SOCIAL MEDIA
STARTER GUIDE
Social media thrives in the UK, with two thirds of the population having some sort of presence.
Many lawyers are using it to their advantage. You can too.
Get a better understanding for social media with Carbon's starter guide for Twitter and LinkedIn.
GETTING SETUP.
If you already have accounts with LinkedIn and Twitter - great. But if you're yet to jump in, the Brand & Communications teams would be more than happy to get you setup with an account, your profile picture, and correct header artwork. Just get in touch.
TWITTER: AN INTRODUCTION.
Twitter is a microblogging platform. It limits each post you publish to just 250 characters, mandating good writing skills but reducing the time needed to maintain a presence.
It’s a suitable platform for lawyers to promote their practice for free, allowing for easy and open communication. That means a chance to engage with other lawyers, leaders of the legal community, and even clients.
DESKTOP
A standard Twitter Feed (the equivalent of a Facebook timeline) when viewed on desktop.
Tweets by accounts you follow appear in the centre, with suggestions on who to follow to the right, and trending topics to the left.
MOBILE
A standard Twitter Feed when viewed on a mobile device.
There are four tabs on the app, which can be accessed by swiping:
Home (Feed), Search (Trending Topics), Notifications, and Direct Messages (Private)
TWITTER GLOSSARY.
TWEET: A post published to Twitter
TIMELINE: Real-time stream of Tweets from accounts you follow
PROFILE: Your profile displays information you choose to share publicly, including your Tweets and Bio
BIO: A personal description up to 160 characters long that appears on your Profile
PROFILE PHOTO: Image representing your account on your profile and the timelines of followers
HEADER PHOTO: Image appearing at the top of your Profile - this is supplied by the Brand & Communications team
FOLLOW: Subscribing to the latest updates from a Twitter account
FOLLOWER: Another Twitter account that has followed/subscribed in order to receive your Tweets in their timeline
@USERNAME: Twitter users are identified with an ‘@’ tag, followed by their username (Example: @CarbonLawPtnrs)
#HASHTAG: A word or phrase preceded by the ‘#’ symbol. When you click on a hashtag, you will see other Tweets containing the same word or phrase
REPLY: A response to a Tweet
RETWEET: Sharing another account’s Tweet with your followers
LIKE: Showcasing your appreciation for a Tweet.
DIRECT MESSAGE: Private messages sent between two accounts or amongst a group of accounts.
TWITTER: WHAT TO DO.
Follow legal publications, fellow lawyers, and current/potential clients. It means you’ll see each account’s latest updates in your Twitter Feed.
Engage with said lawyers, legal blogs and publications, as well as hashtag communities. Self promotion is fine, but you need a ‘social’ aspect to your social networking presence.
Be Human. Professionalism is great but not everyone wants to talk to someone who refuses to talk about anything other than law. While we advise to avoid a flow of political or religious opinions, you should chat about your favourite sports team, throw out your opinion on a new movie release, showcase your latest running record, or post a photo from your weekend adventures.
TWITTER: HOW TO DO IT.
FOLLOW
Find accounts of interest using the search bar and click the ‘Follow’ button.
TWEET
Write your content in the box at the top of your Twitter Feed. Here you can mention other accounts (remember to use the @username), attach photos, create opinion polls, and share your location.
ENGAGE
- Reply to a Tweet using the speech bubble icon
- Retweet using the recycle arrow icon
- Like to show appreciation using the heart icon
LINKEDIN: AN INTRODUCTION.
LinkedIn is an excellent online business platform. Perfect for strengthening existing connections, forming new professional relationships, and rediscovering others you may think were lost.
Posts published on LinkedIn do not have a character limit. While Twitter invites a more personal approach, avoid posting about your favourite team or weekend adventures on LinkedIn. Keep things professional.
LINKEDIN: GLOSSARY.
FEED: A stream of updates from your 1st and 2nd degree connections - not in chronological order
PROFILE: The page where you display your professional skills and background
COMPANY PAGE: A page showcasing company information, products and posts.
1ST DEGREE CONNECTIONS: Your direct connections on LinkedIn. You can interact and message these people without issue.
2ND DEGREE CONNECTIONS: Connections of your 1st degree connections - you can send connection invitations and message these people
3RD DEGREE CONNECTIONS: People who are connected to your 2nd degree connections. You may connect with these accounts if their full names are displayed
LIKE: Showcasing your appreciation for a connection’s post
COMMENT: Give your view on the topic of a connection’s post
SHARE: Share a post with your connections
LINKEDIN: YOUR PROFILE.
If you’re on LinkedIn, it is vital that your profile is kept up to date with your personal summary, working experience, qualifications, and achievements.
Partners should have their personal Flourish artwork set as their Header Photo. This can be applied by the Brand & Communications team.
Your Profile Photo should be the same used on your Carbon website profile.
Your Title should state your work position, followed by Carbon’s name: Partner, Carbon Law Partners.
Your Summary gets you noticed. Keep it clear and concise while showcasing yourself as a confident professional, highlighting your achievements, passions and values.
Experience descriptions should summarise your responsibilities and results for each role you have had.
Don’t just copy and paste descriptions between similar roles - keep things as fresh as possible.
LINKEDIN: GROUPS.
Groups are a great way to connect with other professionals working in the legal industry - and you can often find groups for specific legal sectors you work in.
Within these groups you can share content, find answers, form business relationships, and establish yourself as industry expert.
You can find suitable groups using the search bar, or you can try your luck with LinkedIn's own personalised group suggestions for you.
