The guide to winning social media for law firms

The guide to winning social media for law firms Written by Jaqueline Zote For years, social media has been a popular marketing channel for consumer brands. You see companies like Wendy’s, Airbnb and MoonPie dominating the landscape with their exceptional social media marketing strategies. With the immense popularity of these consumer brands, it may sometimes seem like certain industries like the legal industry are ignoring social media as a marketing channel. But that’s no longer the case as the use of social media among independent attorneys and law firms is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, 96% of respondents in an Attorney at Work survey say that they use social media. And 70% use it as part of their overall marketing strategy. That said, some law firms may still be struggling to use social media effectively. This could be a huge missed opportunity as effective social media marketing for law firms can help you attract prospective clients and build valuable connections. That;s why we’ve put together this guide to help you improve your social media marketing game. You’ll be able to understand how social media can benefit your law firm and how you can make the most of it. Let’s dive right in. The benefits of social media for law firms Before we take a look at the rules and best practices, let’s first try to understand the value of social media for law firms. Why should you bother with it in the first place? And is it really worth the time and effort? Here are some of the ways your law firm can benefit from social media: 1: Create brand awareness People are spending more time on social media. The Sprout Social 2019 Index found that 44% of consumers have reported an increase in personal social media usage. So a strong social presence helps you get your message in front of the right audience and increase brand awareness. 2: Engage your target audience

People use social media to not just connect with their friends and relatives but also to consume content and engage with brands. This makes it a valuable platform to engage your target audience and turn them into prospects. You could use social media to provide them with informative and engaging content, answer their questions, resolve their issues and more. 3: Attract prospective clients Social media is highly effective for law firms to attract new clients. The American Bar Association found that 35% of lawyers who use social media professionally have been able to gain new clients as a result. Additionally, 49% of respondents in the previously cited Attorney at Work survey have also been able to get new clients through social media. 4: Establish thought leadership One of the reasons why social media has been effective for attracting prospective clients is because it helps you showcase your expertise. You can use it to share valuable information that will help you prove your credibility and win the trust of your target audience. 5: Improve your SEO efforts While social signals aren’t a direct ranking factor, there is a correlation between improved social signals and improved search engine ranking. Additionally, Google continues to increasingly

bring in dynamic content such as social feeds into search results, so a strong social presence may lead to you controlling more visible space on search results for your firm’s name. Plus, a developed social presence contributes to overall improvements in online visibility and increases in traffic. 7 ways to use social media for lawyers With social media being so valuable for law firms, you can’t afford to miss out on this channel to market your services. Here are some of the essential ways to get started using social media for lawyers. 1: Get the basics right Like every channel, you need to start by nailing the basics of social media marketing. This includes: • Choosing the right social media platform to invest in. You might want to start out slow by focusing on a couple of platforms that your audience uses the most. • Setting realistic and measurable goals. What do you plan to get out of your social media marketing efforts? Do you want to increase brand visibility? Maybe you want to attract new clients or you just want to engage your target audience. Either way, have a clear idea of what you wish to achieve through social media marketing. • Developing a content strategy and calendar. What kind of content will you create? How often will you post? If you’re completely new to establishing yourself on social, use our checklist of social media basics to make sure you get this step right. 2: Share original graphics with useful facts and stats Visuals play a critical role in social media marketing as they are more likely to stand out over text content. So your social content strategy should focus on creating visuals that will immediately attract and engage your prospects. You can share inspirational quotes, useful legal tips, basic legal information and industry updates through original graphics that stand out. This is especially important if you’re going to use image-heavy platforms like Instagram. Make the most of free design platforms like Canva and Snappa for this. Take for example how Allen & Overy creates original graphics to share useful quotes from their associates. Each graphic includes the respective associate’s photo, which puts a human face to their firm.