Social networks make it easier than ever to identify, attract, engage and influence the decisions of your target market and ideal clients. Social media provides amazing and often free tools that make it possible for lawyers and other professional service providers to systemize and automate huge portions of their personal marketing and business development activities.
Far too often, I find that lawyers are not using social media and social networks to increase their books of business because they are simply to overwhelmed about exactly what to do and how to get started. I’ve developed a basic system to help lawyers get out of “social media overwhelm” and into upward action.
If you are ready to stop procrastinating and start getting results from social media, keep reading …
1) Listen to Learn
Social media and web technology make it easier than ever to monitor the conversations and activities of your clients, prospective clients, people in your competitive space and colleagues. Using social marketing for “listening to learn” about the needs of your target market and ideal clients makes you privy to key information that can be used to expand, eliminate, refine or otherwise adjust your services. Start using social marketing tools for “listening and learning” with three of my favorite resources: Google Alerts – http://google.com/alerts; Twilert – http://twilert.com; and Kurrently: http://kurrently.com
2) Attract to Position
Social media makes it easy to convert what you’ve learned by “listening and learning” into compelling content that will attract your ideal clients and position you as a thought-leader in your industry. This happens when you are able to connect your solutions to your ideal client’s exact needs. When you are ready to attract your ideal clients and position yourself as a leader, get started by fully optimizing your LinkedIn profile (www.LinkedIn.com) and Google profile (www.Google.com/profiles).
3) Engage to Influence
Use social networks to engage in online conversations that influence how your prospective clients, current clients and colleagues view your expertise and ultimately value your services. You can become more engaging by sharing information in a way that encourages your online community to let you know what they are thinking about things that matter to their businesses and lives. Questions, polls and surveys are a few ideas to help you get people talking. Your response to what your online community shares will influence how you are perceived and valued in your target market.
4) Measure Results
After you have worked through the process of listening, learning, attracting, positioning, engaging and working to influence your target market, it’s time measure your impact and results. Here’s how to do it … return to the goals that you set in step one of this framework and measure the results. Now, you have a record of your wins and losses.
5) Adjust and Start Again
After taking a look at your wins and loses, determine what changes need to be made to get better results. Make the necessary adjustments and start from the top.
Now that you know what to do, it’s time for your Upward Action. Once you’ve gotten started, come back to this post and let me know your results. I’d love to hear how you are applying this content to growing your book of business.
Play to Win!
TC Cooper
