Professional Services Accounting ARTICLE -
Beyond Twitter: Fine-Tuning Your Online Marketing Strategy

Target Audience: Legal Professionals, Professional Service Firms, Law Firm Partners, Law Firm Accounting, Law Firm Marketing Directors

Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are all the rage in marketing these days, but are they right for law firms? The answer is “yes,” but with certain limitations. You can use them to grab attention and send visitors to your firm’s Web site as well as provide value-added content that demonstrates expertise and helps convert prospects into clients.

Hot off the presses

It’s hard to convey substantive information in Twitter’s 140 characters or in a Facebook posting. Instead, use these tools to direct readers to useful information on your Web site.

Although you may be tempted to cut-and-paste previously written material and leave it on your site for the duration, you must put yourself in the readers’ shoes. What interests them? Rather than getting into the intricacies of statutory construction and arcane procedural matters, post articles that focus on practical issues that readers are likely to confront. A firm that does estate planning, for example, might want to post an article that addresses issues related to transferring ownership of closely held businesses or other types of wealth.

You can also use these articles to assemble online newsletters. Send your contacts a quarterly or monthly e-mail with descriptive blurbs and links to the articles. To attract return visitors and better results in search engines, update your site regularly with fresh content. And remember to include keywords and tags that will help visitors find you, especially if they’re not already familiar with your firm.

Blog on

Don’t limit your written material to static articles, though. More and more firms are launching legal blogs aimed at target audiences. Recruiting multiple attorneys to contribute will help ensure the blog is updated regularly with fresh material from different perspectives.

Once the blog is established and has a good number of entries, publicize it. Include a conspicuous link on your Web site’s home page and add it to the signature box of all outgoing e-mails. You also could list it in various blog directories.

Social studies

Online marketing has become indispensable, but you need to use the vehicles that are best for you and your clients. After all, your clients may not even be on Twitter or Facebook. But it’s a good bet they use the Internet for research, such as finding law firms. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting your Web site to jump headfirst into the social media pool — social media is simply one piece of your marketing plan.

Find out how our expertise in professional services accounting can add value to your business. Email us or call us at 1 (888) 875-9770.

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