Social media is the way people connect today and you want your law firm to be in the thick of it. But if you’re a newbie to social media for business, then there are 9 social media “musts” you need to follow to connect with your target market:
#1: Define your target.
Defining a target market is critical for any marketing initiative, and even more so when you use social media. These days, Facebook is pretty much for everyone and the space is crowded. You will probably not make much of an impression if you just try for organic reach; you’ll have to add Facebook advertising into the mix as well. If you’re a B2B attorney, then LinkedIn is a key network for you. If you market primarily to women, check out Pinterest. Define your target market by demographics and then see which social networks come closest to attracting those audiences.
#2: Narrow your networks.
You don’t need to be everywhere; you just need to be where your target market is on social media. Start out your social media marketing program with two platforms and post to them regularly.
#3: Scrutinize metrics.
The top social media platforms have built-in reports — Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, LinkedIn Analytics — that tell you which posts resonate with followers. Scour them to keep refining and building on successful messaging that hits the mark with your target audience.
#4: Tailor your content.
Every platform has its own conventions, so familiarize yourself with what works where. Photos work on Instagram and Pinterest; link to a compelling blog post on other platforms but use different visuals — video if you can — to keep your followers engaged on multiple levels.
#5: Check your timing.
The best time to post on social media is when your target market is actively participating. This infographic shows the optimal times for posting on several different platforms:
Credit: Zenesys
#6: Less is more.
Twitter already limits the number of characters you can use in your posts, but other platforms don’t — although research shows that shorter posts do better. In fact, short posts on Facebook (250 characters or less) get 66% more engagement than longer ones. If you’ve got a lot to say, write a blog post and then link to it with a short, 1-2 sentence summary.
#7: Use visuals and video.
Posts with arresting visuals — photos, graphics, or video — get more than twice the engagement than posts that are purely text. Social media has evolved to be all about the visual, especially video.
#8: Go beyond basic with your bio.
Your bio is your face to the social media world, so make it compelling. Show your human side by including photos of your people and office, and include some persuasive content that will speak directly to your target audience, like why you do what you do.
#9: Follow the 80/20 rule.
Social media is about promoting your law firm subtly, which means that 80% of your posts should be content of interest to your target audience and only 20% should be about you or your firm.
