Most people typically associate social media with fun. Friends use Facebook and Twitter to share photos and chat with each other, not to look for companies marketing themselves. It may be hard to imagine how social media can be useful for your law firm’s marketing plans. Why wouldn’t you focus all your efforts on search engines where the benefits are more obvious? We know that if someone is looking for a local criminal defense lawyer and doesn’t know anyone who can provide a referral, they are more likely to use their phone or computer to find a local attorney who can best represent them.
While social media users don’t use their favorite apps that much differently from when they first launched, there are more users than ever now. Statistica recorded around 10 million active Twitter users back in 2010. Near the end of 2016, that number jumps to around 67 million active users. With this growing trend, marketing companies are developing more sophisticated strategies to find how to reach these people as clients who need a law firm.
Law Firms are Social Organizations
More than many other types of companies, socializing and networking are huge factors in a law firm’s success. Long-term relationships built from socializing are what lead to cases. They develop from a firm’s integrity and leadership, traits commonly expressed in social media. Many attorneys make the mistake of treating social media as a one-way street. They provide posts and thoughts to the public but don’t consider who makes up that public.
Direct interaction with the audience is one of the most valuable parts of social media and when that audience is not encouraged due to a lack of relevant interest or need with the law firm, the law firm does not gain anything from posting. In other words, your posts become little more than talking to a wall.
Social Media Strategies
So how can you plan your social media marketing strategy to make it positively affect your law firm? There is no be all end all solution for everyone. Like any other digital marketing strategy for lawyers, you need to consider the plans for your firm, what practice areas you specialize in, and how you would want your social media audience to interact with you.
You want your engagements with your followers to feel as authentic as if you spoke with them at a networking event. In digital marketing, conversions start before you sign up a client for your service, conversions mean having them engage with the content on your website. Real conversations lead to these conversions.
Ignoring social media can mean ignoring the voices of hundreds of millions of people. Lend a listening ear, add your two cents, and determine how your specialties can contribute to the conversation. Looking for more personal advice on how social media can apply to your law firm’s digital marketing? Contact us today for legal digital marketing advice.
