In the world we live in, no one can deny the selling potential of an online presence. In some cases, it’s just as important as your professional reputation. For lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants, social media is the perfect tool to showcase your branding, expertise and talent. This way, your potential clients can get a preview of what makes you the expert you are and more importantly, why they should trust your advice. Without further ado, here are the top 8 social media tips to take your practice to the next level.
1. Define your audience
The first question you should ask yourself is: Who is my target? By who, I mean what’s their ethnic group, age, income, do they have kids? Where do they live? Are they married? The more detailed, the better! Imagining precisely what your ideal client looks like will impact the type of social media platform you choose. Mostly because you want to be visible where your prospective clients spend most of their time: online. Indeed, LinkedIn is more suitable for B2B opportunities and would be better if you aim to target professionals or businesses. On the other hand, Facebook is quite popular with the 45-65+ demographic and has better features in terms of interacting with followers and paid advertising. Other social media such as Instagram or TikTok are better for visual trendy content. If you target Millennials or Gen Z, it’s a must-have in your branding kit.
2. Engage with your community
After choosing the right platforms, it’s time to attract and interact with your followers. First, share your profile by adding a QR code to your business card or posting a link on your personal social media. Then, create a pinned post to present yourself, your area of expertise, services and what is your page about. Pinned posts are the first ones appearing on your page and will make a good impression on those visiting it for the first time. Once you get started, you must be active and post valuable content such as:
Ask about your followers’ legal concerns
Repost statements that align with your values
Join groups to interact with your peers and network
3. Be relevant and consistent
Remember that each platform has its own target audience, and shouldn’t be used the same way. For example, Tiktok and Instagram are both suitable for Q&A sessions. On Tiktok you can directly reply to a comment with another video. Which is perfect to highlight how you address your audience's concerns. But Instagram allows your followers’ answers to be featured anonymously in your story, and might be better for sensitive topics. The best way to choose where to share specific content is to take a look at all the features a social media platform has to offer.
4. Position yourself as an expert
Lawyers often specialize in a precise field. It’s already a positioning you can use to share a preview of your expertise. For example, you can make a post about a specific law term hard to understand, share upcoming changes, give your legal opinion about a popular case…There are many topics you can talk about. Check #lawyertips on Instagram or Twitter to get inspired.
5. Get inspiration
Talking about inspiration, following hashtags relevant to your field is a good trick to get inspiration daily. Here are 8 hashtags to get you started on Instagram:
#laywertips #lawyerlife #lawyermemes #lawyercanada #blacklawyers #blacklawyermagic #futurelawyerinthemaking #blacklawyersmatter
All of the above are full of inspiring posts, reels and profiles. You’ll be able to find new ideas and ways to interact with your community, and maybe team up for a Q&A live session with other accounts.
6. Be irreproachable
Your online reputation impacts your business, and as a lawyer, your credibility is at stake. Before posting, always think twice... Always make sure to check your facts and that you can corroborate your statements. Showing your posts to a marketing professional or friends & family beforehand is always a good idea.
7. Show them you’re a winner
You just won a big case? Talk about it! Not to brag (or just a little) but to show your audience that you are a lawyer who wins. It might seem obvious, but it’s important to associate your name with success. Of course, you should carefully choose the case and the angle you want to discuss. People will trust you more and will think about you if they are in the same situation; especially if you give tips or advice on the matter.
8. Use it as a promotion tool
As stated previously, your online reputation impacts you as a person. By managing your social media, you will gain more control over your e-reputation while increasing your visibility. You can then use it as leverage, to convince leads you’re the right person for the job.
It’s crucial to meet your prospective clients where they are, which, in this case, is online. And the best way to do that? Social media! You want your social media content to reflect everything you stand for. This goes far beyond having an appealing image or followers. It’s really about creating value for your prospective clients, with content.