How to Get Your Staff Involved in Your Law Firm’s 2021 Marketing Efforts
Tags: Facebook | Social Media
I’m late to the party, but I just finished Phil Knight’s memoir, Shoe Dog.
If you are interested in business, it’s a book I’d highly recommend. It’s well written and engaging, while being incredibly didactic.
One of my biggest takeaways was what Knight almost named Nike, and why he changed his mind.
Primed to release the shoe and brand that would become Nike, Knight himself came up with the name “Dimension Six” for the brand. But his staff changed his mind.
It wasn’t catchy, they said, and it didn’t mean anything…again and again. I lobbied for Dimension Six. Again and again, I was told by my employees that it was unspeakable bad. (knight 182)
Ultimately it was an employee who came up with the name “Nike”. The name came to him in a dream, and Knight decided to trust his staff and go with it.
We all know how that turned out.
Nike – the name and the company – was not created in a vacuum. Phil Knight was the heart and soul of the company, but Nike needed an entire team to make it what it was.
Your law firm is no different. It might be your name on the door, but your entire staff makes your company what it is. You know that this is true when it comes to legal cases, but what about when it comes to your social media marketing efforts? If you want to push the limit, get creative, and create a culture that matters, you need to value your team and engage them in your marketing strategy. Here are a few ways to do that.
Keep Them Updated
It’s true – your staff has a million things to do. Everyone is working hard to learn more and be better.
This means that marketing efforts will fall through the cracks if you do not make them a priority. And before you can ask your employees for their input, you need to inform them.
Inform them about your law firm’s social media presence. Let them know about the posts that do particularly well, the ideas that you are excited about, how your following is growing.
Create a system to keep your office up-to-date on your marketing efforts. Send a weekly recap through email or a monthly report. Give your staff an easy opportunity to stay informed on what the firm is up to on Facebook and other social media platforms. By informing your employees, you will put them in a position to contribute to these efforts and get them excited about social media marketing.
Give Them the Tools They Need
Chances are that your staff are not marketing gurus. Asking people to jump in cold and contribute ideas to your social media efforts can be daunting for your staff members. Instead, set them up for success by helping them learn more about marketing. Share articles and books about the topic. Allow them to attend online training sessions or marketing conferences. Start conversations by asking about their opinions on different social media strategies.
By informing your employees not only of your firm’s social media strategy, but industry best practices, you will slowly build their knowledge base and confidence in contributing their own ideas.
Source Ideas
Finally, it’s time to put the pieces of the puzzle together and ask your staff for their social media marketing ideas.
Most of the ideas might not work, for various reasons. Too expensive. Require too many resources. Doesn’t fit with your brand. But one out of ten ideas might be great. It might stick. And you might be able to implement it in your firm’s social media strategy today.
Give your staff a place to contribute. Send out a weekly survey, set up a marketing meeting, or even a marketing retreat. Give your employees the time and space to use their creativity and contribute.
If I have one takeaway from Shoe Dog it is that two heads are better than one. And three are better than two, four are better than three, and so on. There is untapped potential right under your nose! Give your team the freedom to contribute to your law firm, let the creativity build, and you will end up with some tremendous marketing ideas.
Teamwork makes a difference in your office and on your legal cases. It can make a difference in your marketing efforts. Otherwise, we’d be wearing Dimension Six.
If you are interested in business, it’s a book I’d highly recommend. It’s well written and engaging, while being incredibly didactic.
I’m late to the party, but I just finished Phil Knight’s memoir, Shoe Dog.
One of my biggest takeaways was what Knight almost named Nike, and why he changed his mind.
Primed to release the shoe and brand that would become Nike, Knight himself came up with the name “Dimension Six” for the brand. But his staff changed his mind.
Ultimately it was an employee who came up with the name “Nike”. The name came to him in a dream, and Knight decided to trust his staff and go with it.
We all know how that turned out.
Nike – the name and the company – was not created in a vacuum. Phil Knight was the heart and soul of the company, but Nike needed an entire team to make it what it was.
Your law firm is no different. It might be your name on the door, but your entire staff makes your company what it is. You know that this is true when it comes to legal cases, but what about when it comes to your social media marketing efforts? If you want to push the limit, get creative, and create a culture that matters, you need to value your team and engage them in your marketing strategy. Here are a few ways to do that.
Keep Them Updated
It’s true – your staff has a million things to do. Everyone is working hard to learn more and be better.
This means that marketing efforts will fall through the cracks if you do not make them a priority. And before you can ask your employees for their input, you need to inform them.
Inform them about your law firm’s social media presence. Let them know about the posts that do particularly well, the ideas that you are excited about, how your following is growing.
Create a system to keep your office up-to-date on your marketing efforts. Send a weekly recap through email or a monthly report. Give your staff an easy opportunity to stay informed on what the firm is up to on Facebook and other social media platforms. By informing your employees, you will put them in a position to contribute to these efforts and get them excited about social media marketing.
Give Them the Tools They Need
Chances are that your staff are not marketing gurus. Asking people to jump in cold and contribute ideas to your social media efforts can be daunting for your staff members. Instead, set them up for success by helping them learn more about marketing. Share articles and books about the topic. Allow them to attend online training sessions or marketing conferences. Start conversations by asking about their opinions on different social media strategies.
By informing your employees not only of your firm’s social media strategy, but industry best practices, you will slowly build their knowledge base and confidence in contributing their own ideas.
Source Ideas
Finally, it’s time to put the pieces of the puzzle together and ask your staff for their social media marketing ideas.
Most of the ideas might not work, for various reasons. Too expensive. Require too many resources. Doesn’t fit with your brand. But one out of ten ideas might be great. It might stick. And you might be able to implement it in your firm’s social media strategy today.
Give your staff a place to contribute. Send out a weekly survey, set up a marketing meeting, or even a marketing retreat. Give your employees the time and space to use their creativity and contribute.
If I have one takeaway from Shoe Dog it is that two heads are better than one. And three are better than two, four are better than three, and so on. There is untapped potential right under your nose! Give your team the freedom to contribute to your law firm, let the creativity build, and you will end up with some tremendous marketing ideas.
Teamwork makes a difference in your office and on your legal cases. It can make a difference in your marketing efforts. Otherwise, we’d be wearing Dimension Six.
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