The Do’s and Don’ts of Law Firm Social Media Marketing
Let’s be honest! We all know how digital marketing has boomed over the past couple of years. Whether doctors, engineers, or lawyers, everyone utilizes this to reach out to people far and wide.
So if you’re aren’t digitally strong, you won’t be able to work it out (survive) or establish your business. Therefore it’s mandatory to build an online presence so strong that it boosts your business like anything.
But when it comes to a law firm, laws, or you may say being socially active, isn’t pretty much the same. You cannot simply just advertise anything.
The horror stories of legal law professionals are boundless. From posting incriminating photos to casually sharing inappropriate advice can easily get a lawyer/law firm suspended or slapped with a fine.
Figuring out! Why even bother engaging your law firm with social media and getting yourself at risk.
Well, the risk is worth it.
There are many reasons. Firstly most visitors come by referral and word of mouth. Secondly, by joining professional networks, you can engage in forums, and through chat, your clients can easily stay up-to-date with all the happenings.
Wait! There’s even more.
The story, or let’s say in legal terms, “Canard,” isn’t over yet. And we can’t discuss everything at the first moment.
So without much delay, just dig into the checklist of what you should do (shouldn’t do) as a legal marketer of social media!
The Do’s of social media
- Establish a positive impact on your client by keeping your profile organized and brief.
- Make a habit of sharing posts at least twice a week on each channel and stay consistent in your newsfeed to keep your audience engaged.
- Choose your content wisely. Be thoughtful about the content choice you share. Try to avoid adverse facts or even words and be consistent in your writing format.
- Always prioritize social media networks that are powerful. You never need to be on every media platform out there. Think about your target clients and focus on the channels they will be on.
- Incorporate visual stuff in your posts or the content you share. Social posts with imagery, videos, and visuals consistently outperform in marketing.
- Be instant to respond to your clients. Whether it is a comment on your Facebook post, a mention by another Twitter user, or a review of Google, respond promptly to any digital words your law firm receives.
- Give credit where credit is due. Be sure to tag and otherwise credit the author of the third-party content pieces you share. Also, be sure to credit the artist for any photos or imagery you post.
- Stick to the 80/20 rule. Never make your content just about selling your products or services. Try to share 80 percent of non-promotional/informational content and 20 percent of promotional.
The Don’ts of social media
- Always be careful about providing legal advice on the internet. Offering illegal advice on Facebook or LinkedIn might cause your firm or your lawyers to wander inadvertently into attorney-client relationships. Doing so makes you vulnerable to ethical violations, confidentiality lapses, or conflicts of interest.
- Don’t mention your cases. You can’t discuss anything that falls under attorney-client privilege. Plus, you also can’t speculate about verdicts, talk about opposing counsel, or complain about judges. Any discussion or mention of your casework on social media can and will get your firm in trouble.
- Don’t share the repeated post to every channel (such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn). Be mindful of the revisions and best practices for each social platform and cater your social posts accordingly.
- Don’t add everyone to your friend list, be careful. Closely look over the people that like your page and the people you add. Remember that Facebook doesn’t know how many fake accounts it has, but estimates put it close to 83 million.
- Don’t forget hashtags. Hashtags are important to help your content be found in an online search query and connect your content to a specific topic. Don’t overdo hashtags, and be attentive to which social networks (Twitter, Instagram) utilize hashtags and which networks tend to avoid hashtags (Facebook).
- Don’t think you have a carte blanche. Even though the field of social media is rapidly changing, the same old rules of attorney advertising and ethics continue to apply.
- Don’t be a robot. Let the personality of your firm shine through while keeping it professional. You can post employee birthdays, throwback photos, work anniversaries, and more to give your audience insight into the firm’s personality.
So Do Social media really work for Lawyers? Yes!
It’s important to stay on top of these best practices to make sure your law firm’s social media marketing efforts are worth it.
As time goes on, more and more firms are joining networking groups. Clients too are expecting their attorneys to be savvier and savvier and on-trend. Use social media to your advantage to promote you and your firm.
But be sure of the legal ways and carefully share your content in your specialty.
