Another great article on “Social Media” No No’s. I have said this many times and will continue to beat the drum, social media marketing needs a clear defined plan. Willy-nilly social media programs are not the correct way to market.
outlets, to business professionals, small and big businesses, to musicians, artists and other individual people both young and old have jumped on the social media bandwagon. When creating a marketing campaign, no matter what the business is, social media is an obvious choice for those who wish to expand their reach beyond that of the local phone book. Given that social media is still quite new to the business arena, there are many opportunities missed because of common yet avoidable mistakes. On February 18th I wrote an article on the Top 10 Mistakes Businesses Make with Social Media. Since then I have written several articles on Attorney Marketing and Brand Building and Common Marketing Mistakes Attorneys Make Part one and Part two. However, today I would like to speak specifically to the use of social media by attorneys and the common yet avoidable mistakes attorneys often make.Now of course, because I am not an attorney I will not speak to the ethical implications of using social media. However, since social media has become so widespread amongst attorneys, the American Bar Association is now addressing the ethical implications of social media as part of the ABA Commission on Ethics. Even those who follow ethical standards to the letter are not immune to making some of the biggest mistakes attorneys can make when using social media, which not only may result in missed opportunities, but will also result in your time and efforts being wasted.
The fact of the matter is that social media is the same as all other forms of traditional marketing in that if you do not use it right, or you do not use the right mix, then it will not work for you. An attractive, comprehensive, professional and well written website is an absolute MUST for any business including attorneys and law firms. But having a website alone, will not guarantee new clients. Your website, coupled with a mix of traditional marketing and a well thought out and active social media plan will most certainly give you the results you seek. Following are ten of the most common yet avoidable mistakes attorneys make when using social media and some pointers on what you can do to avoid them.
The absolute biggest mistake attorneys make with social media are —
Not Using Social Media
You are already fully aware that as attorney’s all you have to sell is your time. More often than not, attorneys look at social media as being an ineffective, time consuming endeavor. However, by not leveraging social media as part of your marketing endeavors, you are inevitably missing out on business that other attorneys who use social media will get instead. Yes, social media is not a get right quick endeavor. Rather it is more like a garden, where you must cultivate your land by doing your research first, plow your fields, by building your profiles, plant the seeds by starting to reach out to prospective clients and tend to your garden everyday by engaging new clients and developing new relationships. If you treat your social media as you would a prized garden, in time, you will be able to bear the fruits of your labor.
No Clear Objectives and Not Setting Goals
Do you know who your audience is or where you can reach the greatest number of people within your target market? Do you know what you want to accomplish using social media, whether it is to get new clients, build credibility or showcase your expertise? How much time will you set aside each day and each week to commit to your social media campaign? These are some of the many questions that need to be addressed when planning a social media campaign, before getting started. When well thought out, social media can be very rewarding to your overall business objectives. Jumping right in with no objectives, plans and goals can be a huge time sink ultimately resulting in lost business opportunities and lost revenue.