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Content creation on social media is crucial for individual lawyers and law firms. However, content creation for social media is completely different from writing for your blog – or writing to please the court! Law firms can expect increased leads, improved search engine rankings, and improved brand awareness and consumer trust with the right strategy. To develop a strong and positive social media presence, it is essential to understand why law firms need social media, what developing a strategy looks like, which platforms to target, and how to create content that stands out from the rest.
The Importance of Social Media for Lawyers
Social media is a popular marketing tool many law firms benefit from using. Some of the most significant benefits lawyers can see include the following:
- Increased leads. To grow as a business, a law firm needs to create relationships with clients. While attorney-to-attorney referrals are still common, you can generate even more leads online. If a potential client is searching for legal services and finds your Twitter profile, they can easily see what your firm has been up to and get in touch with you if they see you provide the services they need.
- Improved website rankings. The higher your webpages come up on Google via search, the more likely people will see your content and learn about your law firm. Being active on social media can contribute to increased rankings.
- Increased traffic. If you are regularly posting on social media, your followers will see your content more often, and it will increase the chances of them visiting your website.
- The ability to monitor competitors. While you may keep tans on what direct and indirect competitors are doing on their websites when was the last time you took a look at their Twitter accounts or Facebook profiles? Keeping track of what competing law firms are doing on their social media platforms can ensure you stay on top or even ahead of the game.
- Develop trust. Historically, stereotypes have not been found of attorneys. The right social media content can combat those generalizations and ensure your clients trust you.
- Maximize conversion rates. While increased website traffic and leads are great, they won’t do much good if those leads are not converted into clients. Social media can help potential clients find you when they need your services most.
- Increase brand recognition. Part of succeeding as a law firm is having a recognizable and respected brand. You can increase brand recognition on social media by including photos of your firm and employees, as well as keeping a consistent, eye-catching logo.
Social Media Statistics
If you’re still uncertain whether your law firm will genuinely benefit from creating content for social media, these statistics could add some clarity. According to Maryam Mohsin of Oberlo, these social media statistics are current as of April 2021:
- There are nearly four billion social media users worldwide.
- Facebook is the most popular social media platform.
- Over 70 percent of US adults are active social media users.
- The average social media user spends two hours and 25 minutes online per day.
- The majority of marketers have seen positive results from social media campaigns.
- Over half of consumers use social media to research products and services.
- Over 90 percent of all social media users access platforms via mobile devices.
It is more likely than not that any potential clients you speak with use social media. Whether they found you via your profiles or another way, having a positive online presence will increase your chances of obtaining new clientele.
Developing an Effective Social Media Strategy
While there is no one way for law firms to develop a social media strategy, including certain steps can increase its overall effectiveness and drive potential clients to your website.
Setting Goals
Diving into social media is more accessible when you have a plan of attack. To start developing a solid social media strategy, identify and set goals. Examples include increasing brand awareness, web traffic, and community engagement, generating leads, and growing your brand’s audience.
If you are having difficulty setting social media goals, take a step back and consider your firm’s overall marketing goals. You will likely be able to use your content marketing strategy to set more specific social media goals. If you need help with this, please consider setting up a free digital marketing strategy session with Law Quill by hopping on our calendar!
Planning Content
Once your goals are set, you can start planning your content around them. If you have already used social media, take a look at the content you have created so far and evaluate it in terms of your new goals. Look for well-performing posts and if certain social media platforms seem to draw more attention than others. For example, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most popular for law firms. If you notice any disconnects in your old content versus new goals, consider the language and tone you are using, as well as how your followers may interpret your posts.
Promoting Content
Remember that your social media strategy goes beyond content planning. It is also vital to establish publishing goals. Active, consistent posting is more likely to draw a following than occasional posting. Consider a scheduling tool such as SmarterQueue to help you with this!
Your follows and likes can help with promotion, as well. Encourage engagement. Ask questions, encourage answers, and request shares. Other people interacting with your content shows it’s effective.
Analyzing Results
There are a number of tools that can help you measure social media posts and performance. It is important to track all of your activities. It will help you modify and expand your social media strategy as you become more familiar with the different platforms and your audience.
Metrics to consider analyzing include awareness, engagements, and ROI. Awareness refers to the number of times people saw your content. Engagement takes it a step further and tracks the number of reactions, comments, clicks, and shares. ROI (return on investment) examines conversions and referrals from external sources.
Once you have evaluated your social media performance, you can tweak your strategy as needed and focus on standing out among the other law firms online.
Effective Social Media Platforms for Law Firms
Every social media platform has certain advantages and disadvantages. You need to choose the best platforms for your law firm to meet your marketing goals. When considering where to start, think about the goal your law firm’s branch wants to achieve and the type of content suitable for the networks you are considering.
As mentioned, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are popular choices for law firms. Facebook is an excellent choice if you are looking to target a wider audience—especially in terms of age and location. Facebook ads are also a way to target specific groups of people. Twitter is best for smaller law firms, as it can be used as a tool to provide direct communication with clients. LinkedIn is best when looking to network with other attorneys and law firms, as it is a place to deliver professional content.
Tips for Content Creation On Social Media
When you start creating content for your social media pages, consider what motivates users to share content. For some, it is for communication or entertainment, while others share content for social approval. To make shareable content that gets your law firm noticed, consider the following:
- Make sure you use the correct formatting. Every social media platform has specific guidelines regarding posting and picture formatting. Check out our social media guide to formatting on every platform here!
- Consider post structure. Remember that internet users skin more than they read text word for word. Walls of text likely will not be read in their entirety, and you won’t get your message across. When formatting content, consider using numbered lists, bullet points, and headers to highlight key points.
- Remember your target audience. Before posting or sharing, think about whether your target audience would want to see what you are putting up and how it could help them in any way. If the message seems irrelevant, you might consider deleting that draft and starting anew.
- Use video content and infographics. Visual content is more easily digested on social media than text posts. You can use video to introduce your law firm and lawyers. Infographics are great for sharing information and statistics in brief, visually appealing snippets.
- Add value to users’ lives. Informative content is great, but it can get boring—especially if that is all you post. You want your followers to benefit from what you post online. When creating content, consider what struggles potential clients could be facing and present solutions that you can provide. Not only can that help build brand loyalty, but you could also see an increase in conversion rates. Consider surprising people with content they would never expect and that humanizes you, and your law firm.
When you focus on developing a solid social media strategy and have a comprehensive understanding of what your audience needs to see, you will be on your way to meeting your firm’s goals.
How Law Quill Can Help With Social Media
Effective content creation on social media for law firms is often a larger undertaking than many people realize. With the right know-how, lawyers have the opportunity to increase their firm’s brand awareness, engage their target audience, and interact with potential clients.
We are here to help and would welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content, and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.