The Importance of Social Media Marketing

By Matthew Aguero

In some ways, the internet has leveled the playing field for businesses of all sizes. With a well-planned and well-executed online strategy, a small business can be competitive in almost any industry. Many lawyers, however, are resistant to change and have not embraced recent technology. This resistance is especially strong when it comes to social media such as blogging and networking websites. While plenty of attorneys do utilize social media as a marketing tool, many lawyers and law firms that stand to benefit the most from social media fail to use it.

Small firms, in particular, struggle to effectively use social media for marketing purposes. Small firms generally lack the resources and time that it takes to maintain a social media marketing campaign. Despite the challenges, many small firms and solo practitioners do effectively use social media. For firms with a tight advertising budget, social media offers free advertising options. For instance, Avvo.com – a website which ranks attorneys – now comes up as one of the top results in almost any Google search for an attorney. Claiming and improving your Avvo profile is free and can generate many leads. For small firms which lack the time necessary to effectively market themselves via social media, a team oriented approach can be successful. One small Denver law firm has its legal assistant handle the firm’s weekly Twitter posts while associates are responsible for writing one blog per month.   This strategy has greatly increased traffic to the firm’s website and has resulted in many additional clients.

More experienced attorneys are another group that largely fails to maximize the benefit of social media. Social media offer a forum for the most experienced attorneys to assert themselves as an authority in their field. While many attorneys are reluctant to share their hard-earned knowledge, the benefits to sharing information almost certainly outweighs the costs of giving some free advice. Most modern day consumers research issues extensively before employing the help of professionals. These consumers expect to find accessible, easy-to-comprehend information on almost every subject. By offering information on various legal topics, experienced attorneys can demonstrate their expertise in a subject while drawing potential clients to their websites.

Promoting a law firm through social media can be tedious and time-consuming but the benefits are undeniable. The influence of social media on consumer habits will only continue to grow and law firms who resist social media stand to become obsolete. With some foresight and creativity, even small firms lacking in resources can implement effective social media marketing strategies.

Matthew Aguero is the owner of Aguero Law, PC and is the Blog Editor for the Colorado Bar Association’s Solo Small Firm Section. More information on Matt, including additional blog posts can be found at www.aguerolawpc.com.