Create Your Own Hand-Held Social Media Inbox!
If you’re like me, chances are you belong to a number of social networks, especially for your law practice. While social media often is one of the biggest time wasters, it’s also one of the best places to generate leads. After all, anyone who is sending you comments or messaging you is probably interested in learning more about you and your practice. Here’s the thing, however: you’re not always glued to your computer. So, how do you respond to your social media in a timely manner? Through your smartphone or tablet, of course! You need to set up your own hand-held social media inbox that you can take anywhere and can respond even when you are on a big case or with a top-tier client. Here’s how simple it is…
Get the App!
Before you get started customizing, the first step is getting the official apps from whatever social media you use. The apps will make it that much easier to interface with the social media, and if you get the official apps, you can be sure they’re going to interface correctly with the social media, and they aren’t a scam. Most social networks have only one app, but Facebook has a slew of them, as do LinkedIn and Google+. You don’t need all the apps Facebook (or any other social network) has available, but having the Facebook app, the Facebook Messenger app, the Pages app, the Mentions App, and the Ads Manager app are good starts. You need to be able to pay attention to Mentions, receive messages, handle any traffic on your pages, and adjust your ads.
Downloading Apps
Choose the apps you’ll need so that you can handle everything you need whether you’re at work, meeting with a client, or on the road. Do keep in mind that apps do fill memory quickly, so choose those apps you know you’ll use and use the main app for the occasional tasks that may come up from time to time.
You’ll need to get your apps from the app stores for your appropriate social media channel. With Android, it’s usually the Google Play store. With iPhones and iPads, you’re looking to Apple’s Store. Microsoft has its own app store for its smartphones, but the choices may be limited.
Set Up Your Preferences for App Notifications in Your Device
Once you have your apps downloaded and ready to go, it’s time to set up how often you want to get notified by your apps and for what. I’ve found that this is a handy thing to do to keep the amount of notifications to a dull roar. You really only want to get notified of things that you need to take direct action on, like someone mentioning you in a post or sending you a message. In Android you can do this by going to Settings -> Sound & Notification -> App Notifications. In iPhones, you’ll want to go to iPhone’s Settings -> Notifications. There, you can set your apps and how you want them to notify you.
Set Up Your Preferences for App Notifications in the App
The good news is you can have your social media app notify you for just about anything. That’s also the bad news. You’ll be amazed how many notifications makes your phone buzz or ring if you leave the defaults on. Set the notifications in the app for the stuff you want to be alerted on. You may want to be notified of comments to your posts or messages you receive. You may want to know about new friend requests or new followers. All of that is strictly up to you.
Facebook App Notifications
Facebook apps are particularly chatty, which is why you should first go to Facebook on your computer and go to Settings-> Notifications. You should be able to turn off many of the notifications there. Now is the time to go through your groups and leave them or set them to not notify you. You only want notification from the pages and groups that matter.
Twitter App Notifications
Twitter can be chatty as well, depending on the number of followers you have. With the Android, tap on the three dots (on an iPhone, it’s the Me icon), and select Settings->Mobile Notifications. Here you can choose what you want to be notified via Twitter.
Other App Notifications
Almost every App has some way to remove notifications. The best way is to go into the settings within the App and set the notifications the way you want them. Between setting the mobile device and the app, you should be able to have control of your apps and your notifications.
It is simply impractical to sit down for extended periods of time in front of a desktop to read all incoming inquiries to your law firm. This is precisely why having a mobile inbox at your fingertips is extremely ‘handy’ in receiving important client or prospective client inquiries. Do you manage your social media and/or receive business notifications through your mobile device? If so, has it significantly benefitted your practice by saving you time and energy? I’d love to hear your personal experiences! Please feel free to share your success stories in the box below and help your fellow attorneys enchant on-the-go!
