If your law firm is not actively marketing itself on social media, you are missing out on a huge opportunity! An online presence is critical to build your business and ensure your firm’s survival in such a competitive market.
Not only is marketing on social media inexpensive and simple, but online marketing also provides significant benefits. Below are a few reasons to focus marketing efforts on your firm’s social media presence:
Attracts New Clients
Social media is an effective tool in allowing your firm to connect with potential clients who would otherwise not find you. Anyone looking for the legal services you provide can easily locate your profile and connect with your firm. Social media is very convenient for users and allows you to provide a direct path to your website where you provide more detailed information.
Increase Your Firm’s Brand Awareness
Your firm’s posts on social media platforms are viewed not only by people actively searching for legal services, but also by others who may need an attorney in the future. Increasing your firm’s brand awareness means the potential client is more likely to contact our firm when the need for legal help arises.
Your legal brand can be promoted by always posting with your firm’s logo, colors, font, and other identifying elements that make your brand memorable. Making your firm easily identifiable increases the chance a potential client will contact you.
Networking
Social media is used by many attorneys, so it provides a great tool for networking. You can join online legal community groups and meet other lawyers who may later refer clients to you. Additionally, social media can be a source for keeping up with current events in your practice areas or within your geographic community.
What to Avoid with Social Media Marketing
Although social media marketing is relatively simple, there are significant pitfalls you want to avoid.
Select Certain Platforms to Focus On
Selecting the best online platforms for your law firm to focus on is crucial to a successful campaign. Where are your ideal clients online? Posting on every platform is too time-consuming and not effective if you aren’t reaching the audience you want. Your efforts will be more effective if you focus on a few sites and produce quality content.
If your law firm is active on select social media sites, you can build a solid and authentic presence on those platforms. A focused strategy produces better results than spreading yourself too thin trying to be on every platform.
Don’t Forget to Engage
The key to social media is being social with your audience. Attorneys must actively engage by not only making regular posts, but also interacting with followers. If you allow your firm’s account to fall dormant, it will accomplish nothing for you. However, when people see you liking posts and responding to comments, it builds trust and credibility.
Don’t Ignore Negative Comments
The downside to social media is it opens the door to people sharing every thought they have, even when they are mad and simply venting. Handling negative feedback is difficult, but it is very important to respond in a thoughtful and respectful way to mitigate the harm the negative comment may cause.
Below are a few tips for how to respond to negative feedback on social media:
- Make sure you acknowledge the feedback because it shows that you are paying attention and care about your audience.
- If the complaint is legitimate (for example, you had to cancel your consultation with the potential client), apologize and offer a solution (we will reschedule at your convenience).
- Don’t allow the conversation to continue online. Remain professional and respectful, but let the unhappy party know that you will contact them directly to resolve the issue.
Remember, our response to negative feedback will be viewed by everyone following your account. Responding with respect in a timely manner shows your audience that you listen to feedback, and you are willing to address concerns. Use the opportunity to build trust with your online audience.
Let The Rainmaker Institute Help with Your Social Media Marketing
People hire attorneys they feel a connection with, and social media is a highly effective way to build relationships with potential clients. We focus on boosting your visibility online and converting browsers into believers. The Rainmaker Institute’s experienced team of Social Media Managers work directly with your other services to craft a comprehensive and effective digital marketing strategy. This well-rounded approach ensures you have the brand recognition you need to stay competitive online, as well as keep you top of mind to existing and potential clients.
Our passion is to help you achieve a Lifestyle Law Firm® – one that is financially successful, personally satisfying, and gives you the freedom to enjoy your life and the time do what is important to you.
To learn more about how we can take your legal marketing to the next level, contact us using our convenient online form or call us at 480.347.9800.
