Seven ways attorneys fail at social media.

• Author: Lancaster, Jason

Social media is a hot topic. From big brands to small firms, it seems as if everyone is diving head first into Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. With the tremendous worldwide popularity of social media websites (by the time you read this, Facebook will have exceeded 500 million users) it's no wonder that so many businesses are rushing to establish a social media profile.

In many ways, social marketing is just beginning to take form. In the coming months and years, it's entirely possible that social media websites will become the platform consumers use to communicate, find information and make purchase decisions. If social media eventually becomes the new backbone of the internet, legal practitioners would be wise to begin establishing themselves on social media websites NoW.

But before you start Tweeting, there are a few pitfalls that attorneys must be particularly mindful of when it comes to social media. Don't make these common mistakes:

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1. Having no clear social media/social marketing strategy. Many legal marketers under stand the potential of social media, so much so that they leap before looking. A strong social media strategy will answer three key questions:

   * What will your on-line social relationship with existing and potential clients accomplish? What are your objectives? How do you measure success?

   * Who will execute your social marketing plan? Do they know what they're doing? Do they have time to do it?

   * What's in it for your clients? What value or service can you bring to your clients via social media?

2. Being too Busy to Execute

   Most attorneys are either very busy or retired: There does not seem to be any middle ground. While being busy is a good thing, it often means that non-essential tasks like social marketing get set aside. Do not start a social media plan that you have no time to effectively manage: A social media profile that is not maintained is arguably worse than no profile at all.

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3. Placing too Much

   Emphasis on Disclosure When it comes to communicating with the masses, attorneys must walk a slippery slope. On one hand, precise communications with comprehensive disclosures are the only way to ensure people correctly interpret your words. On the other, social media is not conducive to standard legal communication formats.

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   Because consumers are much more likely to socially engage an attorney or practice that uses plain language, consider limiting your...