Here are the second 5 of 10 social media myths you need to let go of (go here to see yesterday’s post with the first 5):
Myth #6: My clients are not on social media.
First of all, if you aren’t there, how do you know? The fact is, more than three-fourths of the population uses one or more social networks — and most of them use it every day. You can bet that most of your current clients are participating in social media and a majority of your prospects are on there, too. This doesn’t mean you have to be on every social network to find them, it just means you need to know your prospects well enough to know which platforms they are using and then join them. (For B2C attorneys, it’s Facebook and for B2B attorneys, it’s LinkedIn.)
Myth #7: I don’t have enough to say to be meaningful.
What is posted today is gone tomorrow, which means you can give your content legs by repurposing it and reposting — especially if your content is evergreen, which makes it always useful. Just be sure you create a new link and update your commentary.
Myth #8: Social media won’t help my bottom line.
All the latest research shows that social media generates new customers for a majority of the companies engaged in it. According to inbound marketing company HubSpot, 61% of companies using social media reported a positive impact on revenue growth. In addition, 78% of people say their purchase decisions are influenced by a company’s social posts. Once you discover the best channels for your messaging (where your prospects are) and post the right content, you are likely to see an increase in the number and quality of leads for your firm from social media.
Myth #9: Social media is an ethics minefield for attorneys.
Most ethical gaffes committed by attorneys are the result of two things: (1) ignorance of the ABA and local bar rules; and (2) lack of common sense. Both can be remedied by educating yourself on what is acceptable for posting online and remembering that if it is prohibited in other venues, it is also generally prohibited on social media.
Myth #10: I’ll never be able to determine my ROI.
Like any marketing effort, you need to define goals for your social program and then track and measure those goals to be able to calculate your ROI. You can do this through Google Analytics or a social media software tracking program.
