- May 6, 2021
- Posted by: JPM 4 Marketing
- Categories: Content Strategy, Legal Marketing, Social Media
When non-marketers think of branding, they usually consider self promotion and branding as interchangeable terms. This is especially true in hyper competitive businesses like law firms. Everyone wants to tell their audience how great they are and why viewers should hire them. This is not the way to brand yourself on social media. In fact, even a whiff of this type of self promoting can sabotage your brand in the social media world.
To be successful with social media you’ll need to change your mindset about branding. Instead of self promoting focus on the best ways you can be helpful to your audience. Branding is not about focusing on yourself, it’s about focusing on the people you want to help. Offering a free guide or a link to a YouTube explainer video is a great way to boost your brand.
Look at your reviews and people’s comments on other posts, then create posts that address concerns that are mentioned or answer the questions people are asking. Create posts and content that provide value to your audience. Ideally, creating that content in a fun, easy to understand way is the best. Always remember to keep the content relevant to your audience and avoid “legalese”. Work at making an emotional connection through telling a story about someone with a “problem” that you can fix. Telling stories and engaging your audience on an emotional level develops trust.
All of your activity on social media is building your brand, including responding to other posts. Don’t ever criticize other posts and write negative comments. Don’t promote yourself or your firm in the comments for someone else’s post. Do try to provide thoughtful, relevant comments that continue to engage the audience.
Below is an example of self promotion versus branding:
#1 Are you working in a hostile work environment? Are you unsure about how to protect yourself? Do you feel harassed? Order my book and learn how to change your environment or your job!
#2 I was working in a hostile environment and felt uncertain and anxious all the time. I didn’t know how to change my situation without creating conflict. After working hard at changing my situation, I decided to write a book to help others find happiness at work again. If you want to get some tips and have a few laughs, order my book.
I’m sure you can easily see the difference between these 2 examples. #1 is pure self promotion while #2 is more relatable to your audience. Example #2 takes more thought and a little more effort but your results are well worth it!
If you need help creating a successful marketing strategy and improving your results, please feel free to schedule a phone appointment with me.