Tag Archives: social platform

5 Reasons Law Firms Still Dismiss Social Media…and Why They’re Wrong

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1.“There’s no ROI”

There is ROI for blogs and social media, you just have to enter into the social space having previously determined what you want to track and get out of social media. Without some kind of benchmark such as conversion rates, traffic to your site, likes or engagement on a post, calculating an ROI IS going to be impossible. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Alerts, Bit.ly etc… can help to track interest, click through rates, demographics and where/how people are talking about your firm/lawyers.

2.“The Metrics aren’t reliable”

I don’t really understand why people would think this, because Social Media data is some of the cleanest and pinpointed data there can be. There are hundreds of applications that can tell you how many people have clicked a link, who’s clicked it, where they’re from, engagement statistics, which content got the most activity etc…basically that argument is just not sound.

3.“Social Media is still too young”

…So is the Internet, so is mobile. Does your firm use email, online journals, or other websites for research? I’m sure the answer is yes, and Social Media is no longer just for the innovative law firms–it has become mainstream. Did you know that 81% of law firms are now using some kind of social media platform? If your law firm doesn’t adapt to this social shift, you will be at a significant disadvantage.

4.“Social Media is just another trend that will pass”

A recent survey from The Nielsen Company stated Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites, including blogs. This is up more than 40% from just last year! With the way social media is growing, there is simply no chance it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Social Media is all about adapting to our communication needs, and as long as people are conversing there will surely be social media.

5.We need to control our message

I was watching a webinar with Gary Vaynerchuk last week and he discussed this very topic. He explained that because of the way social media is molding traditional marketing tactics, we too need to adapt to the way with which messages are dispersed and received. We can say whatever we want about our brand, but we have virtually no control over what people are saying about us. This can be scary, but it also allows your brand to grow and adjust your product/services to fit the needs and desires of your consumers.

Pay it Forward Marketing Shift

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Today’s marketing and advertising techniques are undergoing an enormous change, largely due to the integration of the internet and more recently, social media, into business plans worldwide. Plain and simple, today’s marketplace simply does not operate in the way that it used to, and the sooner companies realize this, the more successful they will be in turning profit.

A great example of this shift is the way in which traditional marketing tactics such as direct marketing, email marketing and cold calling are shifting is the emergence of what Gary Vaynerchuck, New York Times and Wallstreet Journal’s Best-selling author, calls the “Thank You Economy (TYE).” This means that in order to advertise and market to the people that you hope to reach, you have to actually “give a crap!”

The way in which the TYE is thriving is through social media. Using old tactics like direct marketing simply isn’t going to work on Facebook or Twitter, as this messaging will immediately be marked as spam, and ignored. In order to turn followers into buyers of your products/services, you need to offer them something of value whether it be through content, coupons, giveaways, or superior customer service.

The TYE works today because people are sick of dealing with automated telecommunication messages and they want to be treated as if their business matters. It also works due to human nature. What I mean by this, is that we as humans have an innate desire to “pay it forward.” We simply can’t deal with owing people, so we repay favors in order to maintain social fairness.

We can return a favor via social media through a follow, a friend, a like, or a share. Every month, 25,000,000 pieces of content are shared via Facebook. Humans for the most part like to give back, so so sharing important/funny/impactful pieces of content to their following is an extremely powerful marketing and advertising tactic.
Consumers also like to know that their opinion and their thoughts have been heard. Reacting to customer’s concerns or praises only strengthens the relationship that your brand has to its following, and if you’re are able to implement changes in order to provide a customized product to your following, then you are thriving in the TYE.

An article that I read the other day defined a very important aspect to the TYE in one word; social commerce. The author of said article stated that social commerce helps shoppers to make smart and saavy purchases so that retailers will be able to listen and adjust their product or service to fit the needs and desires of their valued customers.

In maintaining a sort of ping pong relationship with your customers and/or potential customers, you are creating a mutually beneficial engagement and that is what the TYE is all about.

Why the Social Media Job Market Needs Generation Y

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The recent target=”_blank”>article about social media and its close relation to Generation “Y” titled, “Why Social Media Managers Should Be Under the Age of 25,” by a recent University of Iowa graduate Cathryn Sloane, has received its fair share of controversy thus far, so it seems like a great time to address some of the points that this article brings up.

Sloane asked following question: Why do marketing/communication/PR firms insist that all potential candidates have 5-10 years of professional experience? In this case, isn’t social media experience in general (which she argues Generation Y has the most of) just as valuable?

It would be helpful for those looking to hire a social media manager to realize that everyone presently under the age of 25 were in various years of high school when Facebook first came out in 2004, and when Twitter was launched in 2006. Having the minimum years of experience required for most job qualifications (5 years), would plant them smack dab in the middle of sophomore/junior year of college or in freshman year of high school (10 years)! There is simply no way that this generation could have 5-10 years of experience as most job ads prefer.

Perhaps those hiring should consider what Generation Y can bring to the table, and make their hiring decisions accordingly.

Below are some of the things that Generation Y can teach older marketing and social media professionals:

1. Generation Y began using social media before businesses were bombarding it with direct sale messages and spam. We used Facebook and Twitter socially before professionally, which not many people can say.

2. We know these social platforms better than anyone because they came out when we were 15 and 16. We were right in the middle of the social shift, and it is really one of the ways with which our generation is defined.

3. We’ve known Facebook since before the timeline, the cover photo, chat and even before notifications! We’ve seen all the changes and USED all the new features so we are better equipped to predict, adapt and make use of any and all of the upcoming developments in the social media realm.

4. Those under 25 have recently graduated from college, having learned the latest marketing and social media tactics with fresh and innovative ideas that may be different from those of a seasoned professional. New ideas, no matter who they’re from, should never be overlooked.

Though the author of the original article may have simply skimmed the surface of this debate, and some of her points are undoubtedly debatable, the most important thing that she implied is that Generation Y is not getting a fair chance in the job market, especially when considering how they can help a company.

Would you considering hiring someone from Generation Y to manage your brands’ social media accounts? Why/Why not?

Where Did Our Attention Spans Go?

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The average attention span for online readers is 2.6 seconds. This means that we, as the content distributors, have approximately 3 seconds to prove to our readers that our content is worth reading.

I started this blog post with the intention of writing about the shifting channels with which people gather information. As you know, the public is using traditional newspaper and news outlets less and less, and are beginning to turn toward internet sites, social media platforms, blogs and forums to retrieve their news and information.

Peter Shankman, VP of Vocus and founder of helpareporter.com, attributes the shift from traditional mediums like newspapers to online platforms not to the lack of news, but to our inability to set aside the time and energy that it would take to read longer articles.

Perhaps Twitter had it right with the 140 character limit? Is this where our society is going? Should all online, and perhaps offline content have a 140 character limit to ensure its readability for America’s dwindling attention spans?

Have no fear; here are a few tips to make sure that your content demands the attention of your reader:

1.HAVE A KILLER HEADLINE.

80% of people will read your title, while a mere 20% will go on to read your whole post. This may seem silly, but if you’re having a hard time formatting your headline, borrow a Cosmopolitan magazine from your mom/sister/significant other and learn a few things about writing a great title. Here are a few examples of a great header
- What everyone should know about…
- Little known ways to…
- How to solve [problem] in 3 simple steps
- 5 ways to eliminate [problem]

Socialmediaexaminer.com suggests that 50% of your emphasis when writing an article should be focused on the quality of your headline.

2.USE A LOT OF PICTURES.

This is pretty obvious but breaking up words with pictures helps the reader to not become overwhelmed by rows and rows of words that they feel they don’t have time to read. Be sure to use a thumbnail picture whenever you share your post to your varying social media platforms.

3.BREAK UP YOUR WRITTEN CONTENT WITH BULLETS, NUMBERS AND/OR LIST FORMAT.

This is another great way to help your reader to realize the most important aspects of your blog. Being that most of your audience will simply scan your post looking for the information that they’ve set out to find, using bullet points to outline the main points of your blog will help your audience locate the meat of your article.

4.GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.

Tell your audience what you’re going to be writing about and a brief explanation of why, and then get right into it!

5.DON’T WRITE TRADITIONAL ENGLISH101 PARAGRAPHS.

People don’t want to focus on reading 5-6 sentences in each paragraph. It honestly is daunting for many people including myself. In breaking up your paragraphs with 1-3 sentences instead of 5-6, you will better engage your reader.

6.WRITE AS IF YOU WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND.

As you know social media, including blogs, is all about engagement and REAL human interaction. Just because you are distributing your content online doesn’t mean that your posts should be condescending, patronizing, or robotic. Have a regular conversation and I promise your blogs will be easier and more enjoyable for your audience to invest their time and short attention spans on.

Find Friends Nearby Flops

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This past Sunday, Facebook released yet another application; this one was deemed solely as “a test,” and for mobile use. Though somewhat “creepy” in nature, Facebook’s “Find Friends Nearby” feature was created to help the user to literally locate friends who may physically be nearby. Using a GPS add-on, the Facebook user can see whenever one of their Facebook friends (who also must have the feature) is nearby, hopefully prompting a spontaneous hangout.

Apparently many people on the social web felt as though the application was a bit invasive.

From June 25-June 27th, in relation to “Find Friends Nearby,” the word “creepy” was mentioned 1,194 times on the social web. The word “stalkers” was mentioned 456 times, and 1,130 posts asked or answered questions on how to remove the feature.

On Twitter alone “Find Friends Nearby” was mentioned 16,293 times out of a total 19,325 total social web mentions.

As quickly as the feature became available, it was taken down. “Find Friends Nearby” was removed the day after it was made public (Monday) due to concerns that it breached the privacy of its users, and that the feature’s power could be abused becoming dangerous for users. Facebook spokespeople told the public that this was simply a test at how consumers would take to the application. Charles Sankowich, CEO of Friendthem however, believed that Facebook took down said feature due to his threats of a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Sankowich said that he had told one of Facebook’s employees of his copyrighted Friendthem feature, and months later, a similar product with similar functions was released by Facebook.

Whatever the reason for taking it down, it seems as though Facebook did the right thing according to the response of the public. Would you consider using this feature? Do you too think that it poses a threat to the safety of Facebook users? Are there any perks to the feature?