Social media opportunities are endless for lawyers. With the right strategy, you can build your brand authority while establishing relationships with potential clients and other legal professionals. Since implementing a successful social media strategy can take some trial and error, here are some basic social media tips for law firms.
First, Why Is Social Media Important for Law Firms?
Nearly four billion people use social media. Many of those individuals spend two or more hours a day browsing a variety of platforms and feeds. If you do not have a social media presence, you are missing out on potential clients. However, lead conversions are not the only benefit of social media for attorneys. Social media can help law firms with the following:
Engaging Your Target Audience
In addition to using social media to connect with friends and family, users also look to engage with brands. With the right content on the right social media platforms, you can engage with people who are looking for law firms like yours. Your content may be able to answer their questions and encourage them to reach out to you for more information.
Improving SEO Results
While social media will not directly impact your rankings on search engine results pages or improve your website in the eyes of Google, there are indirect correlations between search engine rankings and improved social signals. As time goes on and Google continues to develop new SEO parameters and metrics, social feeds could play a more significant role in your website’s visibility.
Creating Brand Awareness
If you only use your website to promote your law firm’s brand, you miss a significant internet user demographic. A solid social media presence can improve brand awareness not only in your local area and state but across the country. Remember, it only takes one post for an individual or business to go viral.
Which Social Media Platforms Are Best for Lawyers?
Fortunately, the best social media platforms for lawyers are the same ones that are most frequented by social media users. If you have not already, it is time to consider creating profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Facebook is the largest social media platform for lawyers. Regardless of your practice areas, you will be able to connect with your target audience. Once you have established your profile and start posting regular updates, you can consider joining groups or utilizing Messenger chatbots to interact with users reaching out to your firm.
Facebook is also the ideal platform for paid social media ads. The social media company is constantly collecting consumer and user information. With their tools and advertising campaigns, you can quickly create targeted ads that meet prospective clients.
Most law firms with a social media strategy use Twitter. The platform is excellent for businesses like law firms that offer professional services. Instead of creating long-form posts, you can focus on updating your feed with small, insightful posts and shared articles or blogs. Twitter’s hashtag system makes it easy for you to target your posts to trending topics.
LinkedIn is another commonly used social platform for businesses in all industries. The platform is built for professionals and lets them highlight their expertise through an online resume-like profile. While you can connect with past, present, and future clients on LinkedIn, the platform is also helpful for building your professional network and staying current on legal industry updates and news.
How to Promote Your Legal Services on Social Media
Starting various social media profiles is not enough to gain a following and convert leads to clients. You need to promote your services and create a trustworthy, resourceful space for those with legal issues you can assist. To promote your services, consider the following:
- Establish best practices. Before you start promoting your law firm on social media, you need to establish social media processes and policies. Doing so will ensure you stay consistent in terms of brand voice and post schedules.
- Identify your target audience. Once you have nailed down your social media procedures, it is time to research and identify your target client. Your posts need to resonate with prospective clients, so consider who they are, what they need, and how you can help.
- Highlight your expertise. To be seen as an expert in your chosen practice areas, you need to build trust with your social media followers. Consider linking to relevant and trustworthy sources when posting. You should also be linking back to your website’s blog or practice area pages.
- Interact with your audience. Social media is a great tool for interaction when appropriately used. Not only is there the potential to meet new clients, but you may also come into contact with other legal professionals who have referrals. Answer questions, respond to comments and thank clients for their reviews.
- Consider paid advertising. Once you have started to establish yourself on social media organically, you may also consider paid social media advertising. Similar to Google PPC ads, you can pay to run a campaign targeting prospective clients.
Invest In Your Social Media Strategy
Once you have begun your law firm’s social media journey, you should start to see spikes in prospective and actual clients. While social media can be effective for law firms, however, it is only 0ne piece of the digital marketing puzzle. You must continue to produce quality content, maintain your website and manage your online reputation.
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