Having a strong social media presence has become an important aspect of doing business in any specific industry. Law firms are no exception in this regard as more and more people nowadays tend to depend on online resources to access legal services. In fact, a law practice that isn’t interacting with the public on at least one or two social media platforms is as good as invisible. With the immense popularity of several prominent social platforms, the use of social media among independent attorneys and law firms is becoming increasingly popular. Social media optimization services provide an effective, yet cost-friendly way to improve online visibility, strengthen the reputation of the brand, and generate additional leads. In simple terms, SMO is all about devising a strategic social media plan to facilitate a better connection with the target audience and improving your online presence. However, with emerging technological advancements, effective management of social media platforms has become extremely challenging. Therefore, many legal practices are opting for social media optimization solutions from reliable organic SEO services.
According to the statistics published in an article by Grow Law Firm:
- A remarkable 81% of lawyers use LinkedIn for work-related activities, demonstrating the platform’s value for networking and establishing reputation.
- Another well-liked platform is Facebook, which is used professionally by 70% of attorneys.
- Social media marketing is a cost-effective strategy since it generates almost twice as many leads as traditional methods like direct mail or trade exhibitions.
- Leads from organic social media initiatives should yield an average conversion rate of 4% for law firms.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing
Social media offers excellent opportunities for potential and existing clients to engage with their business, read content, ask questions, and much more. Here listed are some key benefits of using social media for law firms –
- Boost Brand Awareness: Nowadays, people tend to spend more time on social media. The Sprout Social Index (2019 survey), reported that 44 percent of consumers have increased their personal social media usage, meaning there are more people on these platforms than ever before. Having a strong social media presence helps a law firm reach a wider audience, get their message in front of the right audience and increase brand awareness.
- Acquire New Clients: Social networking provides exposure to a large audience. As per the ABA’s (2018 Survey), 35 percent of those surveyed who use social media channels for professional purposes have gained clients. The result is even better for small firms – with 42 percent gaining new clients through social media marketing.
- Help Clients Locate a Law Firm: Social media profiles can help drive people to a law firm’s website – where potential clients can find the information they need to hire a law firm. The path from seeing you on social media to hiring your law firm may be different. For instance, prospective clients see your blog post about how newly married couples should structure their wills on your Facebook page and they may click on the link to read it on your website. The potential client completes the online intake form and leaves their email address.
- Build Brand Authority: When choosing a partnering service, trust is one of the most important factors that people consider. With social media management services, you can establish thought leadership by showcasing the level of expertise, sharing valuable content and engaging followers. This will help your legal firm to stand out from other firms and win the trust of your target audience.
- Improve SEO Efforts: Even though social signals are not a direct ranking factor, there is a definite correlation between improved social signals and improved search engine rankings. Google continues to bring in dynamic content such as social feeds into search results. Therefore, a strong social media presence may help control more visible space on search results for a legal firm’s name. It will also help improve overall online visibility and increase web traffic.
- Engage with the Legal Community: Lawyers can also use social media to build their profile within the legal community. By participating in social media within the legal community and even offering a commentary can help boost thought leadership. Here are a few examples of groups to join on LinkedIn –
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Top Ways to Use Social Media for Law Firms
With multiple social platforms available and each having its own unique and specific characteristics and quirks, it may be quite difficult to analyze where to start from and on which specific platform to focus efforts. To make sure whether you are advancing in the right direction, designing a unique and reliable social media strategy is crucial. Here discussed are some important strategies that could help optimize the social media accounts of a law firm:
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- Get the Basics Right: Start the process by nailing the basics of social media marketing. This includes focusing on different aspects such as – choosing the right social media platform to invest in, setting realistic and measurable goals, and developing a specific content strategy. Start the process by focusing on a couple of social media platforms that your audience uses the most. Evaluate social media goals like whether the focus is to increase brand visibility, attract new clients, or just engage the target audience group. In addition, evaluate what type of content needs to be created and how often it should be posted.
- Define the Target Audience: Identifying the target audience group is vital in any law firm marketing strategy. The more clearly the target audience group gets defined, the better will be the chances of understanding how and where to reach the best prospects. Try to go beyond the concept of generalizations and define the target audience group more specifically. For instance, if a law firm in New York City is looking to expand its personal injury niche, the target audience group may include – “people in NYC looking for personal injury lawyer”.
- Choose the Right Platform: The optimal social media channel may vary and depend on the specific area of practice. For instance, the audience on Twitter may not match that of LinkedIn or Facebook. Make sure to customize the content on each platform. In fact, most social media channels will give a basic overview of their target audience demographics. So, take a look through this and also keep an eye on industry reports and surveys that can reveal valuable information to help guide your decision. Prepare a list of keywords pertaining to your law firm’s services, and start to explore which platforms already have conversations brewing on those topics. Checking out the key areas wherein the competitors remain active is also important. Determine where these applicable mentions are happening, and then try to focus on one to two platforms on which to be active rather than trying to dominate on every single social media outlet.
- Schedule Social Media Posts in Advance: Effective and successful social media marketing strategy for attorneys or law firms requires proper timing, especially since social media posts can have a short shelf life. For instance, Twitter is considered one of the most complex platforms wherein the posts disappear the fastest depending on the number of followers. On the other hand, the reach of Facebook posts depends on Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm that takes into account how relevant and engaging the post was for the audience. In short, the timing of social media posts helps reach out to the maximum number of followers and fans. Try to maintain consistency by scheduling the posts in advance. Draft a monthly content calendar, and outline what content your firm wishes to feature, and when it will be deployed.
- Share Valuable Blog Posts and News Updates: One of the best ways to use social media for law firms is to create informative content rather than simply promotional ones. The more credible and informational content a law firm offers, the higher will be its opportunity to showcase their level of expertise. In the legal industry, prospective clients may not make a decision simply on the basis of a promotional content. They will also consider the credibility and experience of the law firm before deciding to hire one. Therefore, constantly sharing blog posts and the latest industry news with social media followers is crucial. Make sure not to limit to content from your own blog. Make a habit of curating content from other relevant sources and reputable industry blogs.
- Publish Brand Story: Law firms can use social media platforms to convey their brand story as this may be highly effective for humanizing the brand, forming an emotional connection with the audience, and winning their trust and loyalty. Sharing stories about your law firm’s achievements, its history, and other details could be effective. Use social media platforms to put employees in the spotlight, thereby putting a human face to the brand. For instance, White & Case LLP – an international law firm based in New York City, does an excellent job of this on Facebook. They regularly share stories and news about the events they organize and of their associates.
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- Post Informative Graphics: Visuals play a critical role in social media marketing as they are more likely to stand out over text content. The social content strategy should focus on creating visuals that will immediately attract and engage prospects. Reports from Mobile Monkey suggest that posts with images produced 650% higher engagement than text-only ones. Share inspirational quotes, useful legal tips, basic legal information and industry updates through original graphics that stand out. This is particularly important if a law firm is planning to utilize image-heavy platforms like Instagram.
- Record and Share Videos: Informative videos are a vital element in social media marketing for lawyers. Videos not only make information much easier to understand but also allow injecting brand personality into the content to make them more engaging. According to Social Media Today, 78 percent of people watch videos online every week, and 55 percent of those watch every day. Use channels like YouTube to host informational videos about relevant topics, tell interesting stories and discuss trending topics and then share them via the appropriate social media channels. Use professional videos to share updates about your law firm, answer FAQs, communicate changes to the law, conduct interviews with industry thought leaders and use their clout to attract new viewers and showcase the culture of the law firm.
- Use Popular and Relevant Hashtags: When it comes to the optimization of social media accounts, hashtags play an important role as these provide audiences an additional way to locate a law firm. The use of hashtags should not be limited to just one platform but should also be used on other platforms. Create trending hashtags for the specific area of law that the firm is specialized in. Learn about the terms influencers in the legal niche are using, and create your own hashtags to promote your marketing campaign.
- Respond to Comments and Queries: Social media channels offer an effective platform to build connections and engage with audiences. In fact, social media is generally used as a brand-consumer communication channel. Make the most of social media to engage with prospective clients. Respond to comments on the posts and answer questions that people may have about specific services. Create an impression among your audience that your firm is listening to your questions and answers. As per a Sprout Social Index (2019) report, about 47 percent of consumers reach out to brands on social media because they have a product or service question. On the other hand, 40 percent do so because they have a bad experience, while 31 percent do so to share their ideas or suggestions.
- Monitor Conversations Surrounding your Legal Firm: Brand listening is one of the main uses of social media for lawyers. Monitor conversations surrounding your legal firm in real time and identify trending topics within the industry. Conduct branded keyword searches on social media to look for content and conversations surrounding the firm. This is a great way to analyze the opinions of other people about your law firm. Identify conversations like news or discussions about topics that demonstrate expertise and that are relevant to a legal firm’s specialization. This can help gain valuable audience insights and take necessary action at the right moment.
- Invest in Paid Ads: Paid advertising in social media could help finely target your specific audience group. Users provide an abundance of data in their profiles, allowing firms to target individuals who are most likely to convert. Repurpose the content being used for daily posts, and turn them into targeted ads.
When used strategically, social media marketing services for law firms can be a valuable digital marketing solution. When building a law firm’s marketing strategy, effective social media management is crucial. Define goals, make a plan, and stick to it. By being consistent and active on social media, your law firm is more likely to engage with their target audience and achieve the best ROI possible. Make sure to get the social media basics right and then try out some of the top strategies listed in this post. In addition, analyze the competitors’ social media strategies to get inspiration and new ideas. A reputable digital marketing services company can help implement these strategies effectively and make sure that their client law firm stays ahead of the competition.
