This article talks about 5 social media platforms that lawyers and law firms can use to improve their social media reach and visibility.Reaching out to new people, attracting prospective clients are two of the greatest challenges for any law firm but with the right social media marketing strategy, you can achieve a lot. In all likelihood, you do not have abundant time or resources to go all out with social media marketing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to. Signing up to the best platforms, ensuring that you are updating them regularly, and being in touch with your followers is enough to leverage the power of social media. Social media is easy to use, free, and quite efficient in finding new clients and all you need to do is invest a few hours every week.
Importance of Social Media Marketing
Research shows that online searches can drive more than a third of clients. Moreover, 95% of people start seeking legal help on social media platforms. If your social media marketing is well-targeted, you can get a lot of new people to know you, work with you and become your clients. That’s something, isn’t it?
Social media for lawyers is easy! Sharing interesting tidbits on legal topics, recent case studies, and victories and showing off your knowledge on legal matters can increase brand awareness and ultimately attract new clients. The fact that most attorneys do not have any social media presence should already give you a head start. By investing just a few hours every week you can achieve a lot. Additionally, if you invest in a solid SEO strategy it can completely turn your firm’s fortune for the better.
Taking a few simple steps will help people know you. Since it is so easy, maybe it’s time to give it a try, right?
The Best Social Media Platform for Law Firms
Choosing the best social media platform for your law firm isn’t difficult. Your area of expertise, clientele demography, and the popularity of the platform should help you choose the best platforms. The following are the best platforms to begin your journey with.
- Facebook – There are no “ifs” and “buts” with Facebook. When the platform has over two billion active users, it should be your law firm’s natural go-to place. Facebook will invariably have your largest audience and you will easily find a lot of community chatter here. If your law firm is consumer-focused, then Facebook is the best place to stay engaged.
Facebook ads are one best way to leverage the platform and help you gain more followers, giving you more potential clients – all for a small monthly payment. You can make a substantial difference in your traffic by investing just $100 per month.
- Instagram – Instagram is quite as popular as Facebook but caters mainly to younger demography. If your specialties lie around DUI and paternity cases that primarily involve the younger generation then Instagram may work very well for you.
To become popular on Instagram you need to use more images and graphics than text since the platform revolves around visuals. You can post stats, legal advice, or quotes that are graphically designed keeping Instagram aesthetics in mind. The right use of hashtags (combining industry-specific and local terms) can help improve your reach.
- LinkedIn – If your target is to get valuable and meaningful connections, LinkedIn is the place for you. The platform works great with referrals (in your case from other attorneys).
Though it is a quieter social media platform compared to others, it is a great place to connect to like-minded professionals and industry experts. It is also much better at generating leads, especially when you compare it with Facebook or Twitter.
To make more of the platform, you can join LinkedIn groups so that you can communicate and talk to people from your industry and about your industry. It is a great place to voice your opinions, become a leading voice in your industry.
- YouTube – If you are wondering how you can use a video-sharing platform to up your social media game, you need to know the current trends. Video content today sees more traffic than simple text-based content. It is not surprising that YouTube is the second most visited site after Google. If you are serious about social media for law firms, you need to start making informative videos about legal practices, do’s and don’ts, and more. Typically, this can give you a boost in traffic.If you are worried about how a lawyer can make videos, don’t be. Learning a few hacks and tricks is all you need to do. The best thing to do is to have a plan. Start your channel by introducing yourself. Follow it up by giving an overview of what you do and answering some commonly asked questions about your area of expertise. If you have something informative to say, you will have likes and shares, and subscriptions. All you need is a quiet room, a smartphone with a tripod, and a message worth sharing.
- Twitter – One of the best social media platforms to engage with audiences, Twitter allows you to make a lot of noise with articulate, short messages. If you think you are good with words and can rightly use hashtags while following trends, then Twitter is just the platform for you.
You can use the platform and trending hashtags to research topics that are discussed by community members. You can also follow hashtag trends to join conversations in a completely organic and professional manner. This can help improve your online visibility and connect with industry stalwarts and prospective clients.
Top Social Media Sites for Legal Research
If firms and businesses use social media platforms to reach out to potential clients and customers, people use the same platforms to vent their grievances and opinions. They can be a great place for your firm to know what kind of legal services people are looking for, what difficulties they face, and so on. It can be a great research tool using which you can improve your services and marketing strategies.
So, if that’s something you want to do, you can explore other social media platforms too.
- Avvo – It is an online marketplace that tenders to legal services. It helps lawyers get referrals and provides them with a large database of legal information (accumulated through previously answered questions). Add in your profile to connect to prospective clients here.
- Reddit – As a social news aggregator, Reddit is a great tool to understand trending legal topics, commonly asked questions – both on a local as well as a national scale.
- Quora – If you have a question, the answer is probably there on Quora. If not, this is the platform for you to answer some pertinent legal questions.
- Yelp – The crowd-sourced review publishing site gives an honest view of how your firm is perceived by the people. By getting your firm listed, you can check your reviews, update information while following other reviews and legal issues.
- NextDoor App – If you want to focus on your immediate neighborhood and connect to people around you, this is the app that can help you do so.
Getting started is just the first step. Being consistent with your social media activity is the key to success. If it all seems like too much work, you are not alone. There are social media managers in our Cyrusson Inc. team who helps guide law firms to improve their social media presence. We are here to help you kickstart your exciting journey ahead. Are you ready? Our team will help you:
- Promote your Firm
- Help Post Relevant and Engaging Content
- Increase Your Online Visibility
Our aim is simple – to engage your audience and grow your following with relevant social media content. We have a full-fledged plan ready for you. Get in touch with us today to know more.