Social Media Marketing – Does It Work for Law Firms?
Is It Time To Ramp Up Your Social Media Efforts?
Social media has been a popular and successful marketing channel for consumer brands for many years. You see brands like Airbnb, Nike, and Wendy’s generating a ton of engagement with their effective social media marketing strategies.
Seeing how easily these super brands can reach consumers might make it seem like social media success is available to anyone. But, many smaller, B2B businesses struggle to find the right recipe for social media “home run”. Many tend to avoid social media marketing altogether, but the legal industry is using it more often and with positive results. In fact, law firms are finding that having a presence on social media is a great way to get the results they need to grow their firms.
Does Social Media Work for Law Firms?
In this digital age, it’s not surprising that a lot of business happens online. Your clients are on social media, and there’s a good chance that many of your competitors are as well. Social media does work for law firms. If you want to remain competitive, it’s a good idea to get active on social networks. Here’s why:
Social Media Gives Clients Another Way to Find You
When people have a problem, they now overwhelmingly turn to the internet for answers. They’ll ask Google questions, hit up friends on social media, and even put the issue out to strangers in various online groups.
If you have a presence on as many online platforms as possible, there’s a good chance your name and your firm’s brand is going to come up or show up in a search. Prospective clients might see your Facebook post or ad and will remember your name when they are ready to take action. Or, someone else might have seen your name and will drop it when a person has a need for an attorney.
Social Media Gives a Prospective Client a Way to Confirm Your Credibility
Even after potential clients become aware of your law firm and its services, many will want to investigate you a bit further before making a commitment. This often involves reading Google reviews, browsing your website, and searching for you on social media. If you are active on social media, this boosts the credibility of your law firm. You can establish yourself as an authority in your practice area, show you are a firm that is responsive, and one that cares about its clients.
Social Media Allows You to Engage With the Community
Social media gives your law firm an excellent platform to engage with various communities. You can use Facebook and Twitter to engage with potential and past clients. LinkedIn is a great platform to engage with local business leaders and the legal community. You can stay up to date on legal trends and build relationships with others that can be mutually beneficial for your legal practice.
Social Media Gets You New Clients
If you haven’t guessed already, social media can get you new clients when it is utilized correctly. According to one ABA survey, 35% of respondents reported that social channels helped them gain clients. For small firms, that figure increased to 42%.
How to Promote Your Law Firm Using Social Media
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of social media, you’ll need to position your law firm properly on various social media platforms. Here are a few strategies you can follow to promote your law firm on social media.
- Understand Your Target Client
Similar to any successful marketing initiative, you’ll want to begin your social media strategy by researching your target audience. If you’re just posting random content to have something online, you’re not going to get the results you want.
Who is your target client? Are they car accident victims? People going through a divorce? Claimants who are struggling to get Social Security Disability benefits? Figure out what questions they will have and post content that will resonate with them.
If this is your first time using social media for your law firm, start with just one or two social media profiles. Choose the ones where your target audience is most likely to be and focus your efforts there. As you get results, you can begin expanding your efforts.
- Position Yourself as an Authority
It will take some time, but there is immense value in positioning yourself as an authority in your area of practice. Not only does this build trust with potential clients, but it can also get you referral business from past clients, other professionals and other attorneys.
Social media makes it fairly simple to position yourself as an authority. Just say you are and continue to bring value to your audience. Answer questions, post useful content, and share meaningful data about your area of the law.
- Interact With Your Audience
Social media is more of a conversation than a one-way outlet for posting content. Your audience wants and expects you to interact with them. If you don’t, you’re likely to lose their attention and trust. Ask clients for reviews and thank them for their feedback. Answer questions within reason. And don’t be afraid to share some personal stuff, such as pictures of a weekend outing, your favorite movie or your how your favorite football team is doing this season.
- Join Relevant Social Media Groups
It’s also a good idea to join some social media groups where you can interact with your target audience and others who might make referrals. For example, there are usually Facebook groups specific to cities and towns where people ask questions and ask for recommendations. You can participate in these groups and respond if your name or law firm gets tagged.
- Use Paid Social Media Ads
Many social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, offer paid advertising options. Similar to Google ads, you can pay to have your ad displayed to your target audience on a particular platform. Some sites, like Facebook, give you many ways to segment your audience so that you can get the most out of your ad dollars.
Add Social Media to Your Legal Marketing Strategy
If your law firm isn’t leveraging social media to increase its online visibility and get more clients, it’s probably time to start. Without a social media presence, you are missing out on opportunities to reach potential clients. At Sundown Legal Marketing, we will you help craft a customized legal marketing strategy that includes the development of a strong social media presence and management of your existing profiles. Call us today at (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free consultation.
