Can Attorneys Really Take Advantage of Social Media?

It is true that lawyers are getting cases from social media, but how? Let's break social media down into two very distinct categories and talk about ways to take advantage of each.

Offsite Social Media

This refers to your activity on actual social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. It is very important to build a community on these sites and treat the relationships that you create just like you would treat relationships in real life. Success on social media is as much about listening as it is about talking (or posting). Your followers and fans will likely be past clients rather than new clients, but that is not a bad thing. If these people feel that you did a good job for them, and you continue providing them with interesting information, they will be a great source of referrals. In the case of a website like LinkedIn, you can actually connect with other lawyers in different practice areas, which allows you to create a relationship and refer cases to each other.

Onsite Social Media

This often-forgotten piece of social media is the activity that is happening on your attorney website. If you don't have the Facebook "Like" button, the Twitter "Tweet" button, and the Google "+1" button, stop reading this article and get them on every page of your website. Search engines like Google and Bing openly admit that they use these at signals when ranking sites in search results. Getting a "social endorsement" is very similar to getting a link. It is a natural indicator that your site is interesting and worth checking out. Contact your webmaster right away if you aren't already taking advantage of this powerful tool.

Social media isn't easy; it requires time and effort. However, it is becoming more important all the time, especially for lawyers. You have the chance to let your potential clients get to know you as a person, which builds trust and is extremely important when it comes to conversion. To speak with a professional about social media for attorneys, call Foster Web Marketing at 888-886-0939.