On the 6th day of Social Media, I interview the guy who taught me essentially everything I know about content marketing: Adrian Lürssen, Co-Founder and VP Strategic Development of JD Supra, fan of the absurd, and all-around great guy.
1. What’s the next big thing in social media marketing for law firms in 2016?
I'm not sure we need a "next big thing" as much as we need to fine tune our approach to the tools already before us - most of which are (in Internet years) already mature platforms. In this regard, based on the questions and conversations we've had in 2015, next year should see more law firms looking at social platforms (and digital/content marketing in general) not simply to extend marketing and branding reach, but to find and take advantage of business development opportunities. This will be twofold: 1) firms will get better at using social data to find trends that help to engage prospective clients and identify business growth opportunities; and 2) firms/attorneys will be more proactive about turning their own online engagements (conversations, content shares, etc) into networking and biz dev opportunities. Some firms are already doing this, but it's hardly mainstream. So perhaps the next big thing is that we'll see more tools that enable firms to act on social opportunities. It's needed.
2. Who do you see doing social media marketing right, and what can others learn from them?
Honestly, too many to name. We work with a large number of firms that "do it right" for their own good reasons, in their own clever ways. Some are especially good at supporting their attorneys and practice groups on LinkedIn; others are nailing the mobile approach (an absolute necessity for everyone, as the digital landscape has been freed from the desktop) with interesting, useful apps for clients and others; others have married their content and social strategies in dynamic ways... and, I suppose, if they have anything in common, it may be this:
The best firms understand that social media (and other digital marketing) tools and platforms offer a means to an end. They are not an end unto itself. You don't start a Twitter account simply because all the cool kids (and now, per Greentarget, GC as well) have one. That's a little like saying: "let's get a telephone" at this point. The firms that are doing well in myriad, creative ways know that these are revolutionary communications tools - so they endeavor to understand how they work, then they use them to achieve whatever strategic goals the tools can help with. Examples? Too many to capture here, but the lesson(s), as I've said: 1) learn what these tools can do for you 2) match them to the wider strategies of the firm/practice groups, etc.
3. What’s the biggest challenge for law firms trying to be active in the social media space, and how can they overcome it?
Support. There needs to be a firm-wide, top to bottom commitment to using these tools. At this point you can't be a dilettante about it - and, if you're in, you need to be in. I think a firm-wide commitment of resources to social and digital media marketing only comes after what I mentioned above. If you have a strategic approach, and a sense of the tools that will help you get there, it's easier to know what commitments are required.
Another challenge that I see as ongoing, and I don't expect it to go away any time soon, is the natural risk aversion built into a law firm's DNA. That's reasonable, more than reasonable - but it makes it difficult, because successful social media is often built upon creativity, which can mean: taking risks. I'd love to see, in 2016, more marketers talking about social media marketing in a climate of risk aversion. You have to take those matters, concerns, cautions seriously and be able to be creative. One or two firms are good at this in their own small ways -- we need more.
About Adrian Lürssen
Adrian is co-founder and VP of strategic development of legal content distributor JD Supra. He has been building audience and creating opportunities online since 1995, when he started as an early Yahoo! employee, building and managing the company's first team of editors and writers.
Adrian Lürssen
Co-Founder and Vice President Strategic Development
JD Supra
adrian@jdsupra.com
T: https://twitter.com/adrianlurssen
LI: https//www.linkedin.com/in/lurssen