Social media has indisputably transformed the marketing world in the past two decades. With Social Media, law firms can join a community that allows them to connect with clients in the spaces where they already are on a more personal level.

According to one social media survey by Attorney at Work, 85% of participating lawyers considered social media part of their marketing strategy and 71% of lawyers using social media reported that it was “very” or “somewhat” responsible for bringing in new business.

This data is backed up by the American Bar Association, whose 2021 Tech Report reported 86% of respondents’ firms had a presence on social media. The number of participating law firms varies by platform, with 87% of firms on LinkedIn and only 13% of firms on Instagram, but there are benefits to be had for law firms on every social network.

Regardless of whether you have a large or small following, social media can help you better market your practice. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to think of creative content to share with your social community.

Keep reading this post to discover seven social sharing lessons that can be learned from law firms using social media to market their practices and reach new clients.

1. Share Your Knowledge

Sharing knowledge is a great way to connect with potential clients and market your practice. For a firm with a serious business focus, LinkedIn can be the ideal place to share knowledge and connect with your desired client base.

For example, White and Case is an international law firm with approximately 45 offices around the globe. On LinkedIn, the practice has more than 170,000 followers, making it the perfect place to share insights from the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions team.

However, you don’t have to be a large firm to begin leveraging social media for practice growth. Small firms can also share insights about their focused practice areas. For example, Bullock Legal is a small firm in Fort Lauderdale. Nonetheless, the practice leverages social media to share employment law tips and build relationships with clients and potential clients.

2. Let Your Firm Personality Shine

Law firms are often perceived as unapproachable or cold institutions. However, giving your firm a voice and a personality helps you better connect with clients, potential clients, and the community. In turn, this helps you better market your practice.

Like Breazeale, Sachse, & Wilson, you could consider sharing updates about exciting events in your employees’ lives, such as new additions to the family.

You could also share a touch of humor if it is in line with your firm’s brand, such as the entertaining TikTok trend the lawyers at Jonathan W. Johnson, LLC in Atlanta used to show a bit of excitement (and humor) before lunch.

3. Showcase a Testimonial

As you likely know, online reviews can have a serious impact on your firm’s digital marketing efforts. Data from BrightLocal indicates that more people are considering online reviews than ever before. In 2021, 77% of survey respondents indicated they regularly read reviews when looking for a local business (a 17% increase since 2020) and nearly half of these people said they trust the reviews from other consumers just as much as they trust personal recommendations from friends and family.

While a testimonial may not include a numerical or star rating, it does function like a review in that it offers potential clients social proof about your law firm. Testimonials are digital word-of-mouth advertising and positive experiences shared through a testimonial build confidence in your firm.

You could share a video testimonial, like the Nicolet Law Office in Wisconsin and Minnesota to give a personal voice to the testimonial.

If you prefer a text-based approach, you could share a nice graphic incorporating a client testimonial like the one shared by the Holland Law Firm in Houston, Texas

4. Recognize Your Employees’ Accomplishments

Some would say that a law firm is only as good as the people working in it. With this viewpoint in mind, it absolutely makes sense to highlight the accomplishments your employees attain in their professional lives and the community. Not only does it make your employees look and feel good when you offer this recognition, but it also reflects positively on your firm.

You can choose from a number of accomplishments to share. For example, Kerr Russell in Michigan took to Facebook to share the news when member Eric Lark was elected as the chairperson of a local planning commission.

MG+M, a national trial firm, announced when three of its attorneys were honored with roles with the Leadership Council on Diversity.

Similarly, the Thornton Law Firm, a practice with offices in Massachusetts, California, and Colorado, recognized eight of its partners when they were recognized as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

In a slightly different approach that highlights attorney success and client outcomes, the Wilshire Law Firm in California shared the news when a senior partner negotiated a large settlement in a car accident case.

You could also consider recognizing staff members who receive a new certification or an honor like employee of the month, associates that are promoted to partnership positions, and more! If it can be shared publicly and is an important professional accomplishment for your firm or the people working in it, then you can brag about it on social media.

5. Celebrate a Holiday

You can enhance your firm’s brand and connections on social media by also celebrating holidays or sharing well wishes on a holiday. For instance, you could choose to share a simple, branded graphic, like this one shared by Ruggiero Law Firm in Orlando, offering well wishes to your followers on a major holiday.

You could leverage video for a unique and engaging message that creates an emotional connection with your followers, like the holiday season message shared by Latham & Watkins this year.

Your firm does not have to stick to major holidays either. For instance, you could consider celebrating “social media” holidays, such as National Pizza Day or Pi Day where you could enjoy a slice with your team, or less prominent holidays, such as Groundhog Day like the Horst Law Firm in Florida.

6. Showcase Causes Your Firm Supports

The lawyers and staff working in your firm likely have causes that they are very passionate about. From national organizations to local nonprofits, there is almost certainly some sort of association that would welcome support from your firm in achieving its mission. While supporting these good causes, share this community involvement with your social media followers.

For example, Greenberg Traurig supported breast cancer research in 2021 by participating in a cycling event and later shared photos of their team’s commitment to the cause.

Similarly, employees at the GGRM Law Firm in Las Vegas, Nevada donated blood to the American Red Cross to support its community and shared this involvement with their followers.

7. Encourage Your Followers to Participate in the Conversation

The most effective social media strategies encourage others in your social community to participate and join the conversation, either on social media or in other spaces.

For example, Jones Day invited its LinkedIn followers to join its panel of attorneys from around the world to discuss developments in arbitration law over the past year.

While this event was not hosted on social media, its social promotion on LinkedIn encouraged people to interact with the firm. However, you can also invite people to engage with your firm directly on social media platforms.

For instance, the Womac Law Firm in New Orleans asked followers to share which local food is their least favorite with the popular “One’s Gotta Go!” challenge on Facebook.

You can also join the conversation on big events to promote engagement. For example, Wilson Sonsini encouraged team spirit in advance of the Super Bowl. The post served a dual purpose and also spotlighted one team member’s community involvement supporting different causes.

With all social media efforts, it is important to remember not to be discouraged if your efforts are not immediately successful. However, this is even more true when you are trying to promote engagement. Continue to encourage people to participate and remember slow and steady wins the race!

Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?

Social media is a useful tool in helping your law firm grow its practice. Create a content calendar and consistently post on your various channels. Make sure you fully complete your social profiles and upload engaging profile and cover photos. Keep the information about your firm accurate. Before you know it, you will be on the road to social media success.

Even if you do not have lots of followers, or your posts have less engagement than you may like, social media helps build your brand and connects your firm with potential clients. Need help getting started? Check out our posts on using Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Clubhouse to market your law firm.