The document provides tips and best practices for lawyers to use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for business purposes. It recommends setting goals for social media use, matching platforms to goals, creating robust profiles, balancing personal and professional content, being consistent in posting, and leveraging mobile devices. Specific advice is given for using features and growing connections on each individual platform.

1. The Lawyer’s
Guide to Linked In,
Facebook and
Twitter
Landing your next client using social media
Carolyn Elefant,LawOfficesofCarolynElefant.com

2. WHY USE
SOCIAL MEDIA?

3. Your clients are using
social media: 1 billion
Facebook users (October
2012)
Your clients are
using social media.
Over 1 billion
Facebook users
(Oct. 2012).

4. December 16, 2010
Clients are using
social media in a
way that is directly
relevant to
lawyers….

5. In-house counsel & CEOs are using
social media
In house counsel are using
social media to choose
lawyers:
•22% GCs said Twitter was a
factor in hiring
•18% considered
endorLinkedIn profiles and
endorsements

6. Your competitors are using social media
•1.8 million lawyers on LinkedIn
•56% lawyers have FB or LI profile
•Lawyers with blogs have 434 more
google links

7. WHAT TYPES OF
SOCIAL MEDIA?

8. Why the big 3?
•Largest collective # of users
•Best mix of personal-
professional-consumer and varied
interfaces

9. Resume Cocktail Party
Watercooler

10. Best practices of social media
common to all platforms

11. 1. Set
Goals
•Meet clients
•Media
exposure
•SEO
•Relationships
w/lawyers
•Other

12. 2. Match platform to goals.
Media
Business
clients
Relationships
with lawyers
Consumer
clients
SEO

14. 3. Create robust profiles.
•Match form to format
•Strong active verbs & links
•1 full profile > 100 sparse
profiles
•Photo!
•Create 2-3 profiles all at the
same time
•Update, update, update!

15. 4. Balance personal and professional;
informational and self-promotional

16. The Social Media Formula
for Twitter (vary for FB & LI)
•50% - links to online content
•30% - conversation with others
•10% self-promotional
information
•10% personal hobbies and
interests

17. 5. Be authentic. Have a pulse
B

19. 6. Take online relationships offline
B

20. 7. Be consistent!
B
3 tweets/day = 90
Minutes Minutes
contacts/week
+ + Minutes
Minutes
__________
Results
Results!
2 link requests/week =
100 new connections/yr

21. 8. Time management
tips for social media

22. Make the most of your
limited time
•Squeeze work into cracks
•Consistently post a few times in
early a.m. (7 - 10 a.m.) on weekdays
since web traffic is high this time of
day
•Use your smart phone for flexibility
and post while standing in line at
store or at soccer practice
•Post to social media when on “kid
duty” since it’s a simple, low
attention task

23. Leverage mobile
devices to optimize
social media use

24. 9. Know and follow the
rules of social
media. Always.

25. Platform
4
Platform
terms of of
Terms
service
Service Sets of
Firm rules for
Ethics social lawyers
rules media on
social
policy media
Neiqutte
Netiquette

26. Platform-Specific
FEATURES & TIPS

27. SEO
terms
Professional
photo

28. Tips for adding
connections:
•Personalize intro
•Don’t spam
•Ask contacts for
help
w/connecting
Add connections
Options: email spam
Existing contacts
School, jobs

30. Groups
•Check group
demographic
before joining
•Closed goups
better
•Start your own
2 posts a
week = not
very active

31. Get & give
testimonials:
For business
colleagues & clients -
be persistent
Giving can enhance
your profile too
New feature:
endorsement

32. IDEAS FOR LINKED IN
!Publicize your speaking engagements &
invite others
!Contact reporters via LinkIn or arrange to
meet with colleagues in different cities
!Start a group (but keep it moderated)
!For fee advertising - inexpensive & fairly
effective

33. Twitter Tips

34. 140
character
bio
Search topics
or colleagues

35. Twitter LEXICON
@carolynelefant Twitter “handle.” Try to use your real
name.
Tweet 140-character communication on Twitter.
RT, MT ReTweet - passing along tweet; do it
generously. MT denotes tweet is modified
or shortened
DM Direct message. Private communication
between 2 Twitterers. Must mutually
follow to DM
# Hashtag Hashtag denotes a topic or event.
Frequently assigned for conferences; can
aggregate hashtag stream

36. Twitter T ips
•Volunteer to tweet a conference -
organizers & speakers love it; others will
follow
•Tweet like an industry insider - 5-10
news tips per day (Google reader) and
gain expertise
•Organize tweet-ups (online to offline)
•Follow media & other thought leaders in
your industry

37. The 2 faces of FacEbook
2 Faces of Facebook
Personal professional

38. FACEBOOK TIPS
Personal Professional (Fan Page) for
Lawyers
Purpose: Interact w/friends - Purpose: Can post law firm
they’ll call if they need a events, sponsorship of sports
lawyer. Discovery team, photos from parties,
commonality - people do etc…
business w/those they like.
Warning: Don’t discuss cases Warning: Warn clients re:
even with friends under pros/cons liking page for
“limited” privacy. Nothing is confidentiality.
private on FB. May not want to
friend clients
Most people use FB anyway. FB page may be hard for firm
So why not? to maintain. Better tool for
firm projects like events or
association.

39. Where to find me on social media
www.twitter.com/
carolynelefant
http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynelefant
www.linkedin.com/in/ https://plus.google.com/
carolynelefant 112199202096472402474
www.pinterest.com
/myshingle
Email: carolyn@carolynelefant.com/ Web: carolynelefant.com