Legal Internet Marketing Blog

It’s easy for law firms and attorneys to underestimate the effectiveness of Twitter for their online marketing. Typically, most of the news about the social media site surrounds the antics of celebrities such as Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and the like, so it’s understandable that many don’t see the value in using a Twitter account and tweets for marketing purposes. Recently, Hubspot released several statistics that help clarify and solidify the potential value of engaging with users on Twitter.

Did you know 75 million people use Twitter worldwide? While many may scoff at this number in comparison to Facebook’s 600 million users, there’s no denying the power of Twitter, whose users share information and actively participate with one another on a global scale. These users collectively generate approximately 140 million tweets per day in conversation. Twitter is a place where users are engaging with each other; whether it’s with friends, businesses, or celebrities. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of this dialogue?

Overall, about 7 percent of Americans are currently using Twitter, if you were curious what the activity level was here in the States. Again, compared with Facebook, which about 50 percent of Americans use, the percentage of Twitter users in the U.S. seems small. However, consider this—about 460,000 new Twitter accounts are added every day. It’s obvious that Twitter will continue to grow, and rapidly.

Also, about 42 percent of Twitter users use the social media platform to learn about new products and services from businesses, with 41 percent of them sharing their opinions about these products and services on Twitter. It’s essentially free advertising, which should be used to the advantage of businesses and law firms alike.

All of these are compelling reasons why attorneys and law firms should consider using Twitter to connect and engage with potential clients, as well as share relevant news about the firm and other matters that relate to their practice and location. There’s never been a better time to join the conversation!

Mashable recently released the results of a poll conducted in February of marketers in the United States and found that the majority of marketers view social media as an integral part of their marketing strategy for 2011, with 70 percent planning to increase their social media budget and activity by over 10 percent this year.

Overwhelmingly, the primary focus of the marketer’s social media goals was to increase Facebook fans and “Likes.” A whopping 35 percent said gaining more Facebook fans to their business page was their main goal for 2011. In response to the smartphone explosion, the second goal at 22 percent was to increase their business’ presence on mobile devices. The poll also found that 87 percent of marketers believed social media was either important, or very important, to accomplishing their biggest marketing goal for 2011.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that social media will continue to grow in popularity. In March of this year, LinkedIn surpassed 100 million users, and the number of Facebook users continues to increase, with the popular site now close to 550 million users. Whether you are a big name brand, a small startup company, or an established law firm, there’s no denying the power of social media in helping you to reach your target audience.

What marketing goals did your law firm set for 2011? With the year close to one-fourth over, are you on track to reaching those goals? If all this talk of social media marketing has left your head spinning, call SLS Consulting. For over 10 years, our Legal Internet marketing team has promoted law firms and attorneys from all over the U.S. using unique marketing plans, search engine optimization, customized content, and social networking. To learn how we can increase your law firm’s online presence, call us today at 323-254-1510.

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/04/19/marketers-social-media-spend/

In our last post, we discussed three of the top mistakes some law firms and small businesses make when it comes to marketing themselves on Facebook. We covered how some law firms broadcast their message on Facebook repetitively, instead of trying to engage their fans by giving them content that is interesting and relevant. We also addressed the importance of presenting the content in a varied manner; through video, status updates, articles, and more, to guarantee that fans won’t become bored and block the law firm’s Page. We also talked about how many attorneys don’t realize the substantial amount of time it takes to maintain their Facebook Page. Now, to conclude our two-part series, we will cover the least anticipated mistakes businesses and law firms should be sure to avoid.

1. Failing to learn enough about Facebook’s tools and mechanics. Law firms sometimes do not take enough advantage of the tools Facebook offers. Business Pages are able to create a custom welcome page, which many law firms and attorneys don’t do but should. Oftentimes the “Info” tab isn’t filled out fully, which can make Facebook users question whether a Page is legitimate. Another common mistake occurs when a law firm uploads a version of their logo to be their profile image but the resulting thumbnail image only shows their logo partially; resulting in the almost meaningless image as the law firm’s brand throughout Facebook.
2. Violating Facebook’s Terms of Use, whether accidentally or intentionally.
   It is critical to understand how Facebook works and what tools are available for attorneys and law firms, and it’s just as important to understand the rules of the social networking site. Most commonly, law firms create a personal page instead of a proper business Facebook Page, or don’t abide by the rules about holding contests. There are also strict rules about who can be “tagged” in a photo, and “tagging” someone without their permission is a big no-no. Doing so is not only a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use, but may result in a Page getting reported as abusive, which opens the content of a Page up for review by Facebook.

To avoid these common Facebook marketing mistakes, small businesses and law firms should be sure to invest time in learning about how Facebook operates. Facebook is a wonderful place for small businesses and law firms to make personal connections with their customers and clients.

If the idea of marketing your law firm on Facebook or another social media site is overwhelming and seems impossible, contact SLS Consulting. Our legal Internet marketing team has been promoting attorneys and law firms from across the country onto social networking sites and blogs for over 10 years. We have helped countless law firms and attorneys establish their online presence to obtain high visibility on search engines, while also creating and managing social networking sites to announce relevant news and other matters relating to a firm’s practice areas and location. Call us today to learn how we can help you grow your law firm’s visibility online.

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/

Facebook has become an integral part of the way businesses, including law firms, communicate with their audience and establish an online community. Whether a law firm is large or small, there is no denying the power this social networking site wields and the far-reaching impact it can have. However, many law firms, particularly the smaller ones, are still struggling when it comes to marketing themselves on Facebook. A recent article on Mashable discussed the top 5 mistakes made by small businesses when using Facebook for marketing. Read on for the first in a two-part series on what mistakes you should be sure your law firm avoids making.

1. “Broadcasting” your message rather than giving your fans content that is relevant and engaging. One of the wonderful things about Facebook is that it enables businesses of any size to employ word-of-mouth marketing that is effective. However, one of the cornerstones of Facebook is authenticity. If a law firm or practicing attorney fails to be authentic or engage with its fans in a way that doesn’t feel genuine; users see right through it and immediately lose interest. Facebook should be a place where a law firm is constantly interacting with and engaging fans; it’s not just a place to continuously broadcast the same message. When a user clicks the “Like” button, they’re looking for a connection, and it’s a law firm’s job to give them a reason to stay connected. Many law firms and various other businesses fail to recognize this and instead focus on how Facebook can make them money through connecting with potential clients.
2. Failing to invest adequate time into a Facebook marketing strategy.
   Another common mistake made by attorneys and law firms is underestimating the amount of time it takes to create and implement a successful Facebook marketing strategy. And who could blame you! Many people (wrongly) assume that simply setting up a Page on Facebook is all they need to do, thinking people will naturally migrate to their Page. Unlike traditional advertising, Facebook doesn’t just run a course—many steps are involved, and the Page needs to be constantly monitored and updated.
3. Being boring and/or predictable—both should be avoided!
   Too often, law firms and businesses forget that Facebook is a place where people share content they find interesting and relevant to their friends. Facebook is a social place—think about what content your target audience would want to share when you are planning your posts to your Page.

Law firms also need to avoid becoming too predictable; whether it’s sharing videos, photos, or simply updating your status as opposed to mixing it up. The moment things become too predictable, fans will hide the Page from their feed, or un-“Like” a Page. Keep things varied and try to be as personal as possible.

Check back with our blog later this week to learn more about law firm Facebook marketing!

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/

On March 30, search engine giant Google announced the +1 button, which will soon appear in Google search results next to links. When a user clicks the button for a link, Google defines this action as a “public stamp of approval,” as it recommends the link to all of their Gmail contacts. A user’s name also becomes associated with the link “in search, on ads, and across the web,” according to Google. In order to use the product, a user must have a Google Profile. The addition of this new tool from Google is one reason why having a Google Profile is important.

Aside from the obvious fact that the +1 button is another way for Google to compete head-to-head with Facebook, the company’s official reason for the product is that it will make search results on Google more relevant. Jim Prosser, Google’s representative, said that people typically consult with their friends and other people regarding their decisions, so integrating what users recommend to their contacts is an easy way to make Google search results more useful.

The +1 feature won’t be seen en masse for a few months, but for those who are interested in experimenting with the button right away are able to by visiting http://www.google.com/experimental. For now, only a small percentage of sites and searches will have the +1 button, according to Google. However, merely one day after the announcement of the tool, there were already reports that it had popped up on the web.

At this time, Google says the amount of +1s won’t affect search rankings on its search engine. However, according to Prosser it’s something Google is interested in integrating in some form at some point in the future.

Besides the invaluable fact of showing up in search results, Google has stated it plans to offer publishers a version of the button to allow readers to +1 something without leaving the site, comparable to Facebook’s like button, which is already installed on over 2 million websites. In spite of this similarity, Google’s button will likely have a large amount of appeal, particularly since the company says data from +1s will directly influence its market share dominating search rankings. Additionally, it is without a doubt that the new feature will spell bad news for content farms, as their content is far less likely to be shared by users.

Are you worried about the affect the +1 button may have on your website and its content? There’s never been a better time to invest in improving your law firm’s presence on the Internet, with the +1 button addition and Google’s recent algorithm change, to make sure you are doing the best you can to reach your target audience. Contact the Legal Internet marketing team at SLS Consulting by calling 323-254-1510 today for a free growth assessment.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/03/31/google.plus.one.mashable/index.html?hpt=Sbin, http://mashable.com/2011/03/30/everything-about-google-plus-1/