Social media trends change from year to year — and certainly, the onset of a pandemic upended trends that had already been ongoing. LinkedIn continues to be the most used, and most useful, platform for lawyers looking to expand their network and make connections with like-minded individuals or organizations. According to an ABA 2018 survey, more than a third of law firms find new clients on social media. Even more gain new clients through social media marketing
Do all lawyers use the same platform? No.
Which platform makes the most sense for a particular lawyer depends primarily on the practice area. For example, a creditors’ rights lawyer might not find the same success on Facebook as on LinkedIn, because people without jobs or people who are living in poverty are more likely to be using the ladder platform.
Then again, lawyers everyone might want might use Facebook or Twitter to share content. For example, an estate planning lawyer knows that you’re never too young — or old — to draw up a last will and testament. They might also find success by turning stale content about drawing up a will into “exciting” evergreen content about worst-case scenarios or what happens when you die without going to the trouble. The goal isn’t just finding one new client, after all: the goal is getting that one prospective client to share the post with all of their friends to amplify the effect.
Smart lawyers will find ways to advertise, create groups, or deliver new topics to people who would never go searching for legal information on their own. To use the last example, a 20-year-old might benefit from a will, but it might take a seemingly unrelated blog or podcast to deliver the message successfully. Sex appeal is a tried and true strategy, regardless of the sour taste it might leave in someone’s mouth.
How should you decide which platform is right for you? It’s the same equation as always: put yourself out there as much as possible — and everywhere possible — but go where the required demographics are spending their time. If you serve the older generations, then Facebook should be your go-to. If you deal mostly with other professionals, you’ll find LinkedIn akin to the Golden Goose. Looking for Gen Z? Head over to TikTok and learn what makes them…tick.
Remember this one piece of advice: going big before you have data points you can rely on is a great way to waste time, money, and emotional stability. Start small. Find out if the demographic is likely to take the bait. When you find the right place to sell your message — and yourself — then you can throw out the bigger bait to land the bigger fish.
Last but not least, create a relatively consistent schedule to release new content. After a few weeks of releasing what you think might work, measure the results of that work. We always talk about conversions, so ask yourself how many you snagged.