“Social media for lawyers wouldn’t work – my clients aren’t looking there!” It’s an all too familiar argument in law firms around the country when asked to invest in a social media strategy. While 5 years ago it may have had some merit, times have changed.
As of June this year, 17 million Australians are active users of Facebook, 5 million are regularly tweeting and 8 million are showcasing their professional expertise on LinkedIn. Your customers are on social media.
Why are Lawyers on Social Media?
Professional services are blossoming online and social media for lawyers has become an effective marketing tool. But why? Here’s a breakdown of why leading law firms have invested in social platforms:
- Your audience. As we mentioned, Australians of all ages are on social media – the size of your audience and the hours of usage are unparalleled in the media landscape today.
- The biggest political and social conversations are happening over social media. Simply look at the political leaders of today. Admittedly there are lessons to be learnt from some, but the voice is being heard.
- There is huge cultural shift in B2B. More businesses are connecting online and through social media as the norm.
- Customers want to deal with lawyers they trust. Honesty and integrity are all as important as experience for the average Australian when it comes to legal advice and your social media pages are the best way to showcase the personality and faces behind the firm.
- Potential clients take notice of and ask for recommendations the same way they might do so in real life. Building goodwill and social proof is a powerful lead generator on social media.
- It’s an opportunity to build your reputation as thought leaders. Sharing or commenting on the latest news in your area of expertise will help highlight your competency and knowledge.
7 Tips on Social Media For Lawyers
So, you’ve convinced your partners, but where do you start?
Here’s 7 tips on getting your social media off the ground.
- Focus on content. Ensure your content is relevant, timely and interesting. According to 2017 Sensis study, the number 1 reason social media users unfollow businesses is irrelevant or unappealing content.
- Write for your Audience. Social media is not the place to be using heavy, technical legal jargon. Conveying your knowledge succinctly and in an accessible manner will help your audience engage with the content.
- Keeping your followers abreast of your services and skills should be a key element of your messaging, however, overselling yourself will likely lead to a drop in followers and engagement. Remember it’s social media so lead with informative, engaging content.
- Reach out to local businesses on social. The power of referrals is real and there is a strong likelihood that businesses in your area, especially those catering to high volume, will be likely to refer you once trusted.
- Associate with reputable associations. Use your law firms accounts to comment, share, like and post on reputable industry bodies such as the NSW Law Society. Not only does the power of association help your brand, but you may get noticed and your content may in turn be shared to a much larger audience.
- Each social platform is skewed towards different content so consider the platform before you post. Instagram is great to show off your firm’s personality, twitter is ideal for conversing on important topics of the day and Facebook should be a conduit for the majority of your content and engagement efforts.
- While social media for lawyers is often leveraged as a business development tool, it can also be a very effective means of attracting professional talent. Lawyers, like other professionals, use social media in their downtime. A strong social presence is a great way to get in front of potential new hires.
