When your firm is engaging in social media marketing, it can seem at times like you are just throwing information out into the ether. Are people reading your updates? Do they like what you are sharing?

One of the most important things to remember about building a useful social media presence is that it takes time and patience. It is easy to get frustrated that you do not have enough followers or likes after several weeks of effort. But you do not want to purchase followers or make a grab for any potentially useless connections. The goal is to build relationships with users that actually create value.

With that in mind, understanding the user demographics of different social media platforms and knowing what those users respond to can help your firm build more successful relationships. Not every user will be interested in everything you post. Taking the time to direct updates and Tweets to your target audience can help maximize results. Here are some interesting statistics to help your firm keep growing its online presence.

People are more likely to do what their friends are doing. Recent Performics surveys have found that 23% of people follow brands their friends follow and 33% respond to posts that their friends have shared. Ethically, your firm cannot engage in direct solicitation online, but you can encourage others to share with their friends. In this way, social media marketing is reminiscent of traditional attorney marketing strategies, which rely on person-to-person networking and word of mouth.

Posting about issues related to your firm creates more interest. Facebook performed an internal study of brands engaged on their network and discovered that updates related to a brand generate more response that those specifically about a brand. Starbucks, for example, posts often about community involvement or coffee generally but rarely about the company specifically. Their strategy has even won them a place in Facebook’s success stories gallery as an example for other marketers.

People engage with videos and images. In their Life on Demand study of social media, Performics found that posts with videos or images prompt the most user response. If you have relevant pictures or video, sprinkle them into your updates. If your firm is participating in an event or seminar, take lots of pictures to share.

Moms and dads have different tastes in platforms. The same Performics study revealed some interesting statistics about the social media habits of parents. Moms are more likely to have a Facebook account while dads overwhelmingly prefer YouTube and Twitter. If moms or dads fit into your target client description, speak to them where they are already looking.

Remember: Interaction is a two-way street. Your job is not to simply churn out Tweets and updates for the consumption of others. It is also to engage users by asking relevant questions, posting attribution for interesting stories and responding to user comments. Obviously, attorneys must take particular care to avoid giving specific advice or initiating a relationship. But responsible interaction can help you establish yourself as a go-to resource and practice area leader.

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