Social Media Tips For the Legal Industry

1. The first thing every lawyer needs to address before even considering participation in social media is the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct.  The confidentiality requirement between a lawyer and client is common knowledge, but be sure to stay on your toes even when tweeting a short quip about your day. You’ll find yourself treading on dangerous ground if you accidentally divulge too much information about a client or case. To that end, also develop policies for employee use of social media, making sure they understand that their actions on social networking sites will represent the entire firm.
    

2. Avoid constantly posting sales pitches, which becomes annoying to followers. Instead, share information on your area of expertise that will make your posts educational and interesting. You should always end your posts with a link directing them to a recent article or blog you’ve written. That way you’ve peaked their interest and brought them to your site on their terms.
    

3. How lucky are we that the internet offers several Social Media spots from which to choose? Find the ones you’re most comfortable with and then get on a regular posting schedule.
    

4. Some lawyers may not like Twitter’s fast pace and limited character restrictions, while others love the ease of quickly being able to tweet out several times a day. With Twitter, re-tweeting someone else’s content is perfectly acceptable. This allows you to circulate the posts of others which may interest your followers.
    

5. FaceBook may be your platform of choice with its Business Page option. Use it to its maximum potential by uploading a professional picture or firm logo to the Sidebar and turning the Info Tab into a calling card. FaceBook is the perfect medium for you to share timely information to your followers and clients that contain a link to your website or blog.
    

6. Is the actor in you dying to get out? Then video is definitely for you. No matter what your budget, this is a powerful option not to be overlooked. You can hire video professionals or inexpensively upload self-made videos to YouTube. The important thing to remember is, like your other Social Media postings, be sure your videos are educational and meaningful to your viewers.
    

7. LinkedIn. This is the one medium that is considered more of a Social Media standard than an option. Simply put, if you are doing business on the web you need a LinkedIn Profile as it is usually the first place people go to check out a business professional’s credentials.
    

8. Just as video provides an outlet for the actor in you, Blogs can provide an outlet for the writer in you. With this medium you can establish yourself as the expert in your practice area and then post your thoughts regarding timely issues that affect your audience.
    

9. Make sure to let your website visitors know you are actively participating in Social Media by posting the appropriate Icons that link out to your Profiles.
    

10. Lastly, because of the fast-paced environment that Social Media is part of, its parameters will always be growing and changing. FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter seem to be everyone’s ‘go to’ networks of choice today, but it was just a short while ago that MySpace topped the charts -- and tomorrow may bring a whole new set of platforms. Make sure that your internet marketing plan has been established to accommodate that growth.