According to the ABA 2020 Legal Technology Survey Report, 81% of law firms are consistently present on at least one social media platform. Moreover, LinkedIn is the most used platform, with 76% of firms using it, followed by Facebook at 60% and Twitter at 37%.
What do these statistics tell us? When marketing your law firm, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of social media. Using social media for lawyers may seem time-consuming (because it is), but the returns will be worth it.
This article will discuss the benefits of social media for law firms, what platforms you should use, and how to create a law firm marketing strategy. By the end of this article, you’ll have a full grasp of why you shouldn’t miss out on this marketing tactic.
Table of Contents
Why is Social Media Important for Lawyers?
Social media is a powerful tool that is used by almost any industry. The Digital 2023 Global Overview Report by DataReportal found that 59% of the global population uses social media and spends an average of 2 hours and 31 minutes on it daily.
The wide use of social media is the main reason, but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of why social media marketing is essential for lawyers.
1. Build Brand Awareness
Branding is more than just designing a flashy logo for your firm. It’s also about your values and what makes your company unique. Social media is ideal for lawyers because it provides a conducive avenue for them to showcase their mission and values and shape the way their target audience perceives them.
If you need help building your branding elements, you can hire a branding agency that works specifically with law firms. These agencies understand the nuances that come with your industry.
2. Increase Your Online Presence
There are numerous ways to build your firm’s online presence, including email marketing, content marketing, creating a website, experimenting with law firm PPC, and more. Social media should be on the list, too!
It’s an indispensable tool for lead generation and, as we’ve previously mentioned, brand awareness.
3. Engage with Clients and the Community
Not only does social media provide your prospective clients with another way to reach you, but it also helps you engage with other law professionals — perhaps find a group in your local area. Social media engagement is important for lawyers because it helps with networking and staying updated on the latest trends in your industry.
4. Position Yourself as a Thought Leader
A great social media marketing strategy for a law firm is to establish yourself as a thought leader by sharing your expertise on social media. Thought leadership is more than just a buzzword; it equates to being an expert in your field.
Establishing yourself as a thought leader online is no easy feat. You can work with top law firm SEO agencies who’ve already achieved this so many times for their clients. However, if you want to keep it in-house, remember the following tips:
- Create valuable content.
- Network.
- Use a multitude of platforms.
- Know your target audience.
Social Media Marketing for Law Firms: Social Networks To Consider
If you’re having trouble deciding which social media platform to use in your law firm marketing strategy, here are some of the most widely used ones by lawyers:
1. LinkedIn
As we previously mentioned, 76% of lawyers that use social media are on LinkedIn. The platform has more than 900 million members and is built for professionals like lawyers to showcase their experience and skills. It also helps professionals to find jobs, connect with like-minded professionals, and get recommendations and endorsements.
2. Facebook
Facebook is the social media platform with the most active users (2.96 billion in 2023). The survey we previously mentioned shows that 60% of lawyers on social media are on Facebook. No matter what industry you’re in, you can use Facebook to connect with your prospective clients.
Facebook also improves client communication by using chatbots to answer frequently asked questions instantly. You can also regularly post content, such as blogs and videos, on Facebook to establish your expertise in your niche.
3. Twitter
This platform also has millions of active users, making it an essential inclusion in social media marketing for lawyers. It’s perfect for lawyers who don’t want to create long-form posts but still want to make an impact by sharing tidbits of information. It’s also great for sharing updates with the community.
4. YouTube
This social platform is used for sharing videos and earning money through them. According to recent DemandSage figures, YouTube has 2.6 billion active users. Lawyers can take advantage of this massive audience and drive engagement by creating insightful videos that resonate with the viewers.
How To Create a Law Firm Marketing Strategy in 8 Steps
By now, you already have a good idea of the power of social media marketing. Let’s dive into how to create a social media marketing strategy for your law firm. While your strategy will depend on your unique practice, the following steps can help get your social media marketing on the right track.
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Rules and Guidelines.
Before you create social media accounts for your firm, you should know the ethics and compliance rules on what you can and can’t post in your jurisdiction to avoid being reprimanded.
You may want to consult with law firm advertising agencies for this, but in general, many states don’t allow lawyers to use terms like ‘specialist’ or ‘expert’ regardless of whether or not they are.
2. Identify Your Goals.
Next, you should identify what you hope to gain from using social media for lawyers. Do you want to increase website traffic, gain more clients, or increase brand awareness? When creating goals, make sure that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific (SMART).
3. Know Your Target Audience.
Identifying your target audience is crucial when doing social media marketing for lawyers (or any other industry, really). Your target audience should consist of your ideal client and what their characteristics are.
You can conduct market research to determine your client base. Then, you can tailor your social media posts according to their needs and interests. This will help increase your conversion rate and improve your ROI since you’re optimizing your content to reach out to people that likely need your services.
4. Research Your Competitors.
Many businesses skip this step, but you shouldn’t. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your close competitors will help you determine your positioning in today’s market. Emulate the best practices of your competitors on social media, but find a way to elevate them.
You can also identify the gaps within your competition’s strategy and do your best to fill them. For example, if your close competitor in your local area isn’t on YouTube, then that’s the platform you have to get on.
5. Establish Yourself as an Expert.
We know we said you shouldn’t describe yourself as an ‘expert’ on social media because it’s generally against the rules. However, you should establish yourself as an expert. Clients contact lawyers who are reliable and trustworthy. You can show this by doing the following:
- Sharing reputable sources that provide valuable information,
- Sharing your blog posts to show your expertise,
- Responding to queries from your followers.
6. Create Valuable Content.
As they say, “Content is king.” You shouldn’t underestimate the benefits of content when doing social media marketing for your law firm. Think about what type of content will resonate with your audience.
Does their age group prefer videos? Do they spend more time reading blogs? Once you’ve got that figured out, determine the topics that they might want to know more about and provide valuable insight on those topics.
7. Create a Schedule.
Having a content calendar helps organize your content and reduces the stress of coming up with topics right away. This additional time to prepare your content can also ensure that you don’t violate any rules and regulations. Lastly, a content calendar will help you post consistently, thereby increasing engagement.
To make scheduling posts easier, you can use social media management tools like Hootsuite.
8. Measure Results.
If you miss this step, how else would you know if your social media marketing efforts paid off? Like any type of marketing, you need to monitor and measure results to know what type of posts get you closer to your goal and which ones need to be adjusted accordingly.
Fortunately, social media platforms come with built-in analytics. You don’t have to buy or subscribe to third-party platforms.
Social Media Marketing for Lawyers: 5 Tips for Fast Results
In addition to the eight-step guide we laid out above, these attorney marketing tips will help you achieve your social media marketing goals.
1. Post Consistently.
You will see the benefits of using social media for lawyers if you have a regular posting schedule. When your followers know when to expect new content from you, they’re more likely to interact with you.
2. Focus Your Efforts on One or Two Platforms.
Don’t try to do everything as you’ll likely fail. That said, you should first focus on one or two platforms that will give you the highest returns. Once you master these platforms, you can start branching out.
3. Engage with Your Audience.
Aside from creating valuable content, you should reply to your audience when they leave comments and ask questions. Make sure your responses are delivered promptly.
4. Stay Relevant.
When doing social media marketing for lawyers, stay updated with the latest trends. When sharing information, keep them relevant to your niche and target audience.
5. Keep It Professional.
Being online means exposing yourself to negative comments. When responding to them, keep things professional. You can state your case without being rude — even if the commenter is.
Wrapping-Up: Social Media for Lawyers
So, there you have it — the ultimate guide to social media marketing for lawyers. With this guide in your arsenal, you can increase the chances of success for your campaign. Just remember to stay updated, consistent, and professional!
