to social media, every time you receive a form submission, regardless of what action that submission was designed to prompt (e-Book download, free consultation, etc.), you should also seek their permission to add them on social media via an automated email. Once these leads have been added to your social audience, they will receive content that is specifically tailored for them, which should hopefully prompt them to engage with your content and visit your site.
Reviews Galore!
Perhaps no other industry values positive reviews more so than the legal profession. Word of mouth is the lifeblood of your firm, and building a strong brand and strong reputation are absolutely vital to your growth and success.
Two interesting statistics that speak to the importance of online reviews:
- Nearly 50% of people ask friends, family, and/or legal professionals for suggestions when seeking representation.
- Nearly 90% of people trust online reviews as much as they do personal referrals from their family and friends.
This means that online reviews are not only viewed as trusted resources but also that it’s safe to assume the vast majority of your potential clients will be reading them before hiring you to represent them. Still, despite the importance of online reviews, most firms have yet to begin harvesting positive and sincere online reviews from their former and current clients. Any firm interested in significantly expanding their client base should be focusing their marketing strategy on collecting these reviews from the following sites:
- Avvo
- Yelp
Your firm should add a dedicated page to your primary website that directs users to the sites listed above. By creating a dedicated virtual space to collect reviews, you will be able to subtly direct your clients to leave reviews and link to this page from your social media sites and within the text of your blogs and emails. In addition to being an exceptional reputation enhancement tool, reviews can be repurposed as top-notch testimonials on your website and promotional materials.
Up Periscope!
By now, we’re all well aware that video content is internet gold. It’s simple for users to ingest, and it personalizes your firm by pairing friendly faces with familiar names. It provides a major boon to your SEO efforts and is easily sharable through a number of platforms. And now, there’s an entirely new app focusing exclusively on video content distribution: Periscope.
Owned by and compatible with Twitter, Periscope is a live streaming mobile app that allows users to broadcast their experiences and share them with the world. In a basic sense, it’s very similar to Skype but instead of engaging in a one-on-one conversation with a friend or loved one, Periscope allows you to create a video dialogue with the masses. The implications that this new platform has for legal marketing are too numerous to count, but it provides the perfect medium through which you can educate your target audience and inform potential clients of your expertise, experience, and reputation.
Contact LaFleur Today!
At LaFleur, we are well aware of the changing tides of online engagement and interaction, and we recognize the opportunities created by recent trends in social networking. We pride ourselves on remaining at the forefront of emerging social tools and user behavior, and we are committed to placing your firm in a position to leverage their immense influence. Please contact us today by completing this simple form or by calling (888) 222-1512 to learn more!
References:
Alvarez, G. (2016, January 19). The top 8 digital marketing trends for law firms in 2016. Good2BSocial. Retrieved from https://good2bsocial.com/the-top-8-digital-marketing-trends-for-law-firms-in-2016/
Jusino, K. (2015, November 17). Social media tactics for law firms. ChatterBuzz. Retrieved from http://chatterbuzzmedia.com/blog/social-media-tactics-for-law-firms/
Tsakalakis, G. (2016, January 22). Social media marketing trends in 2016. attorneyatwork. Retrieved from https://www.attorneyatwork.com/social-media-marketing-trends-2016/
Related Articles:
- Tech Transformations
- Create an Email Marketing Strategy for Your Law Firm in 4 Easy Steps
- Exercising Discretion: Avoiding Epic Social Media Fails