Social Media for Lawyers Made Simple

If your law firm isn’t on social media, you’re handing clients to competitors and missing a chance to connect with a generation that discovers legal services differently from their parents. With over 5.2 billion social media users worldwide and 81% of lawyers already leveraging these platforms, a strong social media presence is essential for visibility and reputation.

In this article, we’ll explore how lawyers can use social media to attract clients, the importance of social media for law firms, and how to harness its potential to promote your firm, connect with clients, and build your brand.

Why Is Social Media Important for Lawyers?

63.8% of the world's population uses social media, spending an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes daily on these platforms. For lawyers, this translates into unprecedented opportunities to grow a law firm using social media, especially when leveraging multiple social media accounts.

We have mentioned online presence in the section above, but it is just one of the benefits of social media for law firms. On LinkedIn alone, 81% of lawyers and law firms actively engage to generate leads and build professional relationships, often through multiple social media accounts to maximize their reach. We will discuss 4 other benefits below.

Find New Clients

While your next client may not be actively searching social media during a legal crisis, you still need to master social media lead generation for lawyers is crucial. This is because 29% of lawyers acquire new clients through social media platforms. Success on social media comes from building trust before needs arise.

Get Noticed by Prospective Clients

The American Bar Association reports that 35% of lawyers using social media professionally see higher client acquisition rates. Social media success in law relies on smart visibility, not hard selling. To help boost brand awareness, you can create engaging content like quick legal tips, celebrate case outcomes (without breaching confidentiality), or make explainer videos.

Become a Recognizable Brand

When you use the right strategies in social media, your brand stays in the minds of users, especially Generation Z and Generation X whose social media usage rose around 78% and 75% respectively in 2021. There are so many effective content ideas for lawyers on social media. It could be skits, explainer videos, or anything. Even if your audience doesn’t need a lawyer today, they’ll remember you when they do, especially if you use your brand elements consistently across your channels and posts and maintain the right tone in posts.

Improve Your SEO

SEO and social media marketing for lawyers go hand-in-hand as 71% of lawyers generate leads through social media. Let's explore how social media enhances SEO. 

1. Drive Traffic to Your Website

Every social media post is a chance to drive clients to your website. Share problem-solving content like video explainers, downloadable guides, or infographics on legal topics. Link this content to your site to boost engagement and traffic. Use clear calls-to-action and strategic links to make it easy for followers to take the next step, maximizing results.

2. Gain Backlinks to Your Website

Quality backlinks act as digital referrals, signaling to Google your content's authority. Create valuable legal resources and insights that other professionals naturally want to reference, boosting your site's credibility and search rankings.

3. Build a Following of Loyal Clients

Social media is where you build a loyal following who will engage with your posts. Active engagement not only boosts your credibility but also improves your website's ranking on search engines, provided your content is relevant. And with a little creativity, the options are limitless: polls, live Q&A sessions, quizzes, and more.

4. Enhance Your Local SEO Performance

Consistently including your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) in profiles and posts strengthens local SEO, helping clients find you when searching for legal services in your area.

Geo-tagging takes this a step further. For instance, using Instagram for legal marketing with location tags in Stories or posts helps you appear in location-based searches.

Best Social Media Platforms for Law Firms

Looking for the best social media platforms for law firms to grow your practice? You’re in the right place! From LinkedIn’s professional network to Facebook’s community-building power, we’ll share social media tips for small law firms to help you connect, engage, and attract clients effortlessly.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is often seen as a professional networking, but it can be much more than that if you want it to be. 83% of law firms are active on the platform, including 73% of solos, 75% of small firms, 86% of mid-sized firms, and 97% of large firms.

So how can you make LinkedIn work best for you?

• Optimize your profile: Don't just list your credentials – tell your story. Add a compelling bio, professional headshot, and strategic banner image to show potential clients you mean business. Keep it fresh with recent wins and certifications that matter to your audience.

• Publish content: Skip any legal jargon. Share insights clients actually care about, like what to do after a car accident or how recent law changes affect their business. Use LinkedIn Articles for deeper dives that showcase your expertise.
• Engage and network: Join LinkedIn groups focused on legal topics and actively participate in discussions. You should also request recommendations from colleagues and clients to boost your credibility.
• Use hashtags strategically: Make your content findable with targeted hashtags like #LegalTips or practice-specific tags. Follow trending hashtags to stay in the loop and engage with broader conversations in the legal community.

Facebook

Facebook’s 3.07 billion monthly users (and its status as the most widely used social media platform) make it a must for lawyers looking to expand their reach. If you look at it from another angle, over 53% of law firms already use it to connect with clients and grow their practices.

Here are some of the key strategies to implement:

• Create and optimize a business page: Set up a professional page with all your contact details and a clear call-to-action button like “Call Now.” Pin a post introducing your firm’s values, services, and what makes you unique. First impressions matter!

• Share engaging posts: Post legal tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your firm, or stories about community involvement. Use Facebook Live to host Q&A sessions or discuss legal updates in real-time. Keep it interactive and relatable.

• Run targeted ads: Facebook Ads let you zero in on specific audiences, like local families needing estate planning or immigrants seeking legal help. With precise targeting, your ads can reach the right people at the right time.

Instagram

Instagram's visual storytelling gives your law firm a chance to stand out in your own way. With over 2 billion users scrolling daily, it's where lawyers on social media can share the moments that matter in a manner that is visually pleasing to the eyes, from client success celebrations to quick legal tips that actually help people.

So if you want to make Instagram work for your practice, you should:

• Post engaging content: Share those office celebrations and team activities (work or leisure), and break down complex legal concepts into bite-sized Reels. Use infographics to break down complex legal concepts into bite-sized, easy-to-understand visuals.

• Use short captions: Keep captions concise and engaging. Add a call-to-action like “DM us for a consultation” to drive client inquiries.
• Promote events: Got a free legal clinic coming up? Use Stories to build buzz, create countdowns, and show the impact in real-time.
• Evaluate public vs. private accounts: If your personal account doubles as a professional one, consider making it public to build trust. Alternatively, create individual profiles for attorneys with specialized expertise.

X (Twitter)

Sure, X (formerly Twitter) lags at over 600 million users, but don’t write it off just yet. X is quite a fast-paced platform and it is always on the roll, keeping you scrolling and scrolling for information or news. Ready to make X work for your practice? Here's how:

• Optimize your account: Use a professional photo and clear bio that includes your firm's website and location. Switch to a professional account to track what resonates with your audience.
• Share timely updates: Post about legislative changes, link to blog posts, or share quotes from recent cases. Stay relevant by jumping on trending legal topics (of course, you need to be careful cos some topics are sensitive).

• Engage with your audience: Run polls, retweet interesting posts, and reply to comments to foster interaction. Use hashtags like #LegalNews or practice-specific tags to join broader conversations.

YouTube

Over 87% of video marketers say video is effective at generating leads and YouTube is the go-to platform for law firms to capitalize on this. It's also the perfect place to share longer videos that may be restricted on other sites that allow video sharing.

See how to run a YouTube channel that converts.

• Create targeted videos: Focus on specific topics like “How to File for Divorce” or “Understanding Your Rights After an Arrest.” Use YouTube Shorts for quick, attention-grabbing legal tips.

• Enhance production quality: Invest in good lighting, sound equipment, and editing software to create polished, professional videos that reflect your law firm's brand.
• Leverage cross-promotion: Share your videos across multiple social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and X to maximize reach.
• Use keywords and tags: Include relevant search terms in titles and descriptions to help the right people find your content.

How to Promote a Law Firm on Social Media

Since we have already discussed the whys and the whats, you now need to the hows in order to make the most out of your campaign and avoid the common pitfalls that get firms in trouble. Here are some effective ways to effectively build social media marketing for lawyers while staying compliant.

Learn the Rules

Despite the thousands of law firm social media posts published daily, strict rules govern what lawyers can and can't share online. Most state bars prohibit attorneys from calling themselves "experts" or "specialists" in their field, even with decades of experience. These regulations extend to client testimonials, case results, and practice area descriptions.

Social media platforms also have rules users must adhere to. These combined state bar and platform guidelines protect potential clients from misleading claims while ensuring fair competition among firms. So you should not just know them but also adhere to them. You can take extra measures by creating a social media policy for law firms to shield against potential ethics violations.

Blake Harris

Founder of Blake Harris Law

Blake Harris, the founder of Blake Harris Law, is a renowned authority in Offshore Asset Protection. With a wealth of experience assisting clients worldwide, Blake has established a strong global network by engaging with trust companies, protectors, and bankers across over 40 countries.

Apart from his legal expertise, Blake is an accomplished author and international speaker. He has shared his extensive knowledge on asset protection and offshore planning in continuing legal education lectures, reaching professionals far and wide. His substantial social media following further cements his influence in the field.

Position Yourself as an Expert

Having touched on the prohibition of terms like "expert," you might wonder how to build a lawyer's brand on social media while establishing authority within these constraints. The key lies in sharing valuable knowledge through consistent content and meaningful insights that naturally position you as a trusted legal resource. No "expert" label is needed because your work will do the talk.

Embrace Authenticity

When we talk about authenticity, we're not suggesting you overshare personal stories. We know this word gets thrown around a lot but it simply means you should show the human side of your practice while maintaining professionalism.

Give them glimpses into your work through client testimonials (with permission, of course), team case preparations, and community service activities Remember, clients hire lawyers they trust, not just lawyers they find.

Set Out Your Aims

The first thing to consider is to outline your goals by posting to your profiles. Law firms will have different goals for their profiles; some want to gain more clients, some want to build brand awareness, and others want to gain more website visitors. Before diving head-first into a social media strategy, sit down and list your goals. They should be both short-term and long-term measurable goals, so you know how much progress you're making. Once you have a baseline of how your profiles perform, you can adjust your goals accordingly and use them to drive your future campaigns.

Think About Paid Social Media Advertising

Here's what you need to know about paid social media ads: every impression counts because you're paying whether someone clicks or not. Therefore, you need a strategic approach to tackle social media marketing for law firms. Facebook, for instance, with over 8 million businesses using its ad platform, offers unparalleled reach for targeting specific audiences.

The search behavior of your prospective clients is also quite different, so you have to match your service to life events and immediate needs. There are so many ad formats law firms can utilize some of the effective ones are:

• Carousel ads featuring client testimonials (following bar rules)
• Video explanations of common legal issues
• Local targeting within your practice jurisdiction
• Retargeting campaigns for website visitors

Stick to SMART Goals

If you have never heard of SMART goals, they can be a valuable part of your approach. While we already discussed the importance of goal setting when it comes to your social profiles, SMART goals take this idea one step further. Regardless of the specific platform, all of your marketing goals should be:

• Specific: Outline precisely what you need to do to hit your goal. It could be to increase consultation bookings from LinkedIn by 25% this quarter through weekly thought leadership posts about business law.
• Measurable: Track metrics like consultation requests, engagement rates, and follower growth using platform analytics.
• Achievable: Set realistic targets based on your market size and resources. For example, aim to gain 100 qualified followers per month rather than 10,000.
• Relevant: Align social media goals with your firm's growth objectives, such as expanding into new practice areas or increasing referral networks.
• Time-bound: Set benchmarks (monthly, quarterly, whatever matches with your objectives) for key performance indicators, reviewing and adjusting strategies monthly based on results.

Get to Know Your Client

Once your goals are set, you need to determine who your legal services are by drawing up a client persona. This is your ideal audience's fictional representation based on web analytics and user research. For instance, if you're a criminal defense attorney, your typical client might be a married male in his early 40s from suburban DuPage County, making $52,000 annually. He's facing first-time felony charges, usually meth possession.

Keep Up With Your Competitors

Analyze your competitors' social media presence to identify gaps and opportunities. Study their platforms to understand what works and what doesn't. If a major competitor lacks a presence on a particular platform, like Facebook, use this opportunity to develop a strategic presence there. Research keyword rankings to gauge competitor performance and market positioning.

Make a Schedule

Avoid chaotic posting by creating a content calendar. Plan posts for specific platforms and times, ensuring a consistent and organized strategy. While it requires upfront effort, a calendar provides a clear roadmap, prevents last-minute scrambling, and allows time to review ethical guidelines for your firm’s content marketing.

Measure the Results

There's no point in posting to your accounts if you aren't closely measuring your posts' performance. Every account provides you with invaluable statistics built in to help you better understand how your audience engages with the information. This makes it easy to see what types of content perform best and aren't as appealing to your followers.

How to Track Your Law Firm Social Media Results

If you're looking to improve your marketing efforts for your law firm, tracking social media results is a key step. There are a few free and affordable ways to track social media results for your law firm. 

1. Analytics tools. There are various social media analytics tools for law firms, which can be used to measure key metrics like post engagement rates (averaging 3.56% across Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn). You can use a popular tool like Google Analytics and platform-specific tools like Facebook Insights and LinkedIn Analytics. Other options like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer also provide valuable data for optimizing strategies.

2. Tracking software. Social media tracking software like Hootsuite and SocialBee measure the reach and engagement of your posts across different social media platforms. For instance, Hootsuite lets you track all your social media accounts in one place, and SocialBee provides detailed insights into which posts perform best. By monitoring your social media results, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are effective and that you're reaching the right audience.

Engagement Strategies for Social Media

Engagement on social media does not stop at getting likes and gaining followers. You should be able to turn the followers into paying clients. There are thoughtful, results-driven ways to go about it. You need to:

• Ensure brand consistency: Keep your voice, visuals, and messaging aligned across platforms. When potential clients see the same professional image everywhere, it builds trust.
• Leverage social media management tools: Use scheduling tools to maintain a steady presence without spending all day on social media. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer let you plan content in advance.
• Engage with purpose: Don't just post and ghost. Respond to comments, join relevant discussions, and share insights that add value to conversations.
• Collaborate with influencers and experts: Partner with other professionals in your field for webinars or joint content. This expands your reach to new audiences.
• Offer free resources: Provide downloadable guides, checklists, or webinars to add value and attract potential clients.
• Track and refine your efforts: Monitor what content actually brings in leads, not just likes. Use the data to adjust your strategy.

Content Ideas for a Law Firm's Social Media

Stuck on what to post? Here are some engaging content ideas:

• Legal tips: Share practical advice about common legal situations, like "5 Things to Do After a Car Accident" or "How to Protect Your Business IP."
• Show behind the scenes: Give glimpses of your team in action, from community service to office celebrations. It humanizes your practice.
• Team spotlights: Introduce the people who make your firm special. Share their expertise, passions, and why they chose law or the practice area.
• Post questions: Start conversations about legal topics relevant to your community. It shows you're listening and care about local issues.
• Dispel myths: Correct common legal misconceptions. It positions you as a trusted source while providing valuable education.

How Not to Promote a Law Firm on Social Media

Before launching any campaign, there are social media mistakes lawyers should avoid. When you make the mistakes we will discuss below, you can damage your firm's reputation and professional credibility.

Ignore Your Audience

Don't forget that social media is a two-way street. Even though you are the one posting to your profiles, you can't forget to engage with your audience as well. If someone adds a comment or asks a question on a linked blog post, don't forget to respond to them and answer their questions. Engaging with your target audience helps to build your community.

Share Unoriginal Content

Resonating with your audience starts by creating original video content and other original content, not simply a replica of another law firm. Your followers will immediately see through your unoriginal social media efforts and likely become disinterested in what you're posting.

Spamming

Spamming on your social media accounts comes in many different forms. Common examples include bulk messaging, click-baiting, fraudulent reviews, spreading malicious links, or sharing excessive or undesired content. You can expect to lose followers quickly if you regularly post spammy content.

Best Social Media Tools to Use

Hootsuite

Social media marketing for lawyers can be challenging, but using Hootsuite can help. Hootsuite provides users with powerful tools to help them better understand and engage with their audience. Lawyers can use Hootsuite to: 

1. Get a detailed analysis of their social media activity, so they can see what's working and what isn't.
2. Obtain insights into who is talking about them online, what they are saying, and where they are located. 
3. Tailor content and strategies to reach and influence potential clients effectively. 
4. Stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments in their practice area, providing an invaluable resource for keeping abreast of the competition.

You can also use their other features, such as:

• A dashboard that allows you to view and respond to all messages, comments, and brand mentions in one place.
• A personalized paid campaign with the Boost feature, which balances organic reach and paid ads to optimize reach and engagement.
• A method of adding multiple team members and assigning tasks to a specific member.
• The ability to integrate and work with leading social listening tools such as Brandwatch, Talkwalker, and even HubSpot. 

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is another management platform that enables lawyers to improve their social media marketing. It provides users with the following: 

• Powerful tools to better connect them with their target audience, engage with potential clients, and build their online reputation. 
• A wide range of tutorials and support resources ensure that users get the most out of their experience.
• A way of managing content, scheduling posts, analyzing social media analytics, and more.

Later

Since social media marketing is a great way to connect with your customers and improve brand awareness, it can be challenging to get started. That's where Later comes in. So whether you're a small business or a large corporation, the Later platform allows lawyers to: 

1. Create and manage social media accounts, track results, and create beautiful visuals.
2. Provides valuable insights into their customers' social media behavior so they can better target your marketing efforts. 
3. Improve their social media marketing and allow them to schedule and publish content, as well as track the performance of your posts. This can be a valuable asset for lawyers who want to ensure they get the most out of their social media marketing efforts.

Mention

Mention is an excellent tool for improving social media marketing for businesses. This law firm's social media management platform helps to identify and respond to negative sentiment by monitoring what people say about your firm online. 

1. It allows lawyers to track their online reputation and manage their online presence.
2. It provides tools for creating and sharing content and monitoring and responding to online reviews.
3. It allows you to track your brand name and see what people say about it online. This can be extremely helpful in identifying potential customers or clients. 
4. It can help you monitor your competition and see what they are doing well, so you can use the result to improve your legal services.

Keyhole

With the help of Keyhole, lawyers can improve their social media marketing strategies and get ahead of the competition. This information helps lawyers see what they're doing right, so they can adjust their social media marketing strategies and give themselves a leg up on the competition. 

It provides users with real-time data on how their social media posts perform and insights into what kind of content is resonating with their audience by tracking hashtags, mentions, and more. Lawyers can use this information to adjust social media strategies to engage potential clients better and grow a law practice.

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When used strategically, social media tools can be a solid channel for brand building and lead generation. While you have these fundamentals of social media marketing that other law firms use, executing a successful campaign requires dedicated resources and specialized knowledge that most practices simply don't have. That's why you need a digital marketing agency like Grow Law Firm.

We combine over 15 years of experience in the legal industry with effective digital strategies to help law firms with tailored approaches. Our team handles everything from content creation to engagement tracking, letting you focus on what matters most – serving your clients.

Contact us today to see how we can transform your social media presence and drive real results.