Business development | Social media is a never-ending story

" a dream is critical to the journey; a vision is essential for the dream to become a reality; this is a journey, and like all adventurous journeys, you never know what's going to happen to you along the way - if you did, it would be called a trip; and for you to weather this journey, this entrepreneurial odyssey, you need to be passionately invested in creating something remarkable if you are ever going to survive it."

Awakening the Genius Within, Michael E Gerber

Social media is, for many, an unnecessary distraction. For others, it's a welcome relief from the powerlessness that they have endured for so long. And for the rest, they are equivocal.

Whatever your stance, you have to have a clear vision, understand its purpose and appreciate the potential to change the cultural norms of your firm. Unfortunately, too few firms see it beyond a dearth of platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), an endless stream of noise or unmitigated risk to their model of production (billable hours).

Take it from me, social media is here to stay and not just in its current, slightly anodyne phase, but as an incalculable, cultural game-changer.

I don't expect my hyperbole to fully catch your sail, but if you look at what has happened in certain sectors - IT, retail and entertainment - you will get a taste of its increasing import. Of course, you would be right to say that one sector doesn't make a (complete) case, but the thing is your audience is already ahead of you, and if you don't embrace the technology and start talking in a language they understand - mobile, mobile, mobile - then all those market-savvy ABS' will move into the space you could so easily have monopolised.

Ask yourself: what is the firm's vision for social media? Do you have one? If you only see it as a way to generate work then you may be in for a shock.

The starting point for any digital offering is your website - you know that thing you have supported for the last ten years, but, as yet, have failed to see a return on investment beyond a few, rather meagre instructions! The importance of your website goes beyond a brochure, even if you have gone to the trouble of creating a slew of PDFs and the odd video. In social media terms, it is literally the epicentre of your world. Just think how many times you use LinkedIn or Twitter to post something where the web address is directed to your website. And, of course, once your putative client arrives at the designated spot, what do you expect them to do? Pick up a phone or email you? I bet you haven't even looked. The problem is that the call to action (the most obvious thing on the page) is so badly drawn or obscure that all the time and effort you have expended in getting someone to view your content is wasted.

Some firms may well have decided that, as their website is so poor, it's better to invest time in creating an ecosystem on one of the many social media platforms, most likely LinkedIn. But a word of caution: you don't own LinkedIn, and if you invest too much time and attention there, don't forget, however remote, there's always the possibility that LinkedIn could change the look and cost of the platform or worse still not be around to respond to your client's enquiry.

And what about your internal resourcing? Social media is not part-time, less still something that you can dabble with. It has to have a budget, a department that is capable of producing world class content and the technological know-how to stay ahead of the changes in the sector. Hand in hand with resourcing is the idea of training. Most firms are content to issue a social media policy, but far too few understand the need for constant and consistent training. Nowadays more and more businesses are waking up to the potential that exists in their midst to create an army of marketers by dint of their mobile devices. But how few firms, once they have issued a mobile device, stop to think how they can be utilised beyond picking up work emails and making the odd call?

Strategy is, for some firms, like the dark arts - all smoke and mirrors at best. Sometimes they're driven from the top; other times from below. Many business plans have not been updated from the intoxicating times pre-2007; but, take it from me, now is the time to dust them down and start to analyse how you can fully embrace the brave new world of social media, using a hub and spoke model where the website (or a landing page) sits in the middle and your social media platforms facing inwards. Make sure you audit where you are, and think carefully about exactly what you want to achieve, even if that is limited to using social media as a fully formed lead generation device.

One final thing. Don't think that your strategy will make your firm social. It won't. If you don't allow people a voice - even one carefully monitored - then chances are your efforts will be wasted by virtue of that rather dry, commercial tone that you feel constrained by as a law firm.