Organic Social Media Marketing for Your Law Firm

Few social events are quite as polarizing as the cocktail party, people either love them or hate them, but attending one for professional reasons is very similar to social media marketing. But the one thing you don’t want to do, whether referring to social media or cocktail parties, is stand in the corner and refuse to engage anybody.

Forget those days when Facebook and Twitter were only used to inform friends that your vacation or night on the town was upstaging theirs. Now social media ─ Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn specifically ─ should be an integral party of your law firm’s marketing strategy. And if your firm isn’t using social media as part of its marketing efforts, you’re in the minority ─ seventy percent (70%) are, according to Attorney at Work’s 2017 Social Media Marketing Survey.

Just Remember…Think Cocktail Party When You Think Social Media.

When you’re ready to launch or revamp your social media marketing efforts, keep the following four (4) things in mind:

---

Be Genuine

You wouldn’t pretend to be something you’re not at a cocktail party (right?), so don’t do it when using social media. Make posts reflective of your firm, the type of law you practice and how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. And while writing about yourself might be uncomfortable, it’s important that your personality shines through. If you love golf, share thoughts and photos about your recent round at Pebble Beach.

Elevator Pitch

We all know what an elevator pitch is, right? It’s something about you and your firm that can be verbalized on a (no more than) 30-second elevator ride. Take the same approach with social media posts; they need to quickly convey who you are, where you work, and how you help people.

Share the Good News

Social media posts work best when they offer a more human, personal touch. You don’t have to only share posts that reference the law or the type you practice. If your son’s basketball team wins the championship, share it with others. You never know who might read it and forward it on to somebody with a vested interest in your son’s school.

Use Images and Videos

Sure, giving the reader something to look at along with text helps information stand out, but it’s more than just about looks. Check out these statistics from Adobe’s Digital Index Report. Tweets with images earned up to:

• 18 percent more clicks,
• 89 percent more favorites, and
• 150 percent more retweets.

LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS WE OFFER LEGAL SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SERVICES FOR

Bankruptcy

Business Law

Business Litigation

Child Custody

Civil Litigation

Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Divorce

DUI/DWI

Estate Planning

Family Law

General Practice

Health Care

Immigration

Labor and Employment

Landlord and Tenant Law

Libel, Slander and Defamation

Medical Malpractice

Medicare and Medicaid

Personal Injury

Real Estate

Social Security Disability

Wills and Probate

Workers Compensation

Remember to think cocktail party when designing and implementing your firm’s social media marketing strategy. And here’s the best part ─ you don’t have to dress up for it.

It’s been almost a year since MGM studios and Twitter joined forces for an immersive New Year’s Eve experience using Twitter Live. In the span of a few hours, the launch segment had garnered an impressive 22 million views and impressions. Since then, the micro-blogging social media site has updated and added to the live streaming feature, reflecting back a cultural craving for immediacy.

Curious what’s on the horizon for next year? Here’s a look backward, and forward, to help businesses leverage twitter live in their social media marketing.

A Look Back at Twitter Live in 2017

Twitter Live has had an impressive arch over the last 12 months. When it comes to revenue, video remains their single biggest ad format, according to Twitter.

What has shifted is the participants, players, and partnerships. Let’s see how Twitter Live has settled in over the last four quarters.

• Q1: Twitter’s user growth outpaced Wall Street Predictions, swelling by more than 9 million. By March its content partners had topped to more than 200.
• Q2: Armed with an updated API, Twitter made the live platform more accessible to broadcasting companies. Supporting professional video and editing equipment, as well as the software that runs them, allowed major players to interface directly with Twitter.
• Q3: Partnerships with big names in the sports world, fashion arena and media sect all pledged allegiance to live-streaming. Everyone from the NFL and Viacom to IMG Fashion and BuzzFeed is now relying on Twitter for their live content.
• Q4: Right at the end of the year, Twitter Live is eking out a final offering that’s poised to change news as we know it.

Is Twitter our preferred news network?

News cycles have long rewarded the first on the scene. Twitter satisfies our demand for the instantaneous. For those who want to watch the news in the moment, Twitter is reliably where it happens first.

In fact, social media is the exclusive news provider for more than half of online users. It’s also where reporters themselves look to confirm facts or cultivate story leads.

Twitter Live has taken notice, creating the world’s first “social news network”, TicToc by Bloomberg. As of December 18, 2017, a Twitter-specific 24-hour news cycle will go live supported by a team of 50 reporters and newsroom staff.

It’s the precision and journalistic excellence of Bloomberg News, paired with the global following of twitter’s aggressively engaged users, and the commentary they so freely share.

The move appears to be traditional media’s first dedicated effort to bring some quality into the demand for instant breaking news.

Who’s ahead in the Twitter VS Facebook Live race?

Twitter and Facebook Live both have the potential to grow your market segments. It’s less a question of which is performing better, and more an inquiry into your individual business marketing needs.

If you’re attempting to get in front of an audience you’ve already cultivated, Facebook Live tends to pull ahead. However, if what you’re after is overall network growth, try out Twitter.

The two also differ in terms of which types of content they best support. Since Twitter is a more open platform, it’s especially great for public events. Conversely, Facebook does a thorough job serving concentrated individual networks. Ultimately, the choice is whether your content is better suited for a network-centric audience or open and public viewings.

Keep in mind that about more than half of Twitter Live’s unique video viewers are outside the U.S., and also under the age of 25. If you have a young, international target market, this is the platform for your business.

Some moments can only be truly captured with live video. Whatever your business chooses to broadcast, going live on Twitter can help you share the experience.

Still, have questions? Make contact and we’ll let you pick the brain of an internal social media strategist

To Google, one letter makes a huge difference– at least when we’re talking HTTPS vs. HTTP. Since 2014, the big G has been strongly encouraging websites to convert to SSL. Though it’s not yet resulted in a proper Google update, there have been rankings boots for following suit.

Earlier this year, Search Engine Journal collected data supporting the correlation between websites who made the HTTPS switch and Google’s first page rankings. In the piece, they outline SearchMetrics data indicating HTTPS encryption is up 12% since 2015 and that 45% of the top websites all use it to protect their online data.

So, now the multi-billion dollar question: is your website secure? Today we delve a little deeper, unpacking all that’s contained in one tiny letter. (Hint: n Http(s) the s=secure.)

Understanding Secure Socket Layers

As trusted Search Engine Optimization specialists, we field a lot of web security questions. Curious about what a secure socket layer is and what it protects against? Allow us to elaborate.

For simplification purposes, an SSL encryption creates a safe link between a host’s server and a browser. Without it, any data that’s shared over the connection remains fully public and highly susceptible.

How do you know when a site is secure and protected? Look to the upper left-hand corner of your Google browser next to the website. You’ll see a closed lock that turns green to indicate your data is secure and protected.

How Important is an HTTPS site?

The vast majority of #1-ranking websites have a secure socket layer on top of their site. By year’s end that number is expected to increase to more than 65%.

However, your Google ranking isn’t the only risk you’re taking by waiting to roll out a full HTTPS conversation. Without a designated SSL certificate to protect your site, you’re left susceptible to information theft. That means your customers are, too.

And really, what company doesn’t want to make their website harder to hack? Not only will fixing a hack drain your IT budget, but you also leave your operation open to lawsuits from those whose information was compromised.

Why Hasn’t there Been a SSL Oriented Google Update?

If it seems odd that something so critical hasn’t been addressed in an official Google update, you’re not alone. The official word is that the internet powers that be are awaiting big sites like Wikipedia to fully secure themselves before making an official rollout.

Ultimately, your users have an expectation of safety when they visit your site. If you haven’t converted to HTTPS yet, don’t wait until there’s a problem. We’ll help you do it. Stay ahead to keep from falling behind, and let us secure your SSL certificate.

The Importance of Good Website Design for Law Firms

What are the components needed to create a good website? For some, this question might bring to mind Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous line from his opinion in the freedom of speech case Jacobellis v. Ohio.  They may not be able to describe qualities that make for a good website, but they “know it when (they) see it.”  Fortunately, website design and development is not quite so nebulous. Read on for information on the basic components that good legal websites share.

Build your Website with the User in Mind

A website isn’t all about just words and images, or font selection and layout.  A good website is easy to use.  This means its visitors can easily navigate from one page to another, can find what they are looking for, and can to complete their desired action.  Oftentimes, the websites with cleaner, simpler designs are the easiest to use because they don’t confuse the user with too many bells and whistles.  Don’t make the fatal mistake of overdesigning, and failing to consider your user’s experience.

Remember the Basics

It’s shocking how many websites don’t prominently display their phone number. Make it bold and easy to see, preferably in the upper right-hand corner.  Is your site’s contact form so long that nobody will take the time to complete it?  Is it easy to understand? This is vitally important. Do all the links and buttons work?  Do its pages load quickly? These are common mistakes that can be fairly easy to fix. But first you must pay attention to the details.

Mobile Friendly

According to several research studies, mobile searches account for between 55% and 65% of all online searches. So if your website isn’t mobile friendly, you may have cut your potential audience by half or more, right off the bat! And just because you can see your website on a mobile device doesn’t mean it’s mobile friendly. If you’d like to check, go to https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly. Paste your URL in the window, then click “Analyze”. Google will let you know if your website is accommodating for mobile users.

Use your Resources

Think friends and family; they’re great resources. Have them navigate your website, and then provide honest feedback. If you’ve looked at something long enough, it’s tough to be objective and truly gauge user experience. Hopefully friends and family won’t have the same problem.

LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS WE OFFER LEGAL WEB DESIGN SERVICES FOR

Business Law

Business Litigation

Child Custody

Civil Litigation

Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Divorce

state Planning

Family Law

General Practice

Health Care

Immigration

Labor and Employment

Landlord and Tenant Law

Medical Malpractice

Medicare and Medicaid

Personal Injury

Real Estate

Social Security Disability

Wills and Probate

Workers Compensation

If you have questions about your law firm’s website design, contact Accelerate Online Marketing (Accelerate). We’re an award-winning digital marketing firm that focuses on making online law firm marketing easy.

Emotions are the first language we learn. Until our brains are fully developed, it’s how we communicate and how we understand our world. Some parts of that never leave us. Even into our adulthood, emotions drive our decision-making, especially when it comes to the things we purchase.

Regardless of content, emotion-based ads and marketing campaigns trigger subconscious responses that help us feel our way to the end product. Watch any Super Bowl ad for confirmation – the most popular commercials from year to year are ones which make you laugh or, better, evoke deep sentiment.

Get out the tissues and strap in. Ahead, we’ll take a whirl on the roller coaster of emotional marketing and see its relationship to lead-capture.

Basic Emotions

Though humans experience a litany of varied and complex emotions, most can be categorized as one of four basic states: sadness, happiness, fear or anger.

Each makes for effective advertising in its own way. In decades past, ads were varied across the spectrum. More recently, positive, uplifting or moving content has taken center stage. Print advertising and digital marketing ads alike rely on emotional connection for shares and sales.

In our online age, content marketing that evokes nostalgia and confidence seems to do especially well at crossing barriers and holding our fleeting attention spans.

Establish Value

In essence, emotions consciously or unconsciously underlie all consumers’ purchasing decisions. Tapping the proper sentiment for your customer base is the logical first step, but the real buck stops when you communicate its value.

For example, when REI unveiled their demonstrably successful Black Friday campaign, #optoutside, the store closures sent a clear message to their target audience. They aligned themselves with their brand as well as the shared sentiments of their customers. As they distanced themselves from unchecked consumerism, they simultaneously increased sales.

When creating your content marketing strategy, think about what your product or service underscores. Imagine the value-add to the purchaser. Does your restaurant offer families a sense of belonging? Or is your product satisfying a user’s intrinsic need for connection?

Tell the story behind the features and focus on how it can help achieve a heightened emotional state or eliminate regret altogether. Don’t sell them a product; show your customer how it can impact their human experience.

Emotional Branding

Consumers are inundated with ads. Between Facebook advertising, Google AdWords and native ads in their online content, some estimate that internet users field some 4,000 ads each day.

Want to stand out? Associate your brand with an emotion and distinguish yourself from the competition.

Ultimately, an emotional customer is an engaged customer. Use emotional marketing to genuinely appeal to your target audience’s core feelings and create brand connections that can convert lead captures to long-term sales.

At Globe Runner, our core values shape every aspect of our company and our policies. It would be a good idea to seriously consider your company’s values, and perhaps placing them on a wall somewhere in the office. With these values in writing, it will open up the floor for discussion as to how your team can work collectively to honor these values and attain company goals.

At Globe Runner, we take this season of thanks seriously. If you’re reading this, we’re grateful for you! To our clients (and future clients), it is because of you we’re able to fulfill our mission of taking brands beyond. To our entire network, you help us provide the out-of-this-world digital marketing services that launch business to new heights.

Of course, it is our mission possible ground control staffthat really generate lift off. Without you, we’d be all space suited up with no place to go. We recently asked some of our team to take pause and tell us what they’re grateful for. Here’s a look at what’s fueling their rockets this year.

Katy, VP of Client Services

“

Chad, President: Creative Division

Stacey, Account Director

Gracie, Director of Operations

Eddie, Creative Director

Daniel, Development Team Lead

As the holiday season speeds up, it’s important to slow down. A quiet moment of reflection for all that’s going well in one’s life can recalibrate you for the hustle and bustle ahead. We’re holding our gratitudes close this year.

We’re also curious about yours! Tell us, what are you most thankful for?

Many business owners don’t understand that their website, even if it’s viewable on a mobile device, might not be mobile-friendly. A website is mobile-friendly if it’s been designed to be properly displayed on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. This means it can be read, navigated, and all essential functions utilized on a phone or tablet without the user having to pinch, rotate, or enlarge.

If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’ve probably been missing out on traffic, customers, even sales. Why?  Because websites that aren’t mobile-friendly don’t rank as high as their mobile optimized counterparts. And because users are five times more likely to leave a site that does not provide a good experience on a mobile device. This means that continuing to operate your business without a mobile-friendly website is costing you even more traffic, and sales, in the future.

Google’s Mobile-First Index

Google anticipates rolling out what they’re calling Mobile-First Indexing in early 2018. Google announced their intent to make the switch in the fall of 2016 because over half of all global Internet searches are now performed on mobile devices. Prior to this, Google’s priority was focused on the desktop versions of websites. Mobile-First Indexing looks first to the mobile versions of pages to determine ranking.

Is Mobile-First Indexing the Same as Mobilegeddon?

Launched in April of 2015, Mobilegeddon is the ominous name many in the SEO community called Google’s first mobile-friendly ranking algorithm. It gave priority to web sites that passed Google’s mobile usability test. Google justified the new algorithm by stating that “the desktop version of a site might be difficult to view and use on a mobile device.”  Mobilegeddon didn’t incorporate mobile-first indexing, but it certainly set new standards for mobile optimization. Mobile-First Indexing is the next step in Google’s mobile-friendly evolution.

How Will Mobile-First Indexing Affect my Business?

It won’t, as long as your website design is mobile-friendly. While Mobile-First Indexing doesn’t mean that desktop content will cease to rank, it does mean that not having a mobile-friendly website will critically hamper your online presence. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re basically ignoring the over half of your company’s prospective customers. And that’s not good business.

If you’re wondering how to ensure your company takes advantage of Google’s Mobile-First Indexing, contact the Dallas SEO specialists at Globe Runner.

Nothing shakes up the web world like a Google algorithm update. Sites that are out of step can experience significant ranking fluctuations. If you’ve noticed your web traffic decreasing over the last eight months, the March 8 rollout of Google’s Fred Update could be partially to blame. Ahead, we’ll look at what the update is targeting (hint: ad heavy, low value content websites) and how to make sure you’re in compliance.

What does Google’s Fred Update target?

Fred diverges in name from the ‘cute fuzzy animal’ updates in years past. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less decisive. The new parameters are clear that sites whose content brings no true value to the user are under threat of penalty.

You’ve heard us say your copy needs to prioritize the reader’s experience, not the search engine. This update really drives that point home. The emphasis is squarely on customer value. That means no repetitive content, and anything copied and pasted from other websites is especially damaging for your ranking.

There’s also a lot of focus being placed on adsense and affiliate sites. Because they generally have little to no relevant content aside from a few keywords, they’re being systematically downgraded.

Essentially, anything operating as a container for ads and affiliate links is on the outs.

Some other aspects targeted by Google’s Fred Update include:

• Excessive “review” content
• Exact match “review” domains
• Missing mid– and-top-of-funnel content
• Content optimized around exact keywords instead of topics
• Poor ad-to-text ratio
• Poor affiliate link-to-text ratio
• No rich media/poor site design
• Content not matching users search intent

How to Avoid Fred Update Penalties

Sometimes, Google updates offer the perfect opportunity to do a quality control check of your website. To comply with Fred, start by focusing on the placement of ads on your site. Make sure any banner ads you host aren’t obtrusive, or you can expect to see a decline in traffic and possible Google penalties.

Next, make sure to turn a critical eye to the content. Text heavy sites that are obviously targeting industry related keywords are unlikely to give you the traction you’re after. In fact, if it’s oriented towards generating ad revenue and less concerned with actually answering a user’s question, a downgrade in ranking could soon follow.

When writing, focus on satisfying the human query and don’t focus too heavily on keywords, for the sake of having keywords. Human-friendly title tags that focus on topics more than exact matches could also result in curried favor with the algorithms that be.

Pepper that with active social media engagement and rich media on the site itself and you should be safe. Until the next update, anyway.

Whether you’re building a site or thinking of redoing yours in the future, make sure to keep these tips in mind. If upon review of your engagement metrics you see something concerning, give us a call. We’ll help you come to a resolution.