A lack of social media presence is simply not an option for any business these days; and yet, so many law firms are hesitant to join in. Whether it’s due to a busy schedule or simply not enough knowledge on where to start, it’s time that law firms jump the hurdles and get social. Here are some tips for making the most of social media in the legal industry.

BEST PRACTICES

Your first step will be to develop a strategy, which will guide how to post and engage on your preferred platforms. Here are some best practices which should be kept in mind when crafting your strategy.

• Consistency is key. Nothing is more discouraging than to visit a company’s page and find that nothing has been posted for over a year. With social media, it simply isn’t enough to just be there — you have to engage. That doesn’t mean posting several tweets in a row once a month, it means establishing a consistent posting schedule and sticking to it. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer allow you to schedule posts in advance to ensure you’re posting consistently. Or better yet, enlist a social media manager to do all this for you.
• Change it up. Sharing the same type of post over and over is a surefire way to bore your visitors. Incorporate diverse postings into your stream, while ensuring you’re still giving the audience what they came for. In addition to sharing news regarding your firm, try sharing some local happenings or images. If you think you’re short on content, blogs make for excellent shares on social, so start writing!

WHAT TO AVOID

A presence on social media won’t do you much good if you aren’t using the right approach. When posting and engaging on any platform, here are some key things to avoid.

• Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. If you limit yourself to one platform, you’re limiting your audience. Sure, you can establish a phenomenal presence on just Facebook, but what if a potential client is searching for your services on Twitter? We recommend having a strong presence on the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Having a presence on other platforms certainly doesn’t hurt either, as long as you’re able to keep up with them.
• Don’t overdo it with legal jargon. Your primary audience is typically made up of potential clients on social media, so don’t overwhelm them with technical terms. A good rule of thumb is that if the average person will need to do a Google search to figure out what you’re saying, then you need to use plainer language. Save the legal lingo for the courtroom, or even for direct interactions on social media with other attorneys.

As an attorney, it’s essential that you stay on top of the latest changes in the legal industry, and adjust your courtroom strategy accordingly. Our Boca Raton marketing agency approaches social media in that same manner, which is why much like law, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Sure, we could technically defend ourselves in court, but let’s face it — our chances of winning would be very slim. If you’re busy excelling in your industry, schedule a meeting with us today to take managing social media off of your plate.

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