Firefly Legal

Getting Involved with Social Media

I entered the legal industry when Firefly Legal hired me at the end of last July. Let’s just say it’s a different kind of industry, and it very quickly became overtly apparent that this industry is still pretty hesitant to get involved with social media. And while some trailblazers have gotten involved, many are still pretty green with what accounts to use, how to use them properly, and why they should use them. Though there is always something to learn, the basics should be evident. This week, I’m going to focus on three social media outlets and provide reasons why civil process servers, lawyers, and the like should be involved with them. Today we’re going to focus on Twitter, but stay tuned this week to find out what other social media networks are worth being a part of.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is an online social networking site that allows users to send “tweets” or messages of 140 characters or less. Since a lot of you are business-minded folk, here’s “The Real History of Twitter,” as presented in The Business Insider.

Why should civil process servers be on Twitter, anyway?

There are a myriad of reasons why Twitter is a beneficial social media outlet, but here are three that are worth paying attention to:

1. NEWS!

There is a tremendous source of news! Staying informed and on top of regulation changes, new laws, and trends in the industries civil process servers serve is important. It’s impossible to keep your civil process service company up to date if you don’t read the news. Follow sources who will provide you with great information on the topics you’re interested in. For example, we follow @DSNewsDaily and @jhkarotkin. DS News provides great news on the housing/foreclosure industry through their Twitter account, and similarly, Jeff Karotkin is always tweeting relevant information and news on the civil process service industry.

2. NETWORKING!

By being involved with Twitter, you gain access to other individuals in the industry. This can help you to gain new business prospects, learn more about the industry, and make business connections. We’ve gotten new clients from Twitter, and we’ve gained some great colleagues. We share news, updates, and other changes in the industry. Twitter is a social environment. It’s important that you be social an interact with people.  Bottom line: you can meet new people in the industry, gain advice, and learn a lot. You can also share news- which is great for your company. The world is changing, it’s important to embrace it.

3. SCHEDULED TWEETS!

While Twitter is a fast-paced network, civil process servers need not fret. We know you’re out there serving papers and don’t always have time to Tweet. You can create your tweets in advance- research the recent news, and take care of a day’s worth of tweets in a short amount of time. This is great for law firms who are undoubtedly buried in paperwork. By using social media dashboard applications, like TweetDeck, you can schedule tweets to fill up the entire day without having to be physically at Twitter all day. Keep in mind that you don’t want to be a robot, though; make sure you do take time to catch up and respond to those on Twitter who have responded to you.  Additionally, make sure you leave room for people to comment and RT (retweet) your tweet.

As I mentioned before, social media is all about being social. Whether you’re a civil process server or an attorney, it’s important to stay up to speed with these changes. Are you on Twitter? If so, please let us know what you think of this article and about our tweets. Do you think we’re worthy of ServeNow’s Top Process Servers on Twitter of 2013?