WHO NEEDS CONSISTENCY, ANYWAY?
I follow a lot of legal and political discussions around the U.S. It is fascinating to see how inconsistent laws can be from state to state or even city to state. There have been quite a few recent discussions related to changing workers’ compensation laws—specifically in North Carolina and Illinois. Many of the line items proposed were polar opposites. When I saw an article about cell phone usage laws in the city of Philadelphia differing from those in the state, it got me thinking about how confusing differences in the law can be for Joe Q. Public.
The reality is that inconsistency is not just a problem in the law, but in other areas as well, including marketing. For a firm trying to create a brand, a consistent message is critical. If your marketing message is inconsistent or not “on-point,” your prospective buyer can be confused or worse, driven away. Read more
WHAT’S NEW CORNER | SOCIAL MEDIA DASHBOARDS
This is our ongoing series designed to help readers keep up with changes (some new, some not as new) in technology and social media. We hope you find this information helpful!
Social Media Dashboards
It seems like everyone is jumping on the social media bandwagon. You have probably been told you HAVE to be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You may be hesitating because it just looks like too much work. Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. Having a “bad” social media presence can be worse than not having one at all. If you set up a business page on Facebook in 2009 and haven’t been there since, that’s bad. If you are going to have a page, make sure it offers value to those who “like” or “follow” you.
2. What do followers consider valuable? Post links to articles on your website or blog entries you have made; include links to other information like changes in the law that might be referenced on the local news website; people also love coupons, specials and discounts (not always practical for a law firm!).
3. Tools now exist to shorten URLs so they can easily be shared. Check out ow.ly or bit.ly.
4. Most of the social media platforms are adding functionality to make it easier to maintain a business page. As an example, Facebook now allows you to make others page administrators so they can do the posting for you on the business page but not get to your personal page.
5. Social media tools do have a positive impact on SEO.
Managing your social media pages can also be done through a free or paid social media dashboard. These tools allow you to link your accounts—this can include Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.—and manage them all in one place. Many allow you to schedule posts and to decide whether they should be shared across multiple social media pages. One of the better free dashboards is Hoot Suite (hootsuite.com); they also have a paid version if you need more functionality. You can also check out Tweet Deck. And one of the more popular paid tools is Radian6 (radian6.com).
These tools can help you get a handle on your social media efforts. You may find that it’s less work than you think!
LAUREN CURRIN TO SPEAK AT M&L SEMINAR
Lauren Black Currin will be speaking at the M&L Legal Marketing & Management Seminar in Park City, Utah. The event runs from 7/14 to 7/16/2011. Lauren’s topic will be Client Relationship Management & Marketing (CRM&M). In today’s competitive legal environment, law firm owners and managers need every advantage they can get. Client relationship management is a necessary tool that has been proven to generate referrals. In this session, attendees will learn the value of staying in front of current and past clients, and will get tips on integrating tried and true CRM tools like monthly newsletters with social media to keep their law firm “front of mind” for clients, prospects and professional referral partners. Visit the M&L website for more information or to register.