Today, we want to discuss social media management for lawyers. Australia has arguably one of the world’s most robust judiciaries and with 60,000 practicing solicitors competing for business, improving exposure is essential to building your client base.
Despite its efficacy in this regard, social media strategy has simply not been a high priority for lawyers, it’s use limited to sporadic and often confusing reactionary posts and comments. With 15 million Australians on Facebook and 5 million on twitter, these channels provide real potential for growth.
Aside from encouraging repeat businesses from engaged customers, it’s perfect for client acquisition.
The vast majority of consumers’ today will visit the web as their first port of call when researching professional services. This is even more true for Gen Y and Millennials.
When it comes to social media, the question is no longer ‘if’ but ‘what’.
What Does Successful Social Media Management for Lawyers Involve?
Social media for law firms can be tricky. It involves walking a tight-rope between being professional and being personable. You have to be knowledgeable without coming across as dry or dull and be fun without seeming flippant or unreliable.
Start with your customer. Are you a generalist or do you specialise in family law? If it’s family law, then what kind of families? Low-income or high? What are their cultural backgrounds? What are their interests? Many lawyers fall into the trap of pushing out content better suited for other lawyers, but you have to always remember it’s real customers you’re speaking to. You need to understand exactly who they are so you can use their language and curate interesting content.
Once you know your audience, it’s time to craft a law firm marketing plan. This means optimising platform specific posts to serve several purposes:
- Building a reputation for industry knowledge through news and info posts
- Increasing brand exposure through branded content
- Cultivating a word of mouth network through interaction with complementary and local businesses
- Engaging end clients through topical and easy to consume content
Aside from content and platform you also need to reach your customer at the right time.
Once you have the groundwork laid, you can begin leveraging powerful advertising and targeting tools to really expand the breadth of your clientele.
In Summation
Social media management for lawyers is a powerful law firm marketing strategy but to see tangible results you need a holistic understanding of your customer, the legal industry and the world of digital marketing. It takes both time and experience to curate content that resonates with customers.
With over 25 years working with lawyers (ex Freehills/Herbert Smith Freehills), we heard it all before. If you have a query or require expert advice, we’re only a phone call or email away.
