By Kipp Lanham, Senior Account Executive for Media & Communications Strategies, Inc.
October arrives and Halloween enthusiasts get revved up for the post-office parties, original costumes, and trick-or-treaters. Law firms don’t need a witches’ magic spell to trick individuals into buying into the firm, its practice, and attorneys: they have social media. We certainly don’t want to get burned at the stake for sharing our “secret recipe” as happened in Disney’s Hocus Pocus! We’ll just use a dash of LinkedIn, a hefty portion of Twitter, and taste of Vimeo. All with the goal to propose applicable tactics to appeal to various audiences, meeting marketing mix goals.
1. Shared Content – Shared content from the firm’s content engine will be the prime resource for maximizing the various social media platforms of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Vimeo. This content can include client alerts, press releases, white papers, interview transcripts, blog posts, legal rankings, and more. The trick is to be creative and inventive with how the information is shared. Is there a picture that could accompany the content? Is there a historical anniversary coinciding with the post that can be teased? There are endless possibilities depending on how imaginative you are within the comfort zone of the law firm’s partners. Having a sense of humor and human face to the Twitter and LinkedIn platforms offers a stronger appeal to potential clients if timed appropriately. Using images and video can also help breakdown down complicated legal jargon in a more simplistic manner. Of course, there is the place for the professional tone and take. Video is even more appealing if the attorney has had a broadcast interview with prominent media or as simple as a marketing coordinator doing a quick Q & A on an iPhone to highlight the importance of recent court decision or shift affecting one of the firm’s practice areas and the interests of a target industry or clientele.
2. Branding the Firm – The questions that come to mind when using Twitter, LinkedIn, or Vimeo comes down to who are the faces of the firm? What are the key practices currently strongest for business development or prestige? Where is there an unlikely diamond in the rough that could capture the interest of a reporter or the blogosphere? Answering these questions will help position the firm with a clear vision of what its brand is and how that brand is perceived by the social media user.
3. Thought Leadership – Every firm has an “all star” or “dark horse” at each level of experience and expertise. LinkedIn with its various groups and publication elements provides firms to feature these top attorneys as magnets for what is moving and shaking in their practice area. A picture and an article that quickly grasps the meaning of topic of relevance without sabotaging the legal value to the reader is always good post.
It is an opportunity for internal communications to strategize how to move the firm’s all-star and dark horse forward to get them visibility and garner greater credibility for legal rankings, business referrals, leadership opportunities in vertical markets and organizations. Younger, rising stars at the firm could benefit from such a push to help lay a foundation for the future of the firm for potential leadership and keeping them involved and included in serving as advocates for the firm as a whole.
4. Teeing-up Events – Whether a key industry trade show your firm is hosting or speaking at or news event, teeing up such activities in an intriguing manner can attract followers and viewers. Knowing who is affected by the events such as related reporters or industry leaders and starting conversations with them on Twitter or in groups on LinkedIn can inform about why such audiences should pay attention to your firm and the attorneys involved. The treat is offering an incentive to them to opt in for what is ahead as you get closer to the event, during, and after. This could involve the use of a contest or giveaway such as a trip, a sponsorship, a consultation, or other service that would benefit a follower/viewer to invest such time on your social media profiles.
5. Announcing the Pivotal Case and its Representation – Is your firm involved in a US Supreme Court case? Has an attorney been pulled in for representation or to write a key amicus brief? Even if your firm is not directly involved but it influences your key industry targets, you can discuss what is at stake today and in the future unlike ever before. In a tweet or LinkedIn post, teasing the quote or excerpt that emphasizes the main point of why the pivotal case matters is crucial. Also keep an eye out for relevant hashtags about the case
6. All Hail! Rankings and Honors – Rankings for firms carry clout that firms and attorneys can benefit from. Yet the prestige that can come from standing apart from among peers in a practice, industry, geographical location, or publication is worth tooting the firm’s horn over. Numbers, percentages, margins – measurable quantities that distinguish your firm, attorneys, practices to add an edge to your service for the client can have a stickiness in social media if packaged with the proof in the pudding. Such details resonate faster for readers in supporting the messaging you post. Do the rankings offer accessible feedback that informs the numbers? Are their papers, court decisions, interviews, speaking opportunities – anything that can be bulleted out as having influenced such a strong placement in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers, etc? Tweet it. Post it. Show why you care and that is a start to getting others in your space to care.
In summary, this Halloween sampling comes in small box amongst many treats and tricks in our stash at the door. But if you like how it sounds and how it looks, perhaps you’ll keep coming for more!
Kipp Lanham is a Senior Account Executive at Media & Communications Strategies, Inc. in Washington, DC.
About Media & Communications Strategies, Inc:
Media & Communications Strategies, Inc. handles all kinds of critical public relations for US and international clients out of our Washington, D.C. office. We are a founding member of the Public Relations Boutiques International network for constant, far-reaching support. High profile crisis communications is one niche talent, reputation management in all kinds of media is our core expertise and client satisfaction is our specialty.