Social media has been ignored in the legal world until early 2012 when the Law Society released social media guidance for lawyers. By June of the same year, data showed that Twitter became a key referral source for lawyers, with a whopping 663% increase of users asking for recommendations on the said network.
Without a doubt, social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook provides a cost-effective and efficient way to connect with prospects, keep an eye on the competition, and be updated with the latest industry trends.
In this post, we will guide you on how you can use social media to advertise your firm using various social media platforms:
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There are two primary ways on how to get more clients and build relationships on Facebook:
- Organic Marketing with Facebook: The platform’s latest algorithm shows that the platform is prioritizing posts that come from family and friends. Meaning, brands, and publishers do not appear to users as often. This affects your organic reach on Facebook if you are a lawyer or any professional service provider. Success on the platform is now mostly dependent on using Facebook Ads.
- Advertising with Facebook Ads: Facebook Ads helps simplify things, offering a couple of benefits which include:
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- Budget Control
- Affordability
- Rapid Placement
- Audience Targeting
Now, we will discuss the uses of Facebook Ads for lawyers:
Build Awareness of Your Law Practice
Video is an excellent way to boost brand awareness because video-type ads are gaining more attention and engagement than static images.
Use subtitles so that users can still get your message in case they are browsing without audio or your viewer is deaf.
Also, make sure that you invest in high-quality, professional-looking videos to help create more awareness of your law firm, and work with the best Facebook ad agency to maximize your results.
Be Creative with Life Events Targeting
The platform holds a lot of information about the significant events of its user’s lives, such as starting a relationship, getting engaged, getting married, or moving to a new home.
You can use this information for targeting, forming meaningful connections to people that are about to be married or have recently been divorced, for instance.
Facebook lets you do this by using a life event targeting parameter, allowing you to target people with ads that are experiencing these events in their lives.
Here are some tips on how you can do this:
- Create a Business page and manage it separately. Do not use your personal page as your business page as it might confuse your clients. Not to mention that it is against Facebook’s policies. The last thing that you want to happen is to mix your personal interactions, as it can make you look unprofessional.
- Focus on creating high-quality content. How can you put yourself in the mind of prospective clients? Try to provide engaging articles and blogs that provide real value. Also, add compelling images and videos that grab their attention. Make sure that it is relevant to your niche, and inject your personality in these posts.
- Check with your state bar guidelines regarding the use of social media. These guidelines will govern you with social media ethical issues, as well as with the various social media posts that will put you at risk.
At first glance, you might think that Instagram is not fit for lawyers. You may have thought that it is only well suited for interior designers, bloggers, bakers, and the likes.
Well, you should not be too quick to dismiss it. It is one of the fastest-growing social media channels out there, and there are strategic ways on how you can use it to your advantage.
Use Instagram Business Account
Just like with Facebook, you need to come up with a business account on Instagram as well. It allows you to track the number of visits, impressions, bookmarks, and make promotions through a budgeted campaign.
You can also link your email and phone number here so that prospects could easily reach you.
Create an Actual Advertisement
Instagram Ads are pretty straightforward, especially if you already know your target audience. All you need is the post that you will be promoting, your target audience, the location that will take users once they click on your ad, and a budget.
Post the Right Content
The most successful posts on Instagram involves at least one high-quality image and content that is published regularly.
Ideally, it should represent the firm’s branding and personality, such as their stance on a particular issue related to their practice. And it should be consistent with the voice of your caption.
Don’t Forget Hashtags
Hashtags are crucial because it ensures that your posts are discoverable by other users on Instagram. At least two or three hashtags per post which are usually related to your legal niche, or something that is location-specific.
Examples are #NewYorkAttorneys, #FamilyLaw, #EstatePlanning, #SanFranscisoLawFirm, and so on.
Follow Other Accounts
Make sure that you follow other accounts as well, to create a more vibrant online community. Here are a couple of accounts that you might want to follow:
- Your employees
- Other law firms and attorneys
- Local businesses in the area that you have previously worked with
Unlike other social media networks out there, LinkedIn is not built for customers. It is a platform for business and for professional networking.
So, it is usually made up of businesses and suppliers, investors, stakeholders, as well as organizations that law firm is likely to work closely with.
Here are some of the most productive uses of LinkedIn:
SEO for Your LinkedIn Profile
Follow good SEO practices. Ensure that you are adding relevant keywords in your profile, such as in the summary and headline.
If you are a divorce attorney based in San Diego, then you can integrate the keyword “divorce attorney San Diego” or other relevant terms in your niche or geographic location.
Use Sponsored Update
Sponsored Updates work the same as your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, only that they will show up on the feeds of your prospective clients. It also depends on the parameters that you have set based on the geographical area, skills, professional title, and more.
Run Text Ads
These ad types let you display the logo of your firm, where you can add a short sentence or two on where you are, and your particular practice area.
Same with your sponsored updates, you can filter only the clients that have high potential. In exchange for the clicks on your ad, you get to pay for a fee.
Use Video on LinkedIn
Another great opportunity for law firms is the use of video.
Videos were introduced to LinkedIn in 2017, and it has been putting a lot of effort to make it a video platform. So, invest in creating video content and enjoy high levels of engagement and reach.
Think about what particular content will grab your audience’s attention, and always use professional equipment and tools to make it high-quality.
The possibilities with video are endless. You can create a webinar about harsh work environments or a guide in inspecting a house before making a purchase.
Twitter is another useful tool for your law practice if used properly. Every month, approximately 330 million people are using the platform, therefore, there is no doubt that it offers a substantial audience with very little cost.
Here are some productive uses of Twitter:
Post Relevant Content
Have a consistent following on Twitter, otherwise, you will not show up on user’s feeds. Publish something relevant at least five or six times daily.
It does not necessarily have to be your original content. Find a good mix of content and news, retweets, and original options.
Use Images to Attract Attention
Twitter is limited to a 280 character text post. A great way to grab your user’s attention and boost your engagement and interactions is to tweet with eye-catching images.
Tweets that have graphics or photos are more likely to grab your user’s attention and followers.
Respond and Engage
Twitter accounts that regularly engage with their followers are the ones that are more prominent on user’s feeds.
Make sure that you are interacting with users by making sure that you are responding to them, following, and liking their relevant tweets.
Always use good judgment when you interact with your followers. When you spam users with mentions and replies, it could annoy them.
Over to You
The primary goal of your law firm whether in the real-world or on social media is pretty straightforward. You want your law firm to be the first thing that prospective clients think of when they are looking for legal counsel.
To stand out, you need to reach more prospective clients. Because most people are on social media these days, then it is something that you need to focus on and should not ignore.
The key here is to be consistent in providing valuable content to your audience. Follow these tips on how you can properly advertise your law firm on social media platforms and see the positive results over time!
