A few months ago, we posted about Social Media Marketing. There are dozens of places where you could be concentrating your efforts, but which one is the most effective? How much time should you devote to each one? How do you break through all of the clutter to really stand out?
These questions have a different answer depending on who you talk to. Each person will have their own specialty. Ultimately, the choice of where to focus is up to you, so having an idea of what you want and where your interests lie is a good idea. Over the next several weeks, we’ll give you an idea of the possibilities that are out there and how you can use them to improve your visibility.
If you look at a list of social media, it could seem overwhelming, but they all fall into a few discreet categories.
Blogging
A blog is a longform, informational way to connect with potential clients. Through blogging, you can establish “trust” and “authority” in your field. You will be able to connect with potential clients in a non-formal, low-demand atmosphere that drives traffic to your website.
Microblogging
Services like twitter are built around microblogging. By enforcing limits on what can be posted, microblogging lets you distill your message to a few important, and easily found, ideas. By learning tricks like hashtags and trends, you can interact with potential clients in short bursts.
Networking
Networking sites, like facebook and linkedin, are great for creating relationships with people. Less restrictive in content than microblogging, a networking site allows for more extensive interaction between you and a potential client.
Media Sharing
Whether it’s photos or videos, media sharing can be a great way to be more recognizable. flickr, photobucket, and youtube are popular media sharing sites that give your potential clients something to remember and talk about. Whether it’s an interview or a commercial, sharing it on a media sharing site could be a good option for you.
Forums
Sites like ask.com, yahoo answers, and even a forum on your own website can be a great way to connect with potential clients. Sometimes, that answered question is what someone needs to decide you are the lawyer for them. A good answer in a forum can go a long way to building credibility.
As you decide where to put your effort, we hope our series on social media will help you to make some of those decisions.
As you plan your social media strategy be aware: some states are treating any action on social media websites the same as your own website, so be sure that if you aren’t managing your interactions yourself you’re working with somebody who knows legal ethical standards.
