The more things change, the more they stay the same. With the advent of the 21st century, technology has become totally ubiquitous, yet many of the same legal challenges we faced in the past rear their heads again. If you are a law firm, all of your clients will be on social media in one form or another. Your younger clients who party a little too hard on Saturday nights run afoul of the law on Sunday morning and post about it on their Instagram accounts. The more mature among us must reckon with divorce and property issues and air their laundry on Facebook. Demographics matter to you as a lawyer.
Here are the five best social media platforms for those who practice law.
#1 Instagram
700 million people use Instagram, which is more than twice the population of the United States. Big brands know when to seize on an opportunity, and many major companies have accounts there. This particular platform is all about showing, not telling, so it is a great platform to provide tips, resources, industry news, company news, client features and more. 55% of all online 18-29 year olds use the ‘Gram, so if you are looking for young people, you found them. Instagram stories, a temporary way to show short videos, is a great way to connect the company brand with the end user, allowing young people to understand the process of law better and giving them a deeper connection to you. One of the most important things about Instagram is that it is the hottest platform at the moment, and growing among all age groups. No matter what type of law you practice, your ideal clients will most likely be on Instagram. Right now, you can’t ignore it.
Pro Tip: Be on Instagram Stories. Find related hashtags to your practice areas and client’s interests.
#2 Facebook
Facebook is more mature, both in terms of its presentation and its users. 70% of online 30-49 years olds use Facebook. To break down demographics even further, 76% of all online female-identified Americans use Facebook, and 72% of online Americans with income of $75,000 or more use the site. Lawyers who are in the marriage and divorce fields ought to see dollar signs popping out of the screen right now. Another massive benefit of Facebook is its review system: Facebook’s review system allows businesses of any sort to request reviews easily, and they show up on Google in its My Business reviews. So when you work hard and win that case, your happy client can easily help you bring in, even more, traffic with a glowing review. This is a perfect segue into a deeper dive into the platform. People often lament for all their friends to see, and other folks respond by liking or hitting the funny, angry, or sad reaction buttons. You can see exactly how everyone feels, and garner some insights into which clients you can get.
Pro Tip: Don’t ignore Facebook Groups. This can be a powerhouse for finding new clients.
#3 Pinterest
We here at Next Level are massive SEO nerds. That should not be surprising, given that we are an award-winning digital marketing agency. We love Pinterest because it is incredibly SEO friendly, as boards and pins are indexed by Google. This means that generating and tracking traffic back to your site is a snap. Pinterest brims with feminine energy, as 81% of its users are women. If most of your clients are women, you can’t afford not to have a Pinterest account.
Pro Tip: Create a board related to the practice area you serve with the city name, as well as boards for general interests of your clientele. For example, a smart divorce lawyer makes boards for single parenting tips, holiday decor, or vistas of your city.
#4 Twitter
Twitter is an interesting social media platform. When people call the 21st century fast, all they need to do is point to Twitter. It is a fantastic place to break news and cover live events. Tweeting makes you accessible, and you can respond to tweets by shakers and movers in your field or comment on them. If a big event changes the landscape, you can be part of it by retweeting it for your clients. With a hard character limit and a user base that wants up to the minute information, your tweets are going to be short, sweet, and blazingly fast. Twitter’s demo is not heavily skewed in any particular direction, so there is no limit on what you can do. In terms of client complaints, this is the top platform. People are not shy with their tweets, so you can see what people don’t like about other lawyers, and can swoop in. Twitter also allows you to do advanced searches, so you can discover who is talking about certain topics in a certain mile radius. When someone from a suburb over tweets about their car crash, you can find it and easily slide into their DMs.
Pro Tip: Always comment on breaking news related to your practice area. You can even do a live stream video via Periscope to make those comments.
#5 YouTube
Most people know that Google is the largest search engine in the world. What most people don’t know is that it owns YouTube and Youtube acts like the second largest search engine is YouTube. Just as you can optimize your site for Google, you can optimize your videos for YouTube. YouTube is a great way to introduce yourself to clients on a personal level with a firm intro, a lawyer intro, and client testimonials. Lawyers often snag a few clients by brief videos on the topic of state law or case tips. In addition, you can post your videos on your other platforms, creating synergy in your social media strategy. YouTube has a way of sucking people in and keeping them there, and internet users spend a longer time here, a full 40 minutes on average than they do on any other social media site. 20% of viewers will leave before the first ten seconds of a video, so creating a good intro is important.
Pro Tip: Hire a professional video company to get some great videos up on your channel. Also, add the YouTube widget to your website, and on any other social media platforms that you can.
Social media is incredibly important for the success and growth of your practice. Those who do not evolve will quickly be left by the wayside. Next Level Marketing improves your reach and your content, and can make you into a powerhouse firm. We are located in Fort Lauderdale, but contract with companies all across the country. If you are a law firm that needs assistance with Search Engine Optimization, social media, website development or even video production, contact us today. Visit our Legal Marketing Page.
