This is the second in a series of articles revolving around how to maximize the utility of the Internet for law firms. Read the first article on legal blogging here.No matter the size of a law firm, a stellar reputation is the largest factor for generating and maintaining clients. Time and time again, word-of-mouth marketing has proven itself to be the most effective method for building that reputation. That’s why law firms generally avoid over-crowded, noisy and fast-paced environments like social media outlets. With so many voices being drowned out on time-consuming platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn – it’s easy to feel like there is little point to get involved.But if there’s one thing the digital movement has proven it’s that the Internet is a doorway to new clients – and it's never a good idea to close the door.

Building a Reputation Through Social Media

On its own, the creation and implementation of a social media strategy is not going to miraculously add to your client base. Alone, a social media strategy, a blog or a search engine optimization of your website can work towards growing your business but each demands a significant amount of time and effort in order to be successful. That is because each is a fundamental cog in an overall online marketing strategy that, when used in conjunction with one another, creates an emergent property.According to the Wall Street Journal, a majority of law firms worldwide are finally starting to stick their toes into social media—recognizing the value in the two-way conversations that can be cultivated through the array of outlets. As social media and blogging are currently seen as vehicles for sharing thought leadership online, leveraging a legal blog and encouraging a consistent dialogue with potential clients through informative social posts forges an online reputation of equal importance and benefit to that within an offline community.

How to Get Involved

Social media's niche is that it's a great outlet to showcase not only your firm's expertise but also your culture. Each social outlet has proven to be prime real estate simply due to their high levels of traffic, with the price only being time invested. But you don't have to spend a lot of each day to see results; in fact, ten minutes or less a day over an extended period of time is sufficient.Whether you manage your accounts yourself or outsource the work to a reputable business comprised of social media experts, like ourselves, getting involved is as simple as the click of a button.

What To Post About

Social media is about storytelling. Through these outlets, your goal is to create an engaging and interactive dialogue with your peers, clients, and prospective clients. Sharing pictures of your firm's attorneys with clients after winning a case, links to interesting articles you were already reading, blog posts you've written, charitable causes you support and other similar options help build your firm's narrative, show personality and tell a story. It's a way to burnish your reputation.Twenty years ago, professional reputations were built around networking and scholarly writing. The same is true today, only that there are new mediums of distribution.If you want to learn more about how online marketing, and social media in particular, can help grow your firm, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Five tips to leave you with:

1. Sharpen up your LinkedIn profile – The most professional of social networks, this should be the tip of your spear.2. Become an authority and engage on Twitter – Think of Twitter as speed networking. You can learn more here.3. Establish a Google+ presence – Not only is it the new frontier for social networking, but it also benefits your firm's website ranking on Google.4. Create a Facebook Fan Page – Just as you meet people on Twitter and LinkedIn, you stay in touch with them on Facebook.5. Share your content on all Social Media platforms – Showcase your firm. Tell its story.