Can social media really drive traffic to a law firm’s website? Yes, it can when used as part of an overall law firm marketing strategy. Lots of people spend time on social media. It can be a good way for law firms to share things of interest that aren’t necessarily pushing their services, but that will increase familiarity while establishing connections with potential clients on a more personal level.

Most attorneys and law firms have some type of social media presence, though how well social media is being used as a marketing tool varies. Solo practitioners and small law firms do a lot of their own marketing. Mid-size firms may have budgets to hire in-house marketing personnel. Larger firms are more likely to use a combination of in-house marketing and an outside marketing agency.

When trying to figure out the best way to use social media without the benefit of professional legal marketing expertise, postings on social media can end up being more of an afterthought rather than a strategic component of a marketing strategy.

For a lot of busy practitioners, trying to establish an effective social media presence might seem like another full-time job. But having a strategy and selecting appropriate social media channels can boost brand awareness and build trust and loyalty among a community of potential clients.

Attorneys and Law Firms That Have a Social Media Presence

Perhaps at one time, using social media as a way to advertise legal services didn’t seem appropriate as many social media platforms were thought to be more geared toward personal interactions than business dealings. That is hardly true in today’s competitive digital marketplace.

Of course, not every type of social media will be a good fit for law firms. A law firm looking for a good source of potential clients wants a presence on the type of social media that will increase the firm’s chances of attracting clients who most need their services.

According to the American Bar Association’s 2020 law firm marketing survey, 81% of the respondents reported their law firm was present on at least one social media channel, and 77% said they actively participate on at least one social media channel.

The attorneys and law firms reported having a social media presence on the following channels:

• LinkedIn 76%
• Facebook 60%
• Twitter 37%
• Martindale 35%
• Avvo 22%
• Instagram 12-13%

The Benefits of Social Media for Law Firm Marketing

When used as part of a law firm’s marketing strategy, social media can be a very effective way to reach and attract the type of client a law firm is looking to represent. Social media channels can help law firms with a number of necessary marketing functions.

• Build brand awareness of a law firm and the services it provides
• Engage potential clients to learn what they need and how they can be helped
• Share information valuable to potential clients so they get to know and trust the firm
• Boost SEO performance

Why Social Media Can Improve SEO

The mere presence on social media does not in itself improve a law firm’s SEO. However, the activities on social media can help search engines make better matches between search criteria and a particular law firm. Social media platforms can be used to do the following which can, in turn, lead to improved SEO results.

• Provide increased exposure for content – Content shared on social media reaches more people and promotes greater engagement which is a relevant signal to search engines.
• Greater opportunity to get backlinks – The more people that view a law firm’s content, the more likely someone may link to it, which tells search engines the content is valuable and trustworthy.
• Social profiles can rank in search results – More appearances in search results help increase trust and gets more people to click through, letting search engines know the content is a good fit for what the searcher is looking for.

How Lawyers and Law Firms Can Effectively Use Social Media to Enhance Marketing and Attract Clients

Potential clients are not likely to hire an attorney or law firm based solely on promotional content. Most people will need to be more comfortable with a firm’s authority and integrity before they consider becoming clients. Law firms can use social media to share items of interest that help their audience get to know them better.

Some good ways for law firms to use social media to bolster their marketing include:

• Share website content – Republishing content from a law firm’s website is an easy way to repurpose content and reach more potential clients without having to create new content.
• Publish original content – Social media can be a good place to share helpful tips, a short informational video, or to showcase a law firm’s extracurricular activities for fun or in the community.
• Share other relevant content – Reposting content from other sources that are of interest to a law firm’s target audience takes very little time and helps demonstrate relevance and authority.
• Monitor the responses to posts and engage with comments – Periodic branded searches for published social media content give a law firm the chance to get an idea of the audience the content is reaching and how it is being received.
• Reviewing feedback to improve marketing – Helpful information can be gathered from the comments made in response to social media posts that can be used to fine-tune marketing efforts.

Social media can be a very effective component of a successful law firm marketing campaign. The trick is to learn what is of most interest to the audience a law firm is targeting and to consistently provide the kind of valuable content that brings clients to the firm.

With over 30 years of legal marketing experience, Cross Country Creative focuses exclusively on the marketing needs of law firms. CCC is a full-service legal marketing agency. The law firm marketing team at CCC provides personalized, results-driven service to help law firms become dominant in their local areas. To get better results with law firm marketing, contact us here or call Cross Country Creative at 866-568-3536.