Should your personal injury law firm use Twitter’s social media platform?

Posted by Sharon Bowles on Feb 25, 2018 10:12:47 PM

In legal marketing

I’ve written before about the importance of social media to your personal injury law firm. I’ve discussed the positive attributes of posting on Facebook and LinkedIn, but in this article I’m going to talk about the pros and cons of being on Twitter.

Pros and Cons of Using Twitter for Personal Injury Law Firms

For some, Twitter seems a little odd. With a limited 140 characters allowed (with testing now occurring in various markets to double that number), it seems hard to imagine you can get a real message across; however, that’s not true.

The Pros

  • Twitter’s use of hashtags is a great way to be found, and to help get your essential message across. By including popular hashtags such as #personalinjurylaw, #accidentlawyer, #slip&fallattorney, etc., people specifically looking for those keywords will be able to find you.
  • Twitter is face-paced. The short messages can actually captivate your audience, without you having to worry about whether they will get bored by a long blog. Also, you can always provide a hyperlink to your website, your blog or another area of reference.
  • Twitter permits personal injury attorneys to get to the point quickly and efficiently, thus helping build relationships with clients and colleagues.
  • Twitter is the place to go for latest updates on legal matters in your area of focus, and other topics your target audience has interests in.
  • Building a following is easier on Twitter than on some other social platforms because of the ease of sharing information.
  • Posting relevant information will help build your reputation and image of trustworthiness.
  • Responding to a question one has posed to you is easy and helps you build your relationship with your followers.
  • You can advertise on Twitter. For example, you can boost certain tweets that may contain very important information to a number of people, or boost a tweet about an event in which you are participating in or are in which you are interested.
  • Twitter provides an enormous potential for engaging with others. There is an average of 330 million monthly active users, so you can be sure some of your clients and prospects are using Twitter on a regular basis. To ignore this figure would be self-defeating.
  • By posting regularly on Twitter, you are able to stay visible and relevant. Not only can you enhance your presence, but you can become recognized as an expert in the field of personal injury law.
  • Twitter is the place to share your successes, without seeming like an egotist. Feel free to post details about a great settlement or a big trial win, an event you are sponsoring, an award you or your firm has won, or where you will be hosting a seminar or giving a talk.

The Cons

In truth, the pros far outweigh the cons, but in the name of evenhandedness, I will discuss some of the few that have surfaced.

  • It’s easy to get discouraged at the beginning because it can feel like no one is listening. Because it is so fast-paced, you may wonder if your post is getting read. Your tweet becomes old news quickly, unless someone is searching for a keyword in your hashtag.
  • There are, unfortunately, bots and spammers out there. (Bots are fake accounts.) If your post is an unwitting victim of a bot or spammer, the number of people you think are following you may be less.
  • Some people who post on Twitter are more circumspect than others. Simply tweeting your every thought can make your post go viral for the wrong reasons and do significant damage to your reputation. Be judicious and thoughtful in what you tweet.
  • It does take time to manage a Twitter account, just as it does any other social media platform. You can automate your tweets or enlist a member of your support staff to assist you in keeping up with your account.

Social media is all about building relationships and if you fail to engage in it, be advised that your competitors are using it to their advantage. In making your decision as to whether to have an active Twitter account, you should consider how you want your firm to grow and which areas you have the time to give it.

If you need help establishing and maintaining a Twitter account, give us a call. We have the staff and expertise to keep your account active, responsive, up-to-date and relevant to your personal injury practice.

Group Matrix Blog – January 17, 2017 – by Sharon Bowles