Social Media and Your Practice (Part Two): Twitter

Posted by Alicia Dearn, Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Hopefully, I've convinced you to look past your initial trepidation and give social media a second look. In this economy, no small practice can afford to dismiss cheap and effective marketing. Today, I'm focusing specifically on one form of social media- Twitter.

First, what exactly is Twitter? Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that Twitter is one of the fastest-growing social networking sites on the web. I'd describe it as a sleeker, faster-paced social networking site. It is more streamlined than Facebook or MySpace and it allows for a way to blast around your blog articles. If you're attempting to brand a business through frequent interaction with your likely customer base, Twitter can be powerful.
The second thing you'll need to know is that each status update/micro-blog entry, or "tweet," can't exceed 140 characters. I like this because it encourages people to get to the point and communicate first impressions. It will really help you hone your sales messages.

So now that we've gotten the introductions out of the way, the question on everybody's mind is: How will Twitter make me money? Follow these basic steps, and you're on your way to success:

1. Identify your target audience and tweet accordingly. Who do you want following your tweets? Are you using your profile to network with other lawyers and drum up referrals? Consider commenting on news those lawyers would find appealing: recent decisions, new legislation, professional trends and rumors, practice management software, etc. Or perhaps you're targeting family, friends, and potential clients? Lighten up on legal news and mix in some personality and infotainment. It's obviously a good idea to plug your services, but don't go overboard, or you'll lose credibility. In his article,"Best Practices for Corporate Twittering", Tom Humbarger suggests no more than 20% of your tweets contain an "advertising message." Whether your audience is colleagues or consumers, people crave stimulating content, not spam.

2. Link and Retweet. All of your content doesn't necessarily have to be original. In fact, it's quite popular, and slightly preferable, to link to interesting articles, blogs, and media. This should be welcome news for you practitioners who have neither the time nor the budget to generate original tweets on a daily basis. Also, consider "retweeting" others' tweets. I find it's a great way to interact with followers and the people you're following. They'll appreciate the publicity, and be more inclined to reciprocate and notice your business. Just remember to cite your retweets (don't worry, no Bluebook format here) and verify any content you link or retweet. It's not hard to imagine how misinformation can spread like wildfire on this site.

3. Create awareness through creative marketing. Since only two of every ten tweets should contain an advertising message, make them memorable. You could be reaching thousands of viewers, even with only a hundred followers. Your "ads" will be tagged and stored by topic on popular tweet-combing sites like Tweetmeme.com. They'll even appear in Google search results. And of course, if your message is compelling, you can be infinitely retweeted. So, before retreading the "Have you been injured?..." spiel, consider your audience. They're on Twitter, so it's safe to assume they're technologically sophisticated, and looking to be engaged. Come up with a creative promotion or incentive for your followers. Fold your advertising message into a game or contest. The sky's the limit.

4. Participate with the Community. This means following people that interest your business, tweeting about relevant topics, engaging in relevant conversations, and supporting the online legal community. If you do these things, you can develop the reputation you want. If you decide not to do these things, you'll leave your business open to the opinion of the community.

So, what are you waiting for? Create a Twitter account today and get Tweeting!