At first glance, it might seem like there aren't many similarities between social media marketing and law, but the two industries really do go hand in hand.
In fact, over 95% of law firms admitted to using social media in a recent survey. So, if your or your client's firm isn't present on at least one social media platform, you can guarantee you're being judged (wink).
Why? Because a strong social media presence can be key for attracting new clients, and for a field that's over-saturated with complicated jargon, it's essential for building trust!
If you aren't sure about where to start with your law firm's social media strategy, we've got plenty of tips, examples, and actionable advice to help get you on your way:
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Why should law firms invest resources in social media marketing
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How to find your social media marketing voice in the legal industry
Why should law firms invest resources in social media marketing
There are so many benefits to law firms having a consistent presence on social media. So, why should your law firm's marketing strategy include regular posting?
- To build brand awareness
- To attract potential clients
- To establish your firm as a thought leader
- To gain trust
- To communicate your firm's unique values
1. To build brand awareness
There are a variety of social media goals that can be used to measure the ROI of your firm’s social media efforts. These include:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Increasing sales and conversions
- Increasing engagement
However, brand awareness is most commonly used as a barometer for social media success.
As a social media goal, increasing awareness is all about getting your firm’s name out there and making potential leads aware of who your firm is and what you stand for through your posts and engagements.
If you decide to use brand awareness as your law firm’s social media goal, make sure to track:
- Post shares
- Brand mentions
- Reach and impressions
These are all great indicators of success.
Morgan and Morgan law firm has started a Tiktok profile where they regularly post videos. Just maintaining a presence on a platform like TikTok can be so valuable for businesses - as can be seen by this firm’s large following!
image source: @forthepeople TikTok channel
2. To attract potential clients
It’s pretty obvious that most businesses are present on social media to attract new clients. After all, there’s no better place to advertise your offering for free.
After reaching for Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram are often the first social media platforms that those looking for a product or service will go. It’s also worth remembering that at least 54% of social media users use social media to research a product or service before trying it out.
3. To establish your firm as a thought leader
Thought leadership is a form of brand storytelling, which is a highly valued skill in both the legal and social media industries.
If your firm wants to show credibility amongst prospective clients, sharing wisdom with a uniform and consistent social media presence is key. For law firms looking to make an impact on social media, platforms like Twitter and Instagram are just the ticket.
image source: Morgan & Morgan's Twitter profile
4. To gain trust
The legal profession can be intimidating to outsiders looking in. Since most potential clients are likely only seeking out legal advice under stressful or negative circumstances, it’s important that your social media profiles show your firm as an authentic, trustworthy operation. After all, these are real people who are trusting you to help them.
5. To communicate your firm’s unique values
Social media profiles act as billboards for your firm. They create a space that allows showcasing the ethics, values, and beliefs of your business.
A strong social media presence helps to create trust in the quality of services that you provide.
The content, copy and imagery your firm uses on social media should convey your unique selling point, as well as how you can help clients better than anyone else. Hutchens Law Firm demonstrate this really well with their Twitter profile:
image source: Hutchens Law Firm Twitter profile
How to find your social media marketing voice in the legal industry
Your voice is essentially the “personality” of your brand. So you need to think about whether it's personal, professional or lively?
Your voice is what makes you recognisable. And it's made up of all the ways you could possibly interact with your existing and prospective clients: the colours you choose, the images you put up, the things you “like” and “share”, and the articles you publish.
As such, when finding your voice, there are many things you will be required to consider:
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Who is your ideal client?
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What does your law firm stand for?
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If your firm was a person, who would it be?
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Is your law firm ready to be authentic and consistent?
1. Who is your ideal client?
Your target audience should be the foremost consideration of your social media marketing strategy. Especial when it comes to finding your social media voice.
You need to ask yourself:
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Who are my clients?
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What are their needs?
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What do they value?
For example, if your business primarily specialises in commercial or corporate law, your customers will primarily be businessmen or women who value professionalism, efficiency and competence.
In this scenario, your social media content's voice needs to capture these values. Possible ways may involve publishing informative articles or commenting on recent legislative changes.
On the other hand, if your business specialises in compensation law, your customers will primarily be injured workers who value compassion and patience. Thus, it would be more appropriate to share success stories of previous clients and use warmer colours to shape your voice.
Defining your target audience will help you choose the right social media platform.
2. What does your law firm stand for?
The values of your company should also shape your social media marketing voice.
Pick a list of 3-5 words that you think best define the culture and values in your company.
For example, Herbert Smith Freehills defines its values as “teamwork, commitment, integrity, courtesy and respect”.
These values may translate to images or events hosted on social media platforms, and help customers better understand your digital marketing message.
The end effect will increase your brand image, brand coherence, and brand equity.
3. If your firm was a person, who would it be?
Conceptualising your brand as a person is an extremely helpful exercise to find your social media voice.
This is because your voice is literally the mouthpiece of the personality of your brand. The character you choose can be real, fictional, famous or even entirely ordinary.
For example, if you are marketing a corporate law firm, Harvey Spectre might be a good persona to. The persona conveys confidence, intelligence, and a touch of street smarts.
4. Is your law firm ready to be authentic and consistent?
Don't try and force a voice onto your brand.
Your social media marketing will seem inauthentic, fake and lose its effectiveness with the target audience.
For example, if your company culture is very serious, professional, and to the point, it may be better to focus on your professionalism in social media content rather than using informal and colloquial tones.
It may be helpful to survey your existing customers and staff to see how they perceive your company, and perform a social media health check.
6 Quick social media tips for law firms
Social media platforms are a great place for law practitioners to be hanging out. But what should they be posting in order to attract new prospects and convert them into clients?
Here are some actionable pieces of advice to make your or your client law firm's social media marketing the best it can be:
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Get on the right channels
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Share client wins
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Simplify processes where you can
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Share knowledge and helpful resources
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Share content from your legal team
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Share customer testimonials
1. Get on the right channels
Knowing which social media channels are best for your firm to be present on isn’t always obvious. It’s all about knowing your audience, demographic and understanding where they hang out.
Remember that social media management is resource-intensive - especially if you’re a one-person team. So, start slow and only post to a couple of channels, rather than trying to be everywhere all at once.
Also consider if you have the resources to monitor, engage with, and respond to comments and messages on multiple channels, too, since good customer service is vital to creating strong early relationships and converting those prospects into clients.
2. Share customer wins
Sharing the wins and successes that your firm has had in the past helps to bolster credibility and reassure potential clients that you’ll also do a great job representing them. Any awards should be shouted about!
Be loud and proud about the great work you do, just like Mike Morse Law Firm is. Make graphics big, bold and obvious - you want potential clients to see how great your firm is at what it does!
image source: Mike Morse Law Firm's Facebook Page
3. Simplify processes where you can
Social media management takes time to get right. So, don’t waste precious hours manually scheduling content. Instead, use a scheduling tool like Sendible to automate your workflow.
Once you have your scheduling tool set up, you could maximise efficiency by creating and scheduling content in batches to save more time and increase your output.
4. Share knowledge and helpful resources
Businesses being helpful on social media is nothing new, but it’s a solid tactic when you’re in a less accessible field like law. Remember, just because your business might be perceived as part of a ‘boring sector’, doesn’t mean that you have to put out boring content.
You could share tips and guides to common legal issues so that your audience can better understand their rights - just like Wilshire Law Firm does. You could also do your part to demystify the scary legal jargon that exists, by posting explainer videos on Instagram Reels or Stories.
image source: Wiltshire Law Firm's Instagram profile
5. Share content from your legal team
Showing real people making a positive impact in the world makes for powerful and engaging social media content. So, why not inject that human factor into your firm’s social media presence and share plenty of team-based content.
Gurstel Law Firm is on the right track by introducing its team members on LinkedIn. Their post below ticks all the boxes: the image is clear and inviting, the post is concise but shares the lawyer's personality while also mentioning their professional experience!
Connecting with your audience in a human way is important for creating conversions, so don't shy away to share their stories.
image source: Gurstel Law Firm's LinkedIn Company Page
6. Share customer testimonials
Social proof helps to strengthen the case that your law firm is the best out there. Real recommendations from real customers are incredibly powerful.
Anything to humanise the accessibility of the legal profession is the way to go - just as Blake Morgan have:
image source: Blake Morgan's Twitter profile
Wrapping up
Social media is an effective digital marketing channel for law firms to explore when looking to promote their services and find new clients.
Defining your target audience, finding your social media marketing voice, and planning your content in advance is essential to success in the digital marketing space.
These three things will help you build brand loyalty as well as a strong connection with prospective clients.
Remember to make your firm accessible on at least one social media platform by introducing team members, and sharing knowledge and wins with your followers, while experimenting with the right tone of communication and community management tactics.
