Social media provides great opportunities to boost your law firm’s brand and establish your reputation online — when it’s used correctly. While tweeting at 3 a.m. is already seen as a less-than-advantageous way of getting your message out, what hurts your brand most is relaying incorrect or inaccurate information about your firm, not optimizing your social media profiles, and not being active or engaging on those profiles.

The following summarizes what we’ve already discussed about how social media can potentially ruin your firm’s brand:

FAIL: You Don’t Claim Your Profiles

As I stated in my post The A.R.T. of Social Media for Lawyers, nearly three-quarters of American adults are using social media on their desktops or their mobile phones, and that number is always rising. By claiming your social media profiles, you begin to to create a social presence that supports your law firm’s goals.

References:

• Steps to Verify Your Law Firm’s Facebook Business Profile
  Follow these simple steps to verify your law firm’s Facebook business profile.
• Steps to Verify Your Law Firm’s Twitter Profile
  See what qualifications and steps are required to verify your law firm’s Twitter account.
• Steps to Verify Your Law Firm’s LinkedIn Profile
  Learn about the requirements you must meet to add a Company Page on LinkedIn.
• Five Mistakes Lawyers Make Online
  Follow these steps to claim your Google My Business listing.

FAIL: You Don’t Optimize Your Profiles

Potential customers or referrals review the credentials of lawyers and law firms on social media every day. The more a user knows about you, the more you help them in their decision-making process. Your social media profiles act as your online business card, storefront and elevator pitch all in one place. Make sure your profiles provide a direct representation of your law firm and the services you provide.

References:

• Are You Guilty of Missing Out on These Facebook Opportunities?
  Learn about the optimization opportunities found on the layout of your Facebook page to best support your law firm’s brand.
• Are You Guilty of Missing Out on These Twitter Opportunities?
  Learn about optimizing the limited opportunities of your law firm’s Twitter profile.
• Are You Guilty of Missing Out on These LinkedIn Opportunities?
  Learn how your law firm’s LinkedIn Company Page is a powerful tool to make new connections, get referrals, generate leads, and build your brand.
• Nine Mistakes You’re Making on Your Google My Business Listing
  Learn how to properly optimize your law firm’s Google My Business listing to make your firm more attractive to potential clients.

FAIL: You Don’t Target Your Marketing Message to the Correct Social Media Platform

Do you know which demographics use which social media platform? This will help you determine what content to share, when to share it, and where to share it. You should develop strong marketing statements across each of your social media profiles, making sure that those messages are consistent with your law firm’s goals and the audience for that platform. And you should not be sharing the same content in the same manner across all your platforms. For example, hashtags work well on Twitter and Google+, but failed to gain traction on Facebook, and should never be used on LinkedIn.

References:

• Strong Marketing Statements Make a Quick and Powerful Impression
  Your marketing statement clearly and succinctly describes what your firm has to offer prospective clients.
• Overcoming the Short Attention Spans of … Oh Look, a Squirrel!
  Even though this post applies to your Lawyers.com profile, many of its philosophies about creating an engaging profile should be applied to your social media profiles.

FAIL: You Don’t Share Engaging Content

Engaging content inspires discussion and action. You can easily spruce up your social media posts with images, catchy titles, and most importantly, your insight, to try to get the conversation started.

References:

• Curated Content Doesn’t Create as Much Value as You Do!
  Learn how to stand out from the crowd by adding value to your content curation.
• Three Tips for Getting Your Firm Liked on Facebook (see #3: Post engaging content)
  Learn how to get your audience talking to strengthen relationships and build others.

FAIL: You Don’t Respond to Comments/Reviews

We have spent a lot of time discussing the importance of reviews and how to respond to them. The same rule should apply to comments on your social media profiles. Remember: the whole point of social media is to allow sharing and discussion. Become part of your online community by responding to comments, questions and concerns posted to your profile.

References:

• Making Online Reviews Work for You, Part II – Save T.H.E.M.
  Learn how responding to reviews shows your firm’s commitment to customer service.
• Making Online Reviews Work for You, Part I – Responding to Reviews
  Learn why an online review is only the beginning of the conversation.

FAIL: You Are Not Being You

Does your law firm come across as human or just a list of posts? It is vital to humanize your law firm’s brand so you can build meaningful relationships with your potential clients.

Reference:

• 3 Ways That Lawyers Can Be People Too on Social Media
  Learn how to let your individuality shine through on your social media posts.

FAIL: You Are Not Being Active

The social media landscape is a level playing field. Incomplete or inactive social media profiles give visitors little reason to like, follow, or choose your law firm. If you are unsure where to begin, we can help you start.

Reference:

• Martindale-Hubbell Social Starter
  Let our Social Media Team efficiently manage your law firm’s social media presence.

Take Advantage of These Opportunities Today

Social media is a land of opportunity. Don’t miss out on potential clients because you’re afraid it’s too difficult or time-consuming to engage them through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn. By understanding how these platforms work and how you can make use of them, you can establish your brand and control your message.