As a lawyer, you may be hesitant to use social media. But it can be a useful tool for building relationships and spreading awareness about your firm.
Lawyers have traditionally been hesitant to use social media. They view social media as a dangerous ethical area. But most often, lawyers lack access to the technology they need or are unsure of how to use social media for marketing. That’s rapidly changing, however. Lawyer social media marketing is now almost as common as it is for B2B and B2C businesses.
According to the American Bar Association, 76% of lawyers had a presence in an online community in 2015. Although the term “online community” could include forums like discussion boards, they, too, are forms of social media.
When you look at the most popular platforms, the majority of lawyer social media accounts are on LinkedIn. However, many lawyers are branching out to platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms host the largest numbers of U.S. consumers, which makes them ideal for engaging with non-corporate clients.
The Ethics Question
Social media has advantages and restrictions for any professional. Lawyers are guided by a strict code of ethics, which means they cannot discuss their client relationships in public. A lawyer on social media may be immediately recognized as a legal authority by other users, which means any commentary they provide will carry more weight than other users.
This doesn’t mean that lawyer social media marketing is taboo or off-limits; it just means they have to be careful about what they post, what they share, and how they respond to other users. The American Bar Association provides substantial guidance for lawyer social media ethics.
Use Content to Get Clients Engaged
So, what can lawyers do on social media that will earn them more clients?
There are two key ways to maintain a presence on social media. One is sharing content; the other is networking and engaging with users. When sharing, you can use your own written content, such as a blog post, or articles you find online that are relevant to your field. You can also share news stories or the posts of industry influencers.
Every piece of content you share on social media is an invitation for users to engage. Sharing content helps to establish you as an authority and build trust amongst potential clients. It also shows that you’re well-read and aware of the latest trends.
When you share your own content, you are linking directly to your website. Offer potential clients who reach your website through social media a chance to contact you by placing forms and phone numbers on your web pages.
Writing and finding relevant content takes time. If you’re too busy to do it, you can enlist the help of marketing professionals. They’ll compile lists of relevant articles and use social media marketing tools to schedule out posts, so you’re always posting relevant content.
A marketing agency that keeps professional copywriters on staff can also help you create blog posts, web copy, and content offers. Copywriters will conduct research and rely on your professional input for every piece of content they produce. They can even help you set up your accounts and lawyer social media pages.
Build Relationships
Sharing content is an effective strategy for lawyers, but the real power of lawyer social media marketing lies in communication. You can use social media to build a name for yourself. You can also use it to build a referral network.
Any lawyer social media page you create will link back to your website, giving you an additional online presence at little to no cost.
Use LinkedIn for professional networking. If your client base is made up of consumers, use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to reach them directly. Every platform is home to a vast network of trade associations, news pages, and referral sources. You can join these groups and become active in their feeds to get your name in front of more potential clients.
Lawyer social media marketing also grants you the opportunity to answer any legal questions people ask on social media. You can use social media monitoring tools to scan platforms for relevant posts. These tools can be expensive. If you partner with a marketing agency, they should already use these tools and can usually provide you with access. They can even show you how to use them.
Get Started with Lawyer Social Media Marketing
You can start a social media presence on your own, but you’ll have better results if you partner with marketing professionals. Getting marketing help can give you results without filling up your schedule. A successful social media effort also takes consistency.
A marketing team can help you create custom posts, manage your marketing timeline, and show you the results of your efforts through metrics. That way, you always know you’re getting a significant return on investment.
Using social media, you can keep in touch with old clients, reach out to new ones, and build your brand.
