So you're spending time blogging, attracting Twitter followers, and getting likes on your firm's Facebook page.  You've got 3,000 Twitter followers, 368 Likes to your Fanpage, and you throw up a blog post every once in awhile.

My questions for you are: 

• What's your end goal with your efforts?  
• Are you attempting to build relationships through these outlets or are you trying to get the small number on your various profiles to tick upwards? 
• Do you want to generate increased business for your firm? 
• Are you looking for more referrals and connections?

Seth Godin wrote a post the other day in which he states:

Likes, friendlies and hits are all fast-growing numbers that require little commitment. And commitment is the essence of conversion. The problem with commitment is that it's frightening (for both sides). And so it's easy to avoid. We just click and move on.

I think there's a transparent wall, an ever bigger one, between digital spectators and direct interaction or transaction. The faster the train is moving, the harder it is to pay attention, open the window and do business. If all you're doing is increasing the number of digital spectators to your work, you're unlikely to earn the conversion you deserve.

 

There Are No Short Cuts

When we participate in social media, on a professional level, we do so to form relationships.  I would think that most of us are forming these professional relationships to generate more clients for our respective businesses in some way or another.  The problem is that it's easy to get lost in a bunch of metrics that don't really matter.  It's easy to fool yourself that you are putting the effort into participating and connecting when you really aren't.  

There is so much noise and so little commitment needed to click a link, become a fan, or follow someone that earning and working at the relationships you form digitally becomes that much harder. Just like offline relationships, it takes time, nurturing, and commitment to bear fruit from your efforts.  Don't kid yourself that it's as easy as amassing large numbers and the business will flow.  Don't be fooled that authoring a blog for a month will generate untold readers and new business.  These things take time and effort.  The lawyers that are making these outlets work will attest that there is no magic bullett, no short-cuts to making these things work.  However, if you establish goals and measure results you can build a network of relationships that will deliver over time.

Photo by Marc Smith