Social media success hinges on three major elements: 1) SEO-friendly copy that contains the best keywords; 2) substantive topic selection; and 3) widespread social networking distribution. This article shows you how to blend all three to become a social media publishing powerhouse.

Finding the right topic to write about in social media marketing campaigns is a question that comes up frequently in a popular Bloggers Breakfast series that I conduct for a local bar association. Here are two easy ways to start writing.

First, pick topics that are in the news to avoid rehashing old material. The law is perfect for this, since new laws and court cases provide a steady stream of topic ideas. On July 1, 2011 alone, 160 new laws took effect in Florida alone. Your clients need to know what the new laws are and how the laws affect their life or business.

Second, you can write about the legal topics that create a steady stream of transactional business for your law firm. Examples include, “how to create a parenting plan,” “what to do if you are in a car accident,” or “how to protect your business from trade secret theft.”

The recommended frequency of social media publication is a related question asked by lawyers who want to increase the SEO visibility of their Internet marketing campaigns. Of course, more is better. Daily or weekly social media updates are not always possible, however, for busy attorneys struggling to meet court and client deadlines.

If you want to start a social media campaign, but don’t have the time to attend to it every day, here are some social media strategies that will leverage one high quality piece that you prepare once a month or even quarterly.

You can make your social media marketing multi-task by writing one monthly or quarterly piece and publishing it, with slight variations, over the following 10 different marketing channels.

1. Publish as a blog post.

• This is a basic building block for all social media marketing, and can be used as a link for lead generation.

2. Distribute as a client newsletter.

• Make your topic the focus of a print or e-newsletter distributed to your clients and prospects.

3. Publish as an article.

• Contact editors of legal or industry publications to get your topic in print.

4. Get a speaking engagement.

• Offer to speak at an upcoming group meeting on your topic.

5. Produce as a Q&A sheet.

• Pretend you are being interviewed, and create a one-page sheet with key questions, answers, and your photo

6. Issue as a news release.

• There are many free or low cost Internet news services available.

7. Conduct a webinar.

• This works particularly well if your audience is widespread.

8. Create a video for YouTube.

• Grab your digital camera, an assistant, and record a 1-2 minute clip on your topic.

9. Start a LinkedIn Discussion.

• Use your blog post link to generate interest in a LinkedIn group.

10. Post to Facebook and Twitter.

• Expand the reach of your blog post by publishing the link with a comment on social media outlets.