The headline question is largely redundant in 2022; lawyers should use social media. There is power in having a social media profile as a lawyer, and for a law firm. With traditional media and advertising in steady decline, now is the time for lawyers and legal firms to establish an identity on the right social media platforms.
Social media needs time and resources
A social media channel is not an odd job at the end of the day, or a thought bubble once every fortnight. If that’s all a lawyer or law firm can manage, the best option is to outsource social media marketing to professionals like us. However, if a lawyer or law firm can allocate time and resources, building a social media profile has the potential to become a profitable marketing tool.
Like any relationship, a successful social media profile is built over time through sharing ideas, stories and having conversations. Social media gives the power of being a publisher, so a lawyer or law firm has full editorial control of their story. It’s an incredible position to be in, and one to take advantage of.
Choose the right social media platform for your audience
Each social media platform attracts different types of audiences. Knowing this increases a lawyer or law firm’s chances of success with their target audience. According to the Meltwater 2022 Social Media Statistics for Australia, people are online like never before. We recommend the below as the most appropriate channels for law firms and lawyers:
- Facebook: The most popular platform in Australia at 67% of social media users, aged from 18-44 years old.
- LinkedIn: While only 16% of market share in Australia, the main audience is high-earning professionals.
- YouTube: Australian users spend on average of 1 hours a month on YouTube. This platform is a great for sharing video content and placing ads.
- X (formerly known as Twitter): with 18% of users, this platform offers real time conversations with a larger audience.
Create a social content schedule
Social media is notoriously time consuming; this can be managed by scheduling your law firm’s content. The key is to follow the 80/20 rule, with 80% of the content being information and education and 20% being focused on the firm and branding. Prepare a month of content and schedule it ahead of time. Create posts that share work life, a win for the law firm such as an award or accreditation, or a legal tip or legal commentary from lawyers. Monitor the published posts to ensure comments and messages are addressed; they could come from potential new clients for your law firm.
While social media appears random, it isn’t. Behind the scenes are teams preparing content calendars which ensures consistency. Being consistent as a lawyer and law firm on social media legitimises your profile and shows your audience, and the platform, you’re active and reliable.
How to tell if your social media channels are worth the investment
Measure performance on social media by a profile’s growth over the months, not per post like. Prepare content by evaluating what resonated with the audience based on the analytics of the social platform. Often, it’s the story-telling and behind-the-scenes human interest posts that keep an audience’s attention. Mix these types of posts with the more business-focused posts about your law firm’s services.
Want to learn more about using social media as a lawyer or law firm? You can read more here, or if you need more advice to get started with your social media profile, we’re happy to take your call.
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