Let’s face it, social media is here to stay and is how people consume news and information. To remain competitive in today’s constantly evolving digital world, law firms need to continually adapt their social media strategies to ensure optimal performance of their posts. Moreover, clients and potential clients are increasingly using social media for research, networking, and vetting law firms. Effective social media posts can build brand recognition, credibility, and trust. Firms can provide added value and stay top of mind by posting engaging, relevant, and timely posts that target your firm’s current and potential clients.
There are many tools that law firms can use to boost the performance and engagement of social media posts. Here are seven social media strategies that I think rank in the top of their class. A few of these tools are free, but most come with a relatively modest fee.
1) Target Marketing
Identify your law firm’s target audience and how they are using social media. The better you understand how your target audience is engaging on social media, the better you can adapt your strategy to improve your content’s relevance and drive higher-performing posts. A law firm’s target audience consists of clients, prospects, alumni, recruits, referral sources, and media.
Tools: Sprout Social and Audisense.
2) Social Media Management
Social management platforms allow users to streamline their social media campaigns. They allow users to manage their law firm’s multiple social profiles in one place, schedule posts in advance, and post to multiple platforms at once. In addition to saving time, they also provide useful analytic reports to measure the impact of social media campaigns.
Tools: HootSuite, Sprout Social, Buffer, and CoSchedule.
3) Influencer Marketing
This is a big trend in marketing, and law firms are no exception. Influencer marketing is a way to connect with and leverage the reputations of industry leaders, bloggers, and experts by having them share your content so you can gain exposure to a new audience, their followers. Think of it as an electronic referral to your firm’s services. Many consumers are looking for “reviews” and there is no better way to position your law firm’s posts than to have a top influencer share your content.
Tools: Buzzstream Discovery, Buzzsumo, and Pitchbox.
4) Images
Visual images bring your content to life and increase engagement. Statistics show that posts with an image are shared more times than those without one. The tools available to create custom images can also correctly size your images to meet the dimensions required for each social media platform.
Tools: Canva and Crello.
5) Hashtags
Hashtags – # – are used to aggregate posts that relate to the same subject. Typically, you should only use hashtags for one word, without spaces and punctuation, and be certain to include them within or after your message. It’s best to post any links directly following the text on your post, and insert any hashtags after the link. Users find it easier to access the link after they read a post than to have to scroll through a list of hashtags.
To optimize your hashtags, use any of the following tools to determine the top trending hashtags associated with a particular topic. These tools will generate a list of the most relevant and used hashtags for a particular subject matter.
Tools: Hastagify.me, Tag Board, and HashAtlt.
6) Videos and Podcasts
Video content marketing is a powerful tool in today’s social media landscape. Video usage in a law firm’s marketing content strategy is increasing and will continue to reach new heights over the next year. Consumers would much rather watch a short video clip than read text, especially while browsing on social media. Videos also personalize a user’s experience and help you connect with your current and potential clients on a more personal and relevant level.
Tools: Blurbiz, Ricketium, Wavve, and Spark Video.
7) Google Alerts
Create a Google Alert for your law firm’s attorneys, current clients, and prospects. Google will scour the internet daily on each alert you set up and you can receive the information via email “as it happens” or “once a day.”
Tool: Google Alerts.
Conclusion
Remember, it is called social media for a reason … because it’s social engagement! Interacting on social media includes liking, commenting, and sharing other’s posts. Don’t forget this key ingredient in your social media strategy.
Just having a presence on social media is not enough, and networking online is just as important as making in-person connections. Creating consistent thought-leadership posts that are engaging provides value to your target audience and positions your law firm so that your message hits the key marketing goal. Social media also drives traffic to your firm’s website, which in turn can improve your rankings in search engines.
By using some of these strategies and tools, law firms can uncover a deeper understanding of their social media footprint and develop smarter content strategies.
