Social Media Tips for Legal Professionals

Where do you go when you want a referral for an electrician, accountant, or attorney? Most people take out their smartphones and head to social media sites like Facebook and ask their friends for recommendations. That?s great but if you?re a lawyer, paralegal, or court reporter, how do you connect with your community? You might think because of the confidentiality of your work that you need to stay away from social. We politely disagree and offer our social media tips for legal professionals that include having a consistent presence and new website content.

Why are you using social media?

Your friends might be using social media for ranting about their boss but we caution you (and them) to be more focused in your online efforts. Even on a private page someone can screenshot what you?ve written and send it to someone else that you may not want to see it.

If you?ve been involved with a divorce or family law case especially, you can appreciate the enormity and seriousness of what can happen when you use social media certain ways. What used to be he said she said is now exhibits of text messages and social screenshots. It also happens to businesses who fail to use social the way we think it should be.

Who is your target client?

I often hear that legal professionals, and others, have no time to manage social media and I ask why. They tell me how they have to create content for multiple social media sites, message contacts, and manage comments. My next question is to find out who their target client is.

Once you?ve identified your target or ideal client, focus marketing efforts, including social media, on the sites where they are spending time. If they?re 30+ year old professionals, consider Facebook and LinkedIn and avoid Instagram and Pinterest as the latter are for the younger crowd.

What do you post on Facebook, LinkedIn, and blog?

On first glance it may appear you can post the same on your Facebook business page and LinkedIn profile updates but I caution you using this strategy. The reason is that the audiences are different.

• Facebook is family-centric, a place where people go for recommendations, so you want an engaging presence. Mix news with facts and ask questions.
• LinkedIn is where you connect with other legal professionals or find people to hire for your team – court reporters, legal assistants, paralegals, attorneys.

LinkedIn also has a publishing feature which is beneficial to establish you as the expert in your area of law. In addition, I encourage you to blog consistently (2 times a month minimum) on your own website because Google loves new content. Keep in mind users, whether on LinkedIn or your blog, are attracted to catchy headlines and content. The more you can entertain while telling a relatable story, the better to connect with your audience.

The next time someone is looking for a recommendation for a legal professional, we want your firm to be the one that is mentioned! Have fun and let us know how you?re using social media tips for legal professionals.