If you have used social media in your advertising efforts for very long, you know that one thing is for sure—nothing stays the same. Much like Google’s ever-changing algorithm, how social media platforms operate their advertising programs changes frequently, as does how consumers receive information.
You must stay abreast of these frequent changes to leverage social media advertising for your law firm. What it takes to succeed in social media marketing in 2023 won’t quite be the same as what it was in 2022. As you begin to plan your advertising for Q1, you’ll need to be aware of a few crucial trends.
Trend 1: Video Content Matters Immensely
Video content will remain one of the most engaging forms of content both on and off social media. One Cisco study predicted that by 2022, 82 percent of all online content will be video content, 15 times higher than just five years ago. It’s now essential for law firms to utilize video content to stay relevant in the social media domain. Still not convinced about the importance of videos? Consider these additional statistics:
- TikTok was the number one downloaded App of 2021
- 80 percent of consumers want to see more videos from businesses and prefer them over written text
- YouTube has surpassed Facebook in influencing consumer behavior
- The video marketing industry in the United States alone is worth $135 billion
- Video has become the most popular marketing tool, with 87 percent of businesses already utilizing video content for marketing
- Video ads are the primary way consumers discovered a business
- 58 percent of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Instagram Stories.
- LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share a video than other content types
Trend 2: Paid Advertising May Become a Necessity
In Hootsuite’s 2022 Social Media Trends survey, over 40 percent of respondents reported that their most significant challenges were a decline in organic reach and the need to increase their paid advertising budget. According to Hootsuite’s data, the average organic reach for a Facebook ad is just above five percent, so paid advertising will become a necessity.
In 2023, if you fail to invest in social media advertising, you’ll be drowned out by other law firms that do. Posts with paid elements can expand your reach and increase engagement. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to reap the benefits of paid advertising. Paid promotion on social media is cost-effective and often manageable, even for small law firms or solo practitioners.
Trend 3: Local Targeting Will Become More Prevalent
You’ve likely heard this year that local SEO is imperative for local brands who want to get more organic traffic. The same rings true for social media use— local targeting is becoming increasingly important on social media. Many businesses, including law firms, use location-based targeting to reach out to and attract people from a specific geographic location. After all, if you are going to spend advertising dollars, they might as well be spent on potential local clients that can easily seek to learn more about you and hire your legal services.
Location-based targeting on social media can be accomplished through several options, and you must know how to leverage them to your advantage. For example:
- Social media platforms such as Instagram allow searches for posts from nearby places or specific locations. If you add your location to your content, your content will appear in these searches.
- Using Facebook’s “boost post” option, you can pick the specific locations you want to target. Facebook will then show your posts to users in those locations.
Keeping up with advertising trends on social media doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Sometimes, it’s small but specific changes that can make a significant difference in your ROI.
