For those of you who’ve been regular readers of Zen, you may know that I’m a fan of social media marketing for lawyers. Last year, Anthony Marrone, II, Esq. sent me a copy of his book, The Social Media Marketing Blueprint for Lawyers, and I really should have gotten around to reading it before now. Whether you consider yourself a social media maven, or you’re still wondering what “the twitter” is, this book will offer you some valuable insights into how to successfully and effectively market your practice using some of the newest tools available. Obviously, since it took me a year to read it, there are a few updates that have come out since then that Marrone hasn’t covered, but for the most part, all of his recommendations and advice still holds true. 

Things that really resonated with me about this book:

• Marrone’s emphasis on storytelling with your social media. He says himself:
  

  Using social media successfully first and foremost requires good storytelling. As lawyers, this should come somewhat naturally to us. We are constantly weaving the narrative tapestry of our clients’ businesses or estates, or writing a persuasive brief to a court to present our client’s case in a favorable light. Successful social media marketing is not altogether that much different.”

• He recognizes that social media requires regular attention and engagement, likening it to a garden – it’s not going to produce flowers the day after you plant the seeds, and you’ll need to keep a careful watch and sometimes do some weeding to get the results that you want. He further points out that only celebrities can generate audience loyalty without ever interacting with their followers and connections – lawyers don’t get the same luxury.
• While I might have lead with the planning chapter of the book, Marrone’s look at the top social tools out there all follow the same formula – how the platforms function, how lawyers can use and benefit from it, and real life examples of successful campaigns. He includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Snapchat, and also discusses blogs, legal directories and your website, while recognizing that with the exception of your website, lawyers don’t need to be using every single one of the other social tools to be successful. Interestingly Marrone omits chapters on Pinterest and YouTube, though I think he considers YouTube to be an extension of your activities on the other sites.
• Marrone also includes a valuable chapter on the ethical considerations to bear in mind when executing a social media presence. He’s taken a broad look at the national landscape of social media ethics rulings in the United States, but it’s always important to understand the rules for your state, as well as anywhere you may be reaching clients.

It’s clear throughout the book that Marrone is bursting with energy and enthusiasm, and that the good ideas for marketing your practice just spill out of him (such that, at times, you wish he would have slowed down and edited a little more closely), but if you can keep up with the ‘stream of consciousness’ pace, you’ll walk away with some useful tips.