Cute Kittens do NOT Generate Lawyer Business
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April 18, 2017
File this in the stupid social media column. I thought we had all learned that the number of FaceBook friends, Twitter followers, Google plusses, Snapchat SnapQuantiences and Meerkat Meerkittens had nothing (or so close to nothing its not worth blowing your time on) to do with generating business. But apparently I’m wrong…. the legal marketing industry is still preaching this stuff, so I’ll keep pushing back, even though I’d rather chew rusty nails then revisit the topic.
But first, let me start with the punchline: people who “liked” the picture you posted of your Maine Coon kitten sitting in a jack-o-lantern are unlikely to hire you because of it. They also, are highly unlikely to build a good strong personal relationship with you over social media. And they certainly aren’t going to post on Facebook: “I just got a DUI, do you know any lawyers?”
More likely, they just really like kittens. Or Halloween. Or they are 7 years old. Or they live in Holland. Or they are my mother-in-law.
I didn’t think this post needed to be written, but apparently it does. I’m taking all names out of the following interchange I shared on Facebook. What follows is NOT tongue-in-cheek irony….
There were a few voices of reason:
Previous comments are absolutely right: paid social for “as needed” legal services like divorce and DUI are unlikely to be an effective use of marketing budget. No matter how good your content is, you aren’t going to convince someone to get divorced or arrested to use your service. And unlike with search marketing, you can’t narrowly target people searching for your service.
And one commenter had it totally nailed:
But why was she “(Kidding!)”? Being Awesome – in law and as a person is the best thing you can do to drive business. SEO, Social Media and TV ads will never change that.
Now, its possible that over time, through your cute kitten post, you are able to connect with someone who happens to love Maine Coon kittens, who happens to live within 10 miles of your office, who happens to share mutual interests with you beyond kittens, who happens to take the time to build a relationship with you, who happens to have a legal need down that road, that happens to be in your area of practice, and who happens to choose to use Facebook instead of Google to start their search for a lawyer…. but I suspect your time and kittens are better spent on a different marketing channel. Put your kittens down…. and start working harder on being awesome.
I must respectfully disagree with that. Yes – I think much of the current patter about social media marketing is self serving drivel. But I do believe that reasonably well done social media marketing is positive – in appropriate portions. It is icing on an already well-done cake. But just like icing, the social media marketing should be a small part of the meal. And it is damned hard to do a reasonably good job. I rarely see it. Most law firm FB posts have no reason to exist. I do realize you are pointing this post at the legions of law firm marketers doing their best to sound knowledgeable and cool and the law firm customers anxious to throw money at any chance of success.