Did you know that 45% of the total world population uses social media? It’s a great way for law firms to both attract new clients and retain current clients. But that doesn’t mean you should have a presence on every platform available to you. In fact, it’s better to select a couple of platforms and put more energy and effort there, rather than spread yourself too thin in order to have a presence on all of them.
Four of the biggest players in the social media space are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Let’s take a look at each, exploring their relevance to law firms specifically.
1. Facebook – Probably the most powerful of them all, Facebook is a must for all businesses, including law firms. More than a billion people are active daily on the social media platform. Facebook is also used as a search engine, seeing a whopping 1.5 billion searches every day. Therefore, it’s important that your profile is updated with current information (including your business hours, website URL and phone number) and that you are actively posting at least twice per week. If your business is missing pertinent information the user is looking for, it could lead them to question the validity of your company. Yes, social media is that powerful.
>>> VERDICT: Yep, you need it.
2. LinkedIn – LinkedIn is known commonly as the business/networking social media platform, and the statistics back it up. In fact, 50 percent of Americans with a college degree use LinkedIn. On top of that, 45 percent of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions. Although it depends somewhat on your area of practice, most law firms can benefit from a LinkedIn presence. However, it’s important to note that on LinkedIn it’s equally important for your business page to be filled out as it is for all of the attorneys’ personal LinkedIn profiles to be fully fleshed out. This means making sure each attorney has – at a minimum – a professional photo, a headline and current employment information.
>>> VERDICT: Most likely, it’s a yes.
3. Twitter – Twitter is known for breaking news stories, second-by-second updates on live sports and other events, and allowing for quick, two-way communication between brands and customers. While it’s true that 321 million people actively use Twitter every month, that number is a decline from years past. Also, because of the fast-paced nature of Twitter, it is easy to get lost in the clutter. If you have a good amount of original content to share and are willing to commit to responding to your clients’ replies and DMs on the platform, then go for it. If you’re short on time, this is one you could pass on.
>>> VERDICT: Take it or leave it.
4. Instagram – This platform was created to be visual, with photos and videos being the kings of Instagram content. Only recently has the platform allowed users to share working links, and not all accounts can even do that yet. Currently, 1 billion people use Instagram every month. That said, 71% of Instagram users around the world are age 35 and under. Your ideal client will obviously vary based on your area of practice, but if they are older than 35, this may not be the platform for you. At least not yet.
>>> VERDICT: Re-evaluate a year from now.
Regardless of which platforms you choose, the benefits of using social media are many. At OAMIC, we want to be your resource for more than just legal malpractice insurance. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.