How to Strengthen Your Law Firm’s Social Media Presence
Does that mean that social media is a waste of time for attorneys? No! On the contrary, social media has numerous benefits for legal professionals. But to truly take advantage of those benefits, you have to invest a little effort into strengthening your online presence.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to get started. Here’s what you need to know.
Do You Really Need a Strong Social Media Presence?
Most attorneys have their plates full managing a practice and helping their clients. As a result, developing a worthwhile social media strategy usually ends up at the bottom of the to-do list. Who has that kind of time?
But when used properly, social media can become a goldmine. Social media is a great way to:
- Attract more (and better) leads
- Network with other professionals, especially potential referral partners
- Demonstrate expertise and becoming a go-to source of knowledge in your legal niche
- Humanize your practice
- Boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and drawing more traffic to your website
- Stand out from the crowd
- Show off all the glowing reviews your clients have left for you
It may seem like a hassle, but by being intentional about your social media strategy, you can kick your online marketing strategy into overdrive. So where should you begin?
How to Strengthen Your Social Media Presence
1. Take Stock
Chances are, you already have some social media accounts set up for your business. Then again, maybe not. At Let America Know, we’ve helped attorneys in every stage of their online journey, from some who wanted to set up their very first profiles to others who had been active on multiple platforms for years.
For the sake of this article, let’s assume you already have at least some social media presence.
The first thing to do is create a spreadsheet of your existing social media accounts. Create separate columns for:
- The platform (Facebook, Twitter, Google My Business, etc.)
- A public link to your profile
- Your username
- Your password
- Whether that account is business or personal (more on that below)
Are there any “ghost accounts” out there in your name or that of your law firm? Accounts may have been created as part of past marketing efforts and forgotten. They can “haunt” you now by confusing people interested in connecting with you and your firm.
Do a little ghost hunting by searching your name or the name of your firm on various platforms.
2. Decide What Gaps to Fill
At this point, you should know what social media accounts you have—and which ones you don’t. Now you can make informed decisions on what to do next.
If it seems like a social media network you are currently using doesn’t fit your personality or that of your firm, or it is not attracting the kind of audience you are interested in, you might want to cross it off the list.
Alternatively, if you see your competitors attracting a crowd on a platform you are not using, then it might be time to jump in with your own account. And if you are not doing any social media at all, this exercise just might convince you (or your partners) that now’s the time to pull the trigger.
Note: don’t forget Google My Business, which may be one of the most important social media platforms you can join.
3. Business or Personal?
Business and personal social media accounts are different in both form and function, although the line between the two is often blurred. While we have focused primarily on business accounts so far, personal accounts should not be overlooked.
One example of this is LinkedIn. Most professionals already have and are familiar with personal LinkedIn accounts. But many professionals are not aware that you can create a business LinkedIn account as well that would represent your law firm or business. In this case, we often recommend including both business and personal accounts in your social media strategy.
And while most would agree that business activity on Facebook or Twitter should be focused on your business pages, there are times when your personal accounts can be used to grow and strengthen your business network.
4. Create New Profiles
Once you have a list of the social media accounts you want to sign up for, it’s time to start creating your profiles. This is usually pretty simple.
After all, the platforms all have an incentive to make it as easy as possible for new users to join. Most will walk you through the process with simple, easy-to-understand instructions.
Of course, just setting up new accounts isn’t enough to have a strong social media presence. With both your new accounts and your existing ones, you’ll need to optimize your profiles for the best results.
Which brings us to…
5. Optimize
First, make sure you fill out all the information fields accurately. Most platforms offer plenty of help in this regard with automated tips and emails. Pay attention to these suggestions, which will help you get the most out of your profiles based on extensive user data.
Then, wherever you can, add in relevant keywords that your ideal client might use when searching for help. Generating this list is a science in itself, but we bet that you and your staff could brainstorm dozens of keywords over lunch.
Finally, upload quality images that will catch the eyes of prospects and showcase your professionalism and style. Start with the banner images at the top of each of your profile pages, then move on to your profile photo or logo. Before anything goes live, ask yourself:
- Are they sized correctly?
- Are they cropped for maximum impact, or are they cut off in the wrong place?
- Is the resolution high enough to keep them clear?
- Will they work on mobile as well as desktop?
There will be time enough for that later.
6. Establish a Consistent Brand
You’ve probably worked hard to develop a recognizable brand for your offline marketing. Don’t let it fall apart online. Anyone visiting your website or any of your social media should instantly recognize it is the same attorney or firm with the same promise of quality representation.
So make sure to establish a consistent brand voice and apply it across all of your channels.
Strengthen Your Online Presence and Take Your Practice to the Next Level
Armed with these tips, you can take the first steps toward a stronger online presence. It doesn’t stop there, though. To truly take advantage of the benefits of social media, you’ll need to stay active and engaged—and as we discussed, most attorneys just don’t have the time.
Plus, if you aren’t careful, it’s easy to make mistakes.
If you’d rather pass on the headaches of creating, optimizing, and managing multiple social media pages, we’re here to help. At Let America Know, we give attorneys across the U.S. the support they need to get the most out of their social media and email marketing strategies.
Click here to learn more about our done-for-you social media program for trial attorneys.