Create a social media strategy promoting your legal services because they’re talking about your #lawfirm – #getaheadofthecurve! Whether you like it or not, potential clients are already talking about you and your law firm on social media sites. The problem is that you haven’t weighed in. To put it bluntly, there’s a conversation taking place—about you and about your law firm—and you’re not even in the room. You can get ahead of the curve by jumping into social media now. When you do, you want to do it right, and that means understanding that smart social media is about learning the art of conversation. Here are some tips for joining the conversation…
1) Know your audience: you speak to your law partners in one way, to clients in another, and to competitors in yet another. Take the time to think about prospective clients—what do they care about? What are their concerns? Knowing who it is you’re speaking with is basic to all good conversation, and the same holds true with those which take place in the world of social media.

2) It’s not about you—it’s about them: ever been in a conversation where the other party does all the talking, and only about himself? Boring. How about a conversation where you get advice you can really use? Now you’re on board. Good information and advice is what quality content is all about. You can provide quality content in engaging webinars, blogs and white papers.

3) You have two ears, but only one mouth: a good conversationalist knows how to listen. To become an adept social media conversationalist, you have to be an active listener, too. Listen to what prospective clients say on social media sites. Listen to what your competitors are saying. Listen every day. Remember, the conversation goes on with or without you, so take the time to hear what’s going on at every turn.

4) Cut out the jargon: if you complicate the conversation with a lot of insider jargon, you’ll come across as stiff and unapproachable. Talk like yourself, not some representative of the legal world.

5) Avoid the “automation temptation”: how do you feel when you get one of those automated messaging systems on the phone? Maybe a little resentful? Better to talk with a person, right? Automated posts will save you a little time, but they’ll turn off your listeners and make you sound inauthentic. If you’re going to do it, do it right—get into the action and write your posts.