Twitter lists : Include people, not just corporations
I’ve always liked the title of the book, ‘Organizations Don’t Tweet, People Do,’ by Euan Semple (@euan). Twitter’s personal.
Of course it’s not as black and white as that. There are many law firms doing a nice job with Twitter handles in the firm’s name.
When it comes to your Twitter lists (as a law firm or lawyers), it’s the same concept. Place emphasis on including people in your Twitter lists versus just corporations and media brands.
After all who I am to able to get to know better, the New York Times (@nytimes) or Jon Schwartz (@jswatz), a national reporter for the New York Times? Who can I meet for coffee?
As law firms begin to use Twitter lists to follow clients, prospective clients, referral sources, associations, and the media, law firms tend to follow companies. Makes sense, your clients, in many cases are companies. Look them up on Twitter and include them in the appropriate list.
But what are you missing? The opportunity to connect with the people in that company.
The executives in the company. In-house counsel employed by the company. The people who make the decisions effecting your law firm, including their marketing and PR professionals who will appreciate that you’re following them on Twitter and possibly engaging them via a shoutout for an occurrence they’re proud of.
In the case of the media you’d be missing reporters, publishers, and editors. After all it’s those people you are attempting to connect with personally via your public relations’ efforts.
In the case of trade associations or local organizations such as the chamber of commerce, you’re missing the executive directors, board members, and conference coordinators. Those folks invite your lawyers to speak and author articles.
It’s easy to find these folks’ Twitter accounts. Look at their corporate sites and gather names. If you don’t have the names, do searches for the title of the employees on a LinkedIn company search to find the names. Google the person’s name adding the word Twitter or search on Twitter for their Twitter handle. For reporters some will have their Twitter handle in their byline. The smart people will include their Twitter handle in their LinkedIn and Google+ profiles.
As an emedia professional at a large Midwest firm told me last week, “With so many large clients and companies that they work with, it was easy to forget that there were actually people within those entities that they should be following on Twitter and including in lists.” She was specifically referring to influential people and thought-leaders who are instrumental in making decisions.
I’ve blogged earlier about developing a strategy for using twitter lists in your business development efforts. As discussed there, use your lists to engage people.
Retweet items of interest to your audience. You’re killing two birds with one stone, you’re sharing items of value and you’re rewarding the people you want to nurture relationships with. Reply where appropriate, after all only those following each of you will see your reply tweet.
No question lawyers, as people, will have an easier time nurturing relationships via their use of Twitter than the firm will with it’s Twitter handle. But a law firm’s brand carries a lot of clout. Which reporter wouldn’t want their story retweeted by a major law firm? Which executive wouldn’t want to have something positive they shared retweeted by an influential organization, like your law firm.
Twitter lists can take some time to build and relationships can take time to nurture. That’s okay, relationships with real people are what it’s all about.