I know that when it comes to the law practice (and consumer law/personal injury), it's much different than selling shoes. Alas, some so called 'social media experts' do not understand that. Imagine if Zappos.com the shoe sales site had to actually have its employees sit and take a licensing test in order for shoes to be sold in Florida?
That takes me to the subject of social media for lawyers. I will tell you that I have spoken more than a dozen time at lawyer CLE courses about law and technology, and marketing in the 21st century using the web. First and foremost I find that at least in terms of lawyers in the injury field, many lawyers get an "F" grade just for their websites. Lawyers with blogs? Right. I would say 10-15% blog, and of those less than half blog regularly.
So, why dive into social media marketing headlong, like Rene Perras suggests in this article, "Social Media is Crucial to Law Firm Marketing Efforts?"
It's easy. You don't. I will accept at face value for the sake of this post that the statement that "Currently, there are over 500 million active users on Facebook, who spend over $700 billion a month" is correct. There is a Twitter reference as well. Law services -- sticking again to the injury law practice - is not like buying books on Amazon.
Parras then goes on to write what I think is just plain bullsh*t: "Cepac uses specialized approaches to find online conversations people are having that are relevant to law firms to capture potential clients."
Remember myspace.com? Three to four years ago, the buzz was you and your firm had better get on myspace or you'd be roadkill. Folks who were 'experts' insisted to me that I had better get with it. Now, a new .com, but the same old verse. What happens in 3 years if FB goes away?
For lawyers, you make mistake number one if you or your firm go to Social Media first without taking an honest assessment of your website and the message the site conveys. Oh, I also have news for you. Now law firms (like mine) have multiple websites, niche sites, and blogs. Combined with a sensible google adwords approach, those are the touchstones to the tech/internet approach to marketing on the web.
Where does Social Media fall? Let's compare: I have almost 2700 tweets since jumping into Twitter in December of 2008. I have almost 1900 followers. Zero cases. In fact, since I have started, only one lead.
Now, look at my firm's blog network, including this one and the others. In a typical week, my firm will post 2-10 times on any given subject or set of subjects. By the end of each month, we average more than 50 calls or emails a month, and usually meet with and are retained by no less than 15 new clients. A month.While there is a cost in terms of posting time, there is zero cost for google adwords.
Google adwords has --separate and apart from the blogs - helped the firm prosper. Huge successes. Right now, though -- today -- there are firms wasting thousands on google with crooked and incompetent vendors. Start there if not with blogs. In Georgia, at the top of the results is a sponsored link for a firm - seeking a very niche client - that not only is based in California, but the firm (who I called) will not even accept a case in GA. Does that sound wise to you? Lawyers, however, will pore over a grocery bill and argue about being overcharged for milk, but won't ask why thousand of $$ are being spent on the web in areas other than your practice zone, or will spend money on adwords that don't generate leads, and don't question their vendor. Start there. I will tell you that I actually make fun of certain firms that simply don't get it when it comes to google adwords. Learn it!
Now what about Social Media? Twitter to me is good for information gathering. I'm able to direct folks to our firm blogs for news.
Facebook? I've tried it a bit with a business page at the beginning of the year. Advertise on FB? We do. Just like we have ad buys on linkedin.com. For a biz page or other page, however, you and your firm are foolhardy if you hire some person out of the blue to handle SM. Beware the 'experts' in the area.
Social media is like that new client who walks in the door. Do the research on your own. Biz lawyers call it due diligence. Don't allow yourself to get your eyes glazed over and let someone else do it for some price Roll up your sleeves and spend no less than 50 hours on sites like I have (and I may be your competition) first.
Never mind that what Parras suggests would possibly be unethical in some states. In Florida, you're not even permitted to have on your own website a page about verdicts without first posting a "warning" page ahead of it that the user acknowledges that the page is deemed an ad before viewing. Never mind that lawyers who are not licensed in Mississippi who wind up with info that may reach citizens there could risk a criminal charge.
My advice: Look very closely at the substance before rushing headlong into SM. Perhaps toutmeisters who seek SM clients might look up the definition of "crucial" - "Extremely significant or important. " Better yet: "Vital." None of those words in my view would marry up with lawyers, their practices and 'social media.'
I will tell you this: Look at Social Media closely. It's crucial that you don't make a costly mistake.
