Originally published in the Martindale-Avvo Blog.
Social media has been a game-changer for many industries, and law firms across the country have definitely used it to their advantage. Social media is a valuable way to start conversations on topics relevant to your firm, get in touch with new leads, strengthen your reputation, and find opportunities for growth. As you develop your law firm’s marketing plan for 2020, try these social media techniques.
1. Use a Social Media Management Tool
Managing content across multiple platforms can be time-consuming. Social media management tools allow you to create and schedule posts across several platforms. Hootsuite and Buffer offer limited free plans, allowing you to post on 3 different social accounts. Paid plans on Sprout Social or Khoros (formerly Spredfast) offer more robust capabilities. Make sure whichever tool you sign up for offers analytics, so you can figure out where your efforts are paying off.
2. Go Where Your Target Audience Is
Many law firms fall into the trap of seeing what works for one firm and committing to it before considering their own market. A platform that brings in the lion’s share of a local personal injury law firm’s leads may not yield the same results for a family law firm specializing in high net worth divorces. By looking at the demographics of each major social media platform, you can determine where your target market spends their free time and where you should invest in profile management, posting, and advertising.
3. Stay Active on LinkedIn
A strong LinkedIn presence lends an air of authority to a lawyer or law firm. This networking platform can also help you connect with professionals across a range of industries, which may produce referrals and recommendations. Use LinkedIn to connect with people in relevant industries, reach out to others in your area of law, and post relevant content.
4. Use Eye-Catching Images
With the average reader’s attention span being very short, it’s not enough to have well-researched, relevant content that matches the terms you are targeting. You also need carefully chosen images that reflect the content in your posts and catch readers’ attention. In addition to stock images, consider creating infographics that sum up key points from a blog post and easy to share across multiple social media platforms.
5. Listen to Conversations About Your Brand
Social listening platforms allow you to track mentions of your firm’s name, competitors’ names, or industry terms. You can use this information to follow up on complaints, address weaknesses within your firm, or engage with those speaking positively about your services.
Whether you’ve already started to explore the power of social media as a marketing tool or you’re just getting started, use these tips for a strong start to the new year.
Read the full article on the Martindale-Avvo blog.
