Before we dive into best practices for your social media strategy, there is one important question that needs an answer: what exactly is in it for you, for an attorney? Does good management of social media propel you forward in the legal industry?
Exposure to a larger audience helps you get more potential clients. In a study, conducted by American Bar Association, it was found, that 35% of attorneys who focused their efforts on improving their social media presence managed to get more new clients overall. And for small business news are even better: 42% managed to broaden their clientele.
Discourse and engagement are at the core of almost all social media platforms. So, if you are able to provide your target audience with interesting and engaging content, answer questions, resolve issues, if you manage to be not just a ‘soulless brand’ you will improve your brand awareness online and may even succeed in building a community.
This is also a very tangible benefit. There is a clear correlation between social media signals and better results when it comes to search engine rankings. Social media activity can enhance even your franchise SEO. Also, Google continues improving its engine and it incorporates more things like social media feed in search results. This may lead to better visibility for your legal business online.
So, is social media marketing still important for lawyers in 2023? The answer is a resounding, “YES!” With this in mind, we’ve compiled some important strategies law firms can leverage this year and beyond.
The first step is to find a channel you should focus your effort on for social media. Which social media platform you choose for connecting with your audience depends on the type of law you practice. We recommend a specific set of platforms to each of our clients. For example, a divorce lawyer offers a business-to-client service, which makes Facebook a much better choice than LinkedIn. However, if your law firm provides legal services to small businesses LinkedIn would be the platform to focus on for B2B. Typically, legal social media is best done on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, though you could also be utilizing YouTube if you have the capability to provide consistent and relevant video content and build credibility through it. If you’re thinking that you have more important things to do, consider the fact that your competitors are probably already on YouTube.
Speaking of videos, according to marketing industry influencer Krista Neher, the human brain can process images up to 60,000 times faster than words. That means you can convey the same message in a 30-second video as you can in a 30-page e-book. Which one do you think your distracted prospects are more likely to engage with?
And what about TikTok? While you may think TikTok has no place in digital marketing strategy for your law firm, even the zany video-based social media app has its place in the reality of law firm marketing. In fact, some very compelling examples can be found here.
The bottom line is that, whichever platform you choose, you can use the social network to connect with and help solve problems in people’s daily lives.
Base your content marketing strategy on the posts your prospects want on specific social networks.
Start by creating a content calendar that covers how many posts you create per week and what types of content you use.
On Facebook, you have the option to create live videos. For lawyers with audiences on Twitter and Instagram, you can post more images.
The best content for your firm varies based on your audience. The key is to create educational content your customers can enjoy, so they have a better understanding of why they should work with you.
If you want to personalize your brand to customers, then you need to pull back the curtain on your firm. The obvious thing to remember is that any sensitive materials cannot be in your social media posts.
Behind-the-scenes shots of your paralegals and attorneys earn trust with your prospects.
Customers want to know what type of service they buy. Often this means they want to see attorneys hard at work, and not wasting time to play golf at 11 AM on a Tuesday.
Unless of course, you represent Golf Clubs. Then, by all means, take as many photos as you can playing golf.
The behind-the-scenes content should connect you with your prospects. Therefore, take photos and videos you believe you would want in their position.
Your social media marketing strategy should not stand alone. Instead, you need to connect it with other components of your marketing strategy.
For example, if you hold education seminars for clients, then share the event information on social media. You can share a post ahead of time to let prospects know how to register. Then you can share videos after the seminar, so you get a higher return from the time you spent creating the workshop.
Effective social media marketing is a vital component to search engine optimization and email marketing.
Often, attorneys connect with prospects via social media accounts and drive them to their email list. That way, you can follow up with people who need your help.
To increase your results in the future, you must evaluate how your campaigns worked in the past. This analysis requires a thorough audit of your social media strategy.
Determine what the key metrics are for your law firm, and then track how you perform in these areas every month. The more social media data you collect, the more you can improve your marketing campaigns.
A few common metrics to evaluate include:
For example, using the metrics above, you can track a Facebook Ad to determine how many people visited a specific website landing page. Then set a goal to see how many visitors came to your Thank You page after filling out your form.
Google Analytics gives you the ability to determine the traffic source for these prospects.
Additionally, you can integrate call tracking software into Google Analytics. Then you can track prospects from Facebook to their first call to your office.
By understanding these numbers, you can determine the effectiveness of your social media efforts.
Social media is not a fad. For many law firms, it is an excellent addition to their current marketing strategy.
If you want to use social media for your law firm, then contact us today at 312-265-0580 for a free consultation.
Yes, yes, yes, million times yes! A good social media strategy can help you get more new clients, improve brand awareness, even build a community! Moreover, a connection between social media and SEO will help your overall search engine rankings.
It depends on what exactly you want to achieve and what type of content you want to produce. Twitter is a good place for answering questions and giving advice, while YouTube can be a great place to post long-form video content. Whichever platform you choose, you can use the social network to connect with and help solve problems in people’s daily lives.
It's not if you know where to look. A few common metrics to evaluate include engagement, number of private messages, clicks, number of net new followers, client conversion. By understanding these numbers, you can determine the effectiveness of your social media efforts.
Comrade originates in Chicago, but we worked all around the United States. We can help your business grow and increase revenue whenever you are. We have offices across most major cities in the US. For example, we can offer digital marketing services in Houston or San Francisco. You can even find our internet marketing experts in Indianapolis! If you want to know more about our New York digital marketing agency or find out how exactly we can help you, contact us via the phone or email.
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