Importance of Social Media Marketing for Lawyers

Social media marketing for lawyers has become increasingly crucial in today’s digital world. In today’s digital world, more than 58.4% of the global population uses social media to engage in socioeconomic transactions. Also, a recent survey shows that nearly 81% of law firms are active on social media platforms to increase brand awareness, build credibility, and drive sales. 

Well, there are countless reasons why attorneys need to be on social media platforms. Social media isn’t the first place to get you more clients, but they expose your firm to a wider audience. If you have a strong social media presence, you’ll automatically get more inbound queries, which can turn into loyal clients. 

The competition is getting tough, and every law firm is trying to push the edges to catch all the limelight across social media platforms. So, if you’re considering engaging with your audience on social media platforms, but are not sure how to go about it, give yourself a pause and read further. 

In this guide, we’ve covered everything that will help you set the right base for social media marketing, how to leverage social media platforms as a marketing tool, and what platforms you can choose to build authority on. 

Why Does Social Media Marketing For Lawyers Matter?  

You can’t ignore the power of social media marketing if you’re serious about fetching qualified deals. Here are a few reasons why social media marketing for lawyers matters. 

• Boost Client Engagement 

Law firms can increase client engagement with the right approach and marketing strategies. With countless choices and diversification, client interaction seems like a tough task if you do it manually. Thanks to the diverse social media platforms that help to attract clients and keep them coming for more. 

• Get More Clients

Social media is a great networking platform to engage with potential clients and understand their needs and pain points. Lawyers who have a strong presence on social media platforms gain more attention from qualified clients, and these results are way more excellent for small law firms. 

• Spread Awareness About Upcoming Laws

Social media is a smart marketing tool to spread awareness about recent trends and updates in the industry. For example, as a lawyer, if you’re practicing in the financial sector and have information about some new laws related to the industry, social media is an efficient way to spread awareness among your audience. You can share valuable information in the form of blog post links or several visual posts on social media platforms. 

• Improve Law Community Engagement 

The advantage of having a strong presence on social media platforms is that you can improve law community engagement. You can join legal communities on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. You can also participate in surveys to learn about work ethics. Moreover, you can promote your services by looking at others and tweaking your strategy to fill in the gaps. 

How to Build a Robust Social Media Strategy?

After you have clear thoughts on why you need to have a strong social media presence, you need to understand result-driven social media strategies. Here are some best practices you can use to improve engagement on social media. 

1. Understand Social Media Rules 

Before you start posting on social media, make sure you know the rules and responsibilities of a lawyer in the jurisdiction. Consider bar rules and regulations of law society for ethics, regulations, and compliance. Many countries prohibit law firms from using terms like “specialist” and “experts” to describe themselves. Social media has the power to make or break your reputation in minutes. So, ensure you are aware of all the rules before you jump in. 

2. Do Your Research 

Using social media just for the sake of it won’t do any good to you. You need to research well what works and what doesn’t, for your target audience. Analyze your customer persona, demographics, and psychographics, and understand their preferences, the way they think, and respond, and what are their pain points that you want to solve through your professional expertise. This will help you know your audience better, and offer them the services that they need.

3. Competitor Analysis

It is the second step to building a strong social media marketing strategy. Keep an eye on your competitors and know what they are doing and how they are leveraging social media. In addition, research about various platforms that drive results for law firms and what platforms have proven to be deal breakers. If you know about legal influencers and communities, follow them, engage with their content, and share your views to build credibility.

4. Know Your Goals  

Once you know your target audience, you need to identify your goals. What is your primary objective and why are you aiming for it? For example, do you want to generate leads for your law website, do you want to improve brand awareness in the lawyer’s community, or gain the undivided attention of followers? If you know your goals clearly, you can take advantage of social media platforms efficiently. 

5. Take Baby Steps

Initially, you may get very excited and start using all social media platforms simultaneously. But, unfortunately, you’ll soon start feeling overwhelmed. Moreover, if you plan to stop later, an abandoned social media account can lead to ethical violations which may ruin your firm’s reputation. Hence, starting with one to two accounts is advised. This allows you to understand social media better and you don’t feel exhausted immediately after starting up.

6. Share Authentic Content 

Making a killer content piece is still a big puzzle for many businesses. To know what type of content you should post, think about your target audience and gauge that whatever you post must be informative and valuable for them. Focus on engaging with your target audience in the comments section. You can also post content with images and videos. This helps catch the audience’s attention faster and create lasting impressions. 

7. Make A Posting Schedule 

Regular posting and engaging on social media platforms can help build a strong connection with clients. Sometimes posting regularly isn’t manageable for law firms. In that case, you can use an automated content scheduler that is designed to post content even in your absence. For example, Hootsuite is a content scheduler that allows you to pre-plan your posts. By using such tools, you can continue engaging with your audience and maintain a healthy presence on social media. 

8. Establish Yourself As A Subject Matter Expert

Positioning yourself as the expert in your niche is the key to boosting engagement with your audience. That’s because prospective clients prefer contacting credible lawyers.

Here are some ways you can showcase yourself as a thought leader in the industry- 

• Share posts and blogs related to your niche.
• Share authentic resource links to educate your audience. 
• Engage in the comments section and grab the attention of your followers. 
• Avoid picking an argument with critics and their criticizing comments.

9. Track Results

While social media reminds you to keep your eyes on results, law firms that monitor results and measure what content is effective are likely to boost engagement by implementing the right strategies compared to those who are not tracking results. Moreover, it also helps set a marketing budget and gives you a direction to marketize your services in front of the right audience. 

What Should You Avoid Doing On Social Media As A Law Firm? 

Social media platforms allow you to post your views and ideas. Businesses use this platform to promote products and services. However, when it comes to law firms, you must be aware of what to post and what topics you should avoid. 

Here are some things you should NOT post on your social media accounts- 

• Do not post anything without proper confirmation from authentic sources. 
• Avoid using multiple accounts or multiple social media platforms, and invest your time in engaging with the right audience. 
• Do not share inappropriate content or something that is not relevant to your audience. 
• No one is an exception for trolls. It is safe to avoid trolling comments instead of replying to them. You can delete offensive comments or block such accounts if needed.

What Social Media Platforms Should You Consider? 

Over a dozen social media platforms are available, and choosing the most suited from them is a real challenge. Here’s a list of social media platforms that are known to be good for law firms. 

1. Facebook 

Facebook has 2.38 billion active users and is popular across the globe. Many renowned legal professionals use Facebook to promote their services and engage with the audience regularly. As a law firm, you can also leverage this platform to boost engagement with your audience and build credibility in their minds. 

2. LinkedIn 

According to the ABA report, LinkedIn is extremely popular among law firms in the United States compared to Facebook. It is designed to build connections, promote your professional services, and know other legal firms. Also, remember that your profile must show professionalism and be compelling enough to attract the audience. 

3. Twitter 

Although Twitter is less common for law firms, it might be an excellent platform for micro-blogging and sharing your thoughts and views. While formal content is best suited for LinkedIn and Facebook, Twitter can work wonders if you have a quick wit and are excited to try how to post serious topics on a light note. 

Wrapping Up!

Social media marketing for lawyers and legal practitioners is essential to improve engagement with the audience and attract qualified deals. It may take some time to boost engagement but must try the above-listed strategies to see visible growth.

Need Help With Social Media Marketing? 

If you need help managing your social media presence and boosting engagement, please reach out to Growth Media Strategy. Our experts can help skyrocket your social media presence and add stars to your firm’s credibility. In a nutshell, your dream of building a thriving legal business will set off.

To know more, check out our blog on how can law firms improve their digital marketing strategies.