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Less can be more for lawyer profiles on social media

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November 21, 2016

I played with my Twitter profile and home page recently. I thought I needed to be clearer as to who I am, what I do and what my company offers lawyers.

After all, my Twitter profile page may generate more page views than my blog and LexBlog’s website. Shouldn’t it say what LexBlog does, how we do it and maybe even include a call to action. Like everyone else, I am always looking to grow my company’s business.

So rather than the “personal me,” I changed my profile to read, “CEO and Founder of LexBlog. We help lawyers make a name for themselves with our comprehensive blog publishing software offered as a service (SaaS). 15,000 bloggers strong.”

I swapped out pictures of Seattle, ballparks, family and the like for my header image to a big RLHB in red for “Real Lawyers Have Blogs,” the name of  this blog.

Regardless of my poor marketing copy and taste, the pitching with a profile didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like me.

Wilder yet, the profile didn’t work. In the couple weeks the new profile was up, the number of people following me on Twitter leveled off.

So I went back to my personal style. Header image of the Pike Place Market and a profile description leading with who I am as a father, husband, lawyer and runner who happens to be helping lawyers making a name for themselves with my team at LexBlog.

This profile was me. I felt comfortable with it. Pitching my company and what we do along with a call to action was marketing or advertising.

My Twitter followers started to go up again. Not that the number of followers is a measure of success. But it is a sign folks dislike me less than before — always a good sign.

What’s the lesson? Go with what you’re comfortable with on your social media profiles. Err on the side of being personal in nature versus taking a corporate/marketing approach.

Social media by definition is social. Person to person — real, autrhentic and engaging. The outcome being relationships and trust.

Social media, despite what some marketers may tell you and despite how many lawyers and law firms act, is not a means to draw attention to yourself, your law firm or even your content.

I have run across Twitter handles such as Dallas Divorce Lawyer, personal Facebook headers with the name of law firm, it’s website and phone number and LinkedIn profiles boasting of the number of connections and listing overpowering accolades.

In addition to not knowing who the “person” really was, I never followed them, became their friend or connected with them. The person lost the opportunity to realize what social media offered.

The marketing approach is a turn off to the people who you want to engage. You’ll lose the opportunity to nurture relationships and build trust with clients, prospective clients, referral sources, bloggers, reporters and influencers.

Sure, there’s a difference in the professionalism required on your Website and LinkedIn and the more informal Twitter and Facebook. But in all cases, I’d suggest making yourself approachable.

People who like you will find out what you do and who you do it for. By virtue of who you’re engaging on social media and what you’re discussing and sharing you’ll have defined yourself and your niche area of work.

Give people a chance to like you. Go with the softly stated approach.