It's the 7th day of Social Media, and boy have we got a treat for you! Sally Schmidt, President of Schmidt Marketing and true legal marketer extraodinaire - she was a founder and the very first president of LMA - gives us her perspective. Great stuff!
1. What’s the next big thing in social media marketing for law firms in 2016?
I don’t think the “next big thing” is a new platform; I think it is a new direction in content. It seems that 99% of what law firms put out on social media is chest-thumping self-promotion: Here is an award we won; here is an article we wrote; here is a quote we gave; here is a seminar we’re planning. Law firms need to find better ways to engage people. In the future, I hope they will recognize that followers need to receive some benefit—whether it’s valuable content, great storytelling or plain old humor—or they will not engage. As everyone knows, your effectiveness on social media is only as good as your content.
2. Who do you see doing social media marketing right, and what can others learn from them?
There are a few firms that come to mind for different reasons. I love the Marque law firm (from Australia) and its irreverent Twitter account. Here are a couple recent favorite Tweets of mine:
Another wonderful example is Womble Carlyle’s “Get to Know” videos of lawyers on YouTube (and the firm’s website). This one is particularly poignant:
And, for those that didn’t hear about it at the LMA conference in 2015, there is Maslon’s brilliant holiday share site that attracted the attention and participation of clients, judges and the greater legal community.
All three are great examples of ways to engage followers and make them care because the content showcases people and has a voice.
3. What is the biggest challenge for law firms trying to be active in the social media space, and how can they overcome it?
I believe the biggest challenge for law firms trying to be active in the social media space is being, well, “social.” Most firms don’t speak with one voice, which is why content is boiled down to the barest of boring facts. The way to overcome this is by making the content interesting, fun and relevant and expanding the content beyond firm updates.
About Sally Schmidt
For more than 25 years, Sally Schmidt, President of Schmidt Marketing, Inc. in Edina, Minnesota, has offered marketing and business development services to law firms nationally and internationally. Clients have ranged in size from small firms to those with more than 3,000 attorneys but her "sweet spot" is mid-sized and regional law firms. With an MBA and B.S. from the University of Minnesota, Sally is a former in-house marketing director for a law firm, and was a founder and the first President of the Legal Marketing Association. In 2007, Sally was inducted into the inaugural class of the Legal Marketing Association's Hall of Fame, and given a lifetime achievement award. A frequent industry presenter and writer, Sally has spoken at more than 250 national and international seminars and conferences for the legal profession, and has written more than 250 articles published in prominent legal industry publications. She is the author of two ALM books on law firm marketing: the best-selling Marketing the Law Firm: Business Development Techniques; and Business Development for Lawyers: Strategies for Getting and Keeping Clients.
Sally J. Schmidt
President
Schmidt Marketing, Inc.
P: 952.767.0115
sallyschmidt@schmidt-marketing.com
www.schmidt-marketing.com
T: http://twitter.com/sallyschmidt