Every lawyer needs to develop their own brand, whether they’re working for a major firm or going it alone. A brand is just the thing that draws in new clients and makes you a well-known attorney in your field. Essentially, a brand is an indispensible tool. To build that brand, many lawyers are turning to Twitter because it can increase your online presence and expand your network; all by sending 140 characters every now and then.

Furthermore, you don’t have to hire a social media expert or a computer science major to operate a successful Twitter campaign. Once you begin developing your own brand, your followers will come to appreciate the perspective you share and the opinions you pass on. Every tweet will have the special touch that lets your followers feel personally connected with you, encouraging them to share your tweets and participate in the continuation of your brand. The following tips will help you build exactly that kind of brand, one your followers will come to know and trust.

Use Your Expertise
Twitter is the perfect place to strut your stuff and have others take notice. Since many people use Twitter to discuss their personal lives, legal questions are bound to come up every couple of tweets. Search for tweets that are related to your area of law and send out responses, even if those tweets weren’t directed at you. Don’t hand out too much free advice, but it’s a great way to start enticing people to follow your feed. Lawyers should also consider creating a reoccurring hashtag like #BillAnswers or #AskALawyer that can engage both followers and non-followers in discussions with you. Promote your hashtag once a week and encourage users to participate so it can become a trending topic on Twitter. Letting people know you’re listening will make them more likely to follow you and retweet your messages.

It’s Not All Business
Even though you’re using Twitter to develop your brand, you don’t have to strictly tweet about law. Let your followers see your personal side every now and then. Chefs like to tweet about their favorite movies. Actors like to tweet about a new restaurant they just ate at. In the world of Twitter, people are looking for variety. Post articles from blogs you follow, retweet your favorite messages, and participate in conversations that interest you. By developing your personal brand, you have more opportunities to connect with others and you can keep your feed interesting to the followers you already have.

Piggyback To The Top

Twitter hasn’t been around for very long but many professionals have already mastered its ways. Find out who the top tweeting lawyers in your field are and become their follower. They’re already tweeting about relevant topics to the right people, and once you’re following them you can learn their formula and adopt it for your own marketing venture. Also, you should try to strike up a conversation with popular lawyers on Twitter. Their tweets will increase your visibility and potentially grow your fan base. This is just another way to show your expertise on Twitter.

Promote Your Twitter
Becoming a Twitter sensation doesn’t just happen through tweets. Get the word out about your Twitter account at every chance you get. Think about putting your Twitter handle on your business cards and pasting a link in your email signature. You should also make sure your blog and website are connected to your Twitter account so the fans you already have can start following you. And if you’re active on other social media websites, like Facebook and Google+, cross promote your Twitter account to capture even more people’s attention. Many platforms even have a way to connect with your Twitter account so your tweets automatically get posted.

Keep Tweeting
Twitter, as well as any other social media platform, only works when employed on a consistent basis. Basically, you can’t continue to grow your following if you’re not posting anything that engages your users. Give them something to enjoy and talk about, and they’ll keep tuning back in. If tweeting on a regular basis is difficult for you, think up your tweets ahead of time and then schedule your tweets to occur at regular intervals. However, you should check back in on a regular basis to see if your followers are responding and to run your reoccurring hashtags. As long as you keep up with your Twitter account, you can continually build your brand day in and day out.

As a lawyer, developing your brand is a crucial step to success. A well-rounded brand can help you do everything from networking to finding new clients. Twitter can be the right medium for discussing your area of expertise, promoting your practice, and engaging everyone from clients to top attorneys.

Pete Wise is the SEO Manager for Network Affiliates; which has been an ad agency for lawyers and doctors since the dawn of the internet. We were the first full-service legal marketing agency in the space; with a full production studio, full digital agency, and media buyers and planners under one roof. Check us out on Twitter: @Netaff