Businesses must have an online presence in order to get ahead in today’s social media centered world. It’s no longer an option to expect to stay competitive without having a strong presence online, which is why many businesses, not just law firms, are beginning to learn just how to properly connect with their communities through social media. Just about everyone utilizes social media in their private lives, but understanding how to develop a good social media reputation as a law firm rather than as an individual can be a different sort of undertaking.

When posting to social media, it’s important to think as the law firm itself rather than as any individual. It’s important to find a voice that will match the entire firm and to think of the others who work there as part of the firm.

A law firm should seek an online presence that is tailored to the needs of its clientele. It’s important to keep a solid understanding of just who it is the firm does business with and how the company presents itself to them. A law firm isn’t just some place that people go to obtain legal services, as it’s an important piece of the overall community. Engaging with that community is an important step to take when it comes with building up a social media presence.

The best way to go about developing this relationship is to talk with the firm itself. Have everyone come by for a casual meeting in order to better envision just who the audience actually is.

There are several important questions to ask as a law firm engaging in social media:

  • Where does our audience work?
  • How do they interact with their families?
  • What sort of clothing do they wear?
  • What do they like to read?
  • How do they inform themselves of the world?
  • What do they like to do during their time off?
  • What do they value?
  • What sort of issues do they really care deeply about?
  • What kind of problems do they face on a day to day basis?

It is very important to understand that this profile is something that changes with each individual member of the audience and shifts significantly over time. This is why social media can be difficult to fully master, as it requires an ever-evolving understanding of the community that the law firm is a part of. It’s important to recalibrate the law firm’s social media presence at least on a yearly basis to ensure that the firm is still properly engaging with their clients in the way they need to.

The overall goal of social media engagement is to forge closer ties with the law firm’s surrounding community and potential clients in order to make it easier to identify what they need and what sort of content would be helpful for them. There are a number of resources online to take advantage of, but the first step to take is to seek a good understanding of the local community itself.

For more help developing your firm’s social media, give us a call.