I had the great pleasure last week to give a presentation covering social media to 22 lawyers on the Marketing Committee of Wertz McDade here in San Diego.  After I realized that these marketing lunches were catered with Chinese food, I was not quite sure if the fine lawyers at Wertz McDade were really there to hear me or simply enjoy the free lunch.  Regardless of their initial intentions, we spent an hour together discussing social media strategies for lawyers.

Here are some of the key points from the presentation that can be applied to numerous industries:

• Facebook Page– Each Firm should create a Facebook Page, even if it is merely used as an information site and no real marketing efforts are exerted to increase business through Facebook.  I have spoke with Lawyers in the last month who were currently spending over $2,000 per month on Facebook Ads, but it is important to measure results.  It is FREE to create a Page for the Law Firm.  Each Individual can handle their personal Facebook communications in a professional manner or choose not to use Facebook socially.
• LinkedIn– Not only is it best for each lawyer to have their own LinkedIn profiles that are up to date, but the Law Firm needs to have a profile on LinkedIn.  Join relevant groups to your practice area or industries you focus on serving and start networking with the world around you.  As with any marketing strategy, listen to the needs of others and contribute by resolving their challenges before asking for business.
• Twitter– Many of the lawyers feel that Twitter is a waste of time, so we reviewed how some lawyers are using Twitter to position themselves and their respective law firm in a positive position for online marketing.  The search function on Twitter also provides a great way to stay connected to important topics in your industry.
• Blog– It is a known fact that lawyers love to communicate, and have their opinions heard.  This is why many lawyers are hired in the first place.  I drilled this point that having a corporate blog is no longer a choice, it is a MUST DO.  Generating content for a Blog can be as simple as using papers already created by the lawyers in the firm or setting up a rotation schedule for each lawyer to write 1 blog post per month.  The time of lawyer’s is extremely valuable and dedicating 30 minutes per month is a wise decision.

Overall, I think that everyone who attended the lunch presentation not only enjoyed the Chinese food, but also a few words resonated.  The open forum Question and Answer session was helpful for me as I learned about concerns surrounding Social Media for Lawyers.