[Author: Noreen Fishman]

In today’s digital age, social media is not only a powerful tool to connect with people but also a keystone for building trust for your firm. Nowadays, the average consumer checks reviews and likes on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc., before hiring a service or purchasing a product.  So, you can be sure potential clients will be searching social media for lawyers before they decide to hire you or your firm.

Prospects want to know who will be representing them legally, and social media offers a unique opportunity to convince them that as an attorney you will provide quality service that meets their needs. So if you want to stay ahead of your competition, you need to understand how social media can effectively build trust and position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

In this article, we are highlighting ten ways lawyers can build client trust via social media:

1. Quality Content on Social Media Platforms

To ensure that clients see your profile and stay long enough to engage or connect with you, you’ll need engaging content on your social media pages. In order to do so, you’ll first have to:

• Identify your potential clients. Who are they? What do they want? Why do they want it? Try creating an ideal client profile with this easy guide.
• Identify your competitor law firms. Scrutinize their content and see what they are offering as well as where their services lack.

With this information, you can strategize and prepare quality content for your social media platforms. The content should cover the needs of your potential clients as well as fill the gaps in the services that your competition is listing.

If you are a lawyer who is new to social media and needs assistance perfecting your profile, visit our past posts: Social Media Bio Tips for Lawyers and 10 Steps to the Perfect LinkedIn Profile. 

2. Know Where Your Prospective Clients Are

Even though LinkedIn is popular, your single LinkedIn profile is not enough to influence new clients. You have to understand the outreach potential of each social media platform to get to prospective clients. For example, if you are advertising for corporate law, LinkedIn is the best platform because of its authoritative and B2B nature, whereas if you are advertising for family law, you should definitely have a presence on Facebook and Instagram as they are consumer-focused platforms.

3. Engage Your Clients

Just writing quality content and knowing where your prospective clients are on social media platforms is not enough. You must respond and engage with your audience. For example, if you are broadcasting a Facebook Live stream or posting an Instagram Reel, and you see comments, questions, or likes, make sure to respond. By encouraging interaction, you’ll come to know more about your prospects and give a face to your law firm’s brand. By engaging, you will not only build your brand, but you will also build trust in that brand.

4. Establish Thought Leadership

As a lawyer, you get the opportunity to showcase your expertise to your prospective clients through social media platforms. But to establish your brand as a thought leader, you must understand the subtle balance between giving information and selling your service. Simply follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of your content and responses to clients must be informative and resourceful to showcase your expertise, while 20% should promote your law firm’s brand and quality services.

5. Tell Your Brand Story

Your clients need to connect with your brand so that they can trust your services as a lawyer. Use social media to tell your brand story and ensure you humanize it. This facilitates an emotional connection with your potential clients, which ultimately helps win their trust and loyalty.

6. Monitor Conversations Around Your Firm

Lawyers should engage in brand listening with these social listening tools. Use branded keyword searches on social media, and know what everyone is saying about your firm. Tactful use of this tool can not only give you an opportunity to showcase your expertise but also prepare your firm for controversies and negative PR.

7. Ask Your Clients to Review Your Firm

Reviews help in building trust. Clients read reviews on social media platforms to form an opinion about your law firm. So asking existing clients to give reviews about your firm’s services is a great way of leveraging social media for lawyers. For tips on securing reviews for your firm, check out our past blog: The Importance of Client Testimonials for Law Firms.

8. Create Informative YouTube Videos

Your clients may not understand all legal terminologies. Hence, it is great to add an informative YouTube video to your blog post to explain relevant topics or discuss current legal trends. Videos have a huge appeal and can attract new potential clients. Make sure the facts and content on the video are authentic as you showcase your expertise on social media.

9. Keep Sharing Regular Blog Posts and News Updates

Regular blogging with valuable information and sharing the latest legal updates can make you appear socially engaging and help you stand apart from your competitors.

10. Use the ‘Skill and Endorsement’ Section of LinkedIn Wisely to Advocate for Your Firm

Don’t forget, your clients do check your LinkedIn profile. The ‘Skill and Endorsement’ section plays a vital role in establishing your firm’s brand image. So it is important to ensure that you are endorsed only for the skills you actually have. Anything untrue can be detrimental to you and your law firm’s image.

Takeaway:

By now you understand how vital social media is if you want to get more clients. It offers a huge opportunity to market your skills and build trust for yourself or your law firm. Make sure to be consistent in your blog posting and it’s imperative to find a balance – don’t under or overdo it. You must understand the basics of social media and then present your ideology to your prospective clients. 

Remember, social media is for building connections and networking. Engage with potential clients as much as possible and respond to their queries or comments quickly. 

This post has been edited and republished from Feb. 7, 2020.