Let’s pick up where we left off with ‘Law Firm Accounting, Just One Piece of the Pie‘, everyone likes a good spin-off right?! …I adored the sitcom, Frasier, almost as much as I adore people reaping the benefits of outsourcing.

Social Media – Here’s another thought I had… “just hand it over already.”

“When it’s time it’s time!” Maybe this is an old saying, but it still holds value, especially for those who have sincerely given something their best shot and results are “meh” at best. And well, maybe you and your firm do okay with marketing, but there just isn’t the time. Either way, you’re in a fix, because if your name isn’t out there and we also mean strategically (more than the occasional fun facebook group) your business will eventually become, well, a wall-flower. Yup, that’s right, we’re talking barely visible, no contrasting colors, with a muddy yellow you’d wish you could forget. ‘OK’! So not all wallflowers are THAT bad, some are quite pretty—but they aren’t really functional.

You don’t just want to look like a business, you want to BE in business.

What to do? Follow these five tips below while we take care of your accounting, and feel free to “call us in the morning”… (using another adage here..but seriously, we can help you with QuickBooks Online Training, Basic Write up Service, Plus and Premier Bookkeeping…you get it!) Remember, social media is one of those “beasts” that’s ever changing! Because it’s a main source of social and economic stability, there will always be the need to learn a new platform or communication style. And then, implement it. And if you decide to outsource your marketing, it’s good to stay informed of its ebbs and flows. Always be looking in on your social media, even if you’ve got a great writer at the table!

Tip #1 – Hire a marketing specialist who works and thinks similar to you!

It’s one thing to have to communicate your branding and style to a new employee or business partner. And, quite another when revising, adapting and developing content. The idea is not to relinquish full control of your social media to somebody else, but to feel confident that should any problems arise, they will be fixed in the manner that YOU would fix them. Upwork has plenty of legal content writers to choose from and filters to narrow down rates, skill level, client history and more. It can take a few clicks to find the right person, but there are plenty of websites to take advantage of.

Tip #2 – Leverage your marketing expert’s confidence.

When someone writes for another company, it’s common to have them as “the ghostwriter”. But the truth is, when you give somebody byline credits they are more likely to take genuine pride in their work, doing a stellar job! Add their headshot to your website, under ‘Content Manager’ and reap the rewards! You can also encourage them to share that content on their own networks, it’s a win-win.

Tip #3 – Define what makes your Law Firm unique & list out the type of audience your talking to as well.

Get very specific here and write a few lists: 1. Your business’s special qualities 2. Who your audience is. Once your marketing specialist can pin-point your varying degrees of strengths and who you’re speaking to, they’ll better know how to share with others in a way that is not only impressive but reveals your business’s true competency.

Tip #4 – Create some reasonable guidelines on measuring your social media metrics

Start recording your ROI on a weekly or monthly basis – financial reports can help you in this process. Review analytics together. It’s important to know what does and doesn’t work for your company, where you’ve “hit a bulls-eye” and which posts seemingly fizzled. Be patient, It takes time to build a good following. After a’while, you’ll have plenty of data to sift through and make better marketing decisions with.

Tip #5 – Develop some templates your marketer can use on social media consistently.

Writing comes easier for some than others, but everyone experiences the ‘deadlock writer’s block‘ – everyone. Having a few templates available to quickly switch out a phrase or image is going to save time and allow for more creativity to organically shine through. Set an average per month or week you feel comfortable with posting. With this little trick, your social media will always look impressive and genuine.

QB Community Live Is my public group on Facebook, come on over and find me. Introduce your new marketing sidekick to our accounting friends. Hey – They need a great set of books too, ya know!?! While you’re there, please invite your accountant – we are a “community” after all. QB Community Live! – fun, and friendly! Tag me in a comment using #PieceOfThePie so I’ll know it’s YOU! 🙂