Social Media for Lawyers: 2023 Complete Guide
Social media has become an increasingly important tool for professionals in all industries to connect with potential clients and build their personal brand.
Lawyers are no exception.
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for attorneys looking to reach new clients and showcase their expertise. By leveraging the power of social media, lawyers can effectively market their services, connect with their target audience, and establish themselves as thought leaders in their field.
In this blog, we will discuss some specific ways that lawyers can use social media for marketing purposes.
- Why Do Social Media?
- How to Start a Social Media Strategy
- What Not to Do
- Social Media Networks to Consider
Why Do Social Media?
The time when billboards, tv ads, and paper ads were the main source of marketing is long gone. Your firm needs to have an online presence in the digital age in order to survive.
Luckily, social media is a relatively easy and cheap way to have an online presence, and the benefits are great. Here are some common benefits legal social media can provide:
Get New Clients
Getting new clients and cases is one of the biggest benefits of social media for law firms. If someone is looking for legal services and comes across your profile, they might contact you through the platform (or more likely, they’ll visit your website listed in your bio).
If you regularly provide clear call-to-actions and share the benefits of your services (perhaps you offer a free consultation), there’s a good chance that potential clients will start reaching out to you.
Increase Brand Awareness
Not everyone that views your posts or your profile is in immediate need of a lawyer, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not a benefit for them to interact with your account.
This situation is where increasing brand awareness comes into play. If you have a memorable brand and brand identity (colors, logo, typography, tone of voice, etc.), then when that user does end up needing a lawyer, your firm might be the one they think of.
Engage with Colleagues
The benefits of social media for lawyers aren’t limited to getting new clients and increasing brand awareness–social media is also a great way to network and learn from other professionals in your field. Be sure to join legal community groups to keep up with current events and trends in your geographic location or practice area.
How to Start a Social Media Strategy
So, you’ve decided to start marketing on social media. That’s great news!
But now, how do you actually get started? Read and implement the following steps to make sure your strategy is effective and efficient.
Know the Rules
Of course, before you start doing anything on social media, you need to make sure you adhere to the rules and regulations established by your local jurisdiction.
One of the most common regulations to look out for is around using words such as “expert” or “specialist.”
Research your Ideal Client
Identifying your ideal client will help you know what type of content to produce, when to publish it, and on what social media platforms to market (different demographics will use social media very differently).
In fact, this is one of the most important principles to keep in mind with social media–just because you use a certain social media site in your free time doesn’t mean that’s where your firm should be marketing. Instead, spend your time where your ideal client is hanging out.
Identify Goals
What do you expect to get from your firm’s social media accounts?
Perhaps you’re wanting to get leads directly from these platforms.
Or maybe you’re wanting to build positive brand awareness.
Deciding the overarching goal or goals of your social media strategy will influence the type of content you produce (similar to researching your ideal client), as well as the types of call-to-actions you include in your social media posts for lawyers.
Research Competitors
Taking notes from your top competitors is a fantastic way to get your creative juices flowing as you brainstorm your social media strategy. You can learn from your competitor’s successes and failures so you can start strong.
Start Small
Don’t feel like you have to start on all social media platforms at once! Find out where your target market is hanging out, and start with just one platform.
Make a goal for yourself to publish 1 post a week, then you can slowly increase this number as you get more comfortable with the process.
Create Amazing Content
Creating the actual content is the hardest and most time-consuming part of marketing on social media for lawyers.
As you begin to create content, make sure your posts fall into one or two of these buckets:
Educational
Entertaining
If your content doesn’t fit either of these “buckets”, it simply won’t do well on any social media platform.
In addition, many platforms rely on heavily visualized content, so be sure to work with a professional designer to ensure your brand is consistent and professional.
Be sure to check out the end of this article for specific post ideas you can use to get started.
Set a Schedule
Of course, it’s important to remain consistent on your social media accounts–posting on a regular basis is the best way to find exponential growth.
It’s unrealistic, however, to assume you’ll remember or take time to login and post every single day (or week), so using a scheduling system is a great solution.
You can use a website such as Hootsuite to schedule posts to be published on a specific date at a specific time–that way, you can get all your posts ready at one time, and you don’t have to think about them for the rest of the month.
Measure Results
You will never know what’s working on your accounts if you don’t track results from your posts. Most platforms have an analytics tab where you can track the types of content that were the most successful. Once you start to notice patterns, that will help to shape your future planning.
Be sure to look out for three types of metrics:
Followers – This metric shows many users have chosen to stay updated with your posts by clicking “follow” on your firm’s account
Engagement – Engagement metrics will look different depending on the platform. Common engagement metrics include saves, likes, shares, comments, or retweets.
Reach – This metric describes how many users saw your posts or profile, even if they didn’t engage. Reach might also be shown as “impressions”, depending on the platform.
What Not to Do
Don’t try to master all the platforms
It’s important for lawyers to choose the right social media platforms for their marketing efforts. While it’s important to have a presence on popular platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, it’s not necessary for lawyers to be active on every single platform.
Instead, it’s better for lawyers to focus their efforts on a select few platforms where they feel comfortable and can effectively engage with their audience.
This will allow you to build a strong and authentic presence on these platforms, rather than spreading yourself too thin and potentially doing a mediocre job on multiple platforms.
Don’t disengage
Lawyers need to actively engage with their audience on social media, rather than just letting their account sit dormant.
By posting regular updates and interacting with followers, you can build a strong and engaged community on social media. This can help to build trust and credibility with potential clients, and ultimately lead to new business.
Respond to negative comments and reviews
No one wants to receive a negative review, but it’s important for lawyers to address negative comments and reviews on their social media profiles in a professional and timely manner.
Negative feedback can be difficult to handle, but responding in a thoughtful and respectful way can help to mitigate any damage to your reputation. Here are a few tips for responding to negative comments and reviews on social media:
- Acknowledge the comment: Show that you are listening and paying attention by acknowledging the comment or review.
- Apologize: If the comment or review is warranted, apologize for any mistakes or shortcomings.
- Offer a solution: If possible, offer a solution to address the issue raised in the negative comment or review.
- Be professional: Remain professional and respectful, even if the comment or review is inflammatory or unreasonable.
By responding to negative comments and reviews in a professional and timely manner, lawyers can demonstrate to their audience that they are open to feedback and willing to address any concerns. This can help to build trust and credibility with potential clients.
Social Networks to Consider
As mentioned previously, not all social networks are equal, and each attracts a different demographic with different types of content.
Here’s a quick overview of the major social media networks for you to consider as you get started.
You probably already have a Facebook account, but the business side is a much bigger beast than you see from your personal account.
There are many different features on Facebook, and you could spend hours exploring the types of content you can post (including Live Videos, Stories, Surveys, etc.)
Should your firm be present on Facebook? It all depends on if your target audience hangs out there. According to Statista, 18% of Facebook’s users are between the ages of 18 and 24, and another 18% of its users are between 35 and 44. If your target audience fits in that age range, Facebook could be a great option for you to market.
Best Social Media Profiles on Facebook
Need some inspiration for your Facebook feed? Take some ideas from these legal content creators:
Boohoff Law is excellent at their branding–you immediately recognize their firm from their signature teal and gold color scheme. If you’re looking for post ideas, they’re a great one to take notes from, as their posts are engaging and have lots of variation.
Videos tend to do really well on Facebook, and this firm produces educational videos regularly.
Kalfus Nachman wins with their holiday marketing on Facebook. They used the very entertaining “Elf on a shelf” to promote their 12 days of Christmas giveaways.
Facebook Post Ideas for Lawyers
Here are some great places to start as you begin to market your firm on Facebook:
- Share updates about changes in the law that may affect your clients
- Share success stories from your cases
- Share blog posts or articles that you’ve written on legal topics
LinkedIn is a social network centered around professional networking.
If your firm targets business owners or working professionals, this could be an ideal platform to be present on.
For other areas of law, however, your presence on LinkedIn may be more appropriate for connecting with fellow colleagues and classmates, rather than marketing to potential clients.
Best Social Media Profiles on LinkedIn
Need some inspiration as you start marketing your firm on LinkedIn? Take some ideas from these legal content creators:
This Florida firm posts nearly every day on their LinkedIn. They find success on the platform by sharing a mix of custom-designed posts and company events.
The CR Legal Team hosts plenty of firm and community events, which allows for lots of opportunities for engaging posts. They also promote their brand by using branded hashtags such as #WeAreCR
Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
You don’t have to post about company events to get great engagement, The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin get great results with employee engagement. They celebrate work anniversaries and feature employee spotlights often.
LinkedIn Social Media Post Ideas
If you’re going to market your law firm on LinkedIn, here are some ideas for posts you can use to get the creative juices flowing:
- Share quotes or infographics that provide legal information in an easy-to-understand format.
- Share links to your website or online resources that provide more in-depth information on legal topics.
- Share your thoughts on current events or legal cases that are making headlines.
Twitter is unique because you’re limited to 280 characters per tweet – you really need to be short, sweet, and to the point.
According to Statista, about 39% of users on the platform are in their early-to-mid twenties.
Best Social Media Profiles on Twitter
Need some inspiration for your Twitter strategy? Take some ideas from these law firms:
Don’t feel like you need to create completely new content for each platform. Morgan & Morgan does great at repurposing content.
Twitter is a great place to promote recent blog posts or showcase statistics–White & Case does great with both types of content.
The customized graphics Norton Rose Fulbright uses promotes their brand identity and looks very professional.
Twitter Post Ideas
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with Twitter’s unique platform, here are some posts you can try to get started:
- Promote a recent blog you’ve written
- Ask a question to your following
- Retweet from another account and add your own voice
- Give a 1-sentence tip related to your practice
YouTube
YouTube is the hub of video content on the internet, and it’s one of the most visited websites in the world, and the demographics for the platform are broad.
Keep in mind that YouTube is the hardest of the social media platforms to find success on–it takes extreme consistency, optimization, strategic topic selection, and engaging edits.
Best Channels on YouTube
If you do want to start a YouTube channel, take notes from others who have found success:
The Shouse Law Group answers common questions in California Law–they’re very consistent with their content production and find success by producing a lot of videos.
This firm covers case overviews and helpful tips. They’re especially strategic in their video thumbnails–you have to create extremely engaging thumbnails in order to catch a user’s attention.
Legal Eagle is the most entertaining of this list–as he reviews things such as courtroom movie scenes, popular current cases, and other engaging topics.
YouTube Video Ideas
Need help with the types of videos to publish? Here are some ideas to get started:
- Bust common state law myths
- Meet the Legal Team
- Your take on a recent news story
Like Facebook, Instagram has a ton of available features for content creators.
Your Instagram posts should be focused on visual content, such as photos and videos.
If you do choose to market on Instagram, know that the platform appeals to a bit of a younger audience–only about 12% of the users are between the ages of 35-54.
Best Social Media Profiles on Instagram
Need some inspiration for your Instagram profile? Take some ideas from these legal content creators:
Yes, the ever-large Morgan & Morgan has a great Instagram account. While most firms don’t have the budget that Morgan & Morgan has, there is still a lot to learn from their strategy. They use a wonderful mix of reels and regular feed posts to vary their profile, but everything posted is still cohesive.
This firm is appearing twice on our list because they fully utilize Instagram well! Do you see their accent green gradient tying most of their posts together? Their brand promotion is excellent on Instagram.
Custodio and Dubey are great at showcasing firm wins, such as work anniversaries, articles in local newspapers, and holiday giveaways.
Instagram Post Ideas for Lawyers
Not sure where to get started with Instagram posts? Here are some ideas:
- Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your law firm or legal practice.
- Share photos from events or conferences that you’re attending.
- Share tips or strategies for navigating the legal system.
TikTok for Lawyers
TikTok is the newest of the major social media platforms. The platform focuses on short video content that grabs attention quickly.
This social media app is definitely used by a younger demographic. Over 60% of its users are under the age of 30, so keep that in mind before you start marketing.
Best Social Media Profiles on TikTok
Need some inspiration for your TikTok videos? Here are some other legal content creators that are killing it.
Lawyer Mike Randall has found the perfect mix of entertaining and educational (all social media posts for lawyers should fit into one or both of these categories). The editing is quick, Lawyer Mike is engaging, and the content is useful to viewers.
Don’t want to include humor in your TikTok strategy? Lawyer Ethen Ostroff provides short snippets of helpful tips that are finding great success on TikTok.
Lawyer Brad Shear answers common questions about the law in each of his TikTok videos. This format encourages lots of comment section engagement, which is a brilliant way to grow quickly.
TikTok for Lawyers Video Ideas
Once you’ve spent some time browsing TikTok, here are some videos you can post to get started:
- Introduce yourself and your firm
- Share your workspace
- A day in the life
- Meet the legal team
Conclusion
Social media is a powerful tool for lawyers looking to market their services and connect with potential clients. By regularly posting valuable content and engaging with their audience, lawyers can build trust and credibility with potential clients, which can ultimately lead to new business.
If you’re a lawyer looking to enhance your social media marketing efforts, consider hiring a marketing agency to help. An agency like Law Firm Sites can help you create a comprehensive social media strategy and manage your online presence, allowing you to focus on your practice and clients.
Don’t let your competition get ahead – start leveraging the power of social media for your marketing efforts today.
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