Social Media Trends in Legal Marketing: What’s New and Working

To win on social media, your law firm has to commit and remain nimble. There’s little doubt that your competitors are on social media platforms, so you need to have a robust strategy to keep your name front and center. But the digital space keeps evolving, which is equal parts exciting and intimidating. So it is important to stay abreast of social media trends in legal marketing.

The benefits of leveraging social media are numerous — lawyers can build trust, demonstrate their expertise, and reach new audiences. Accomplishing this in a fast-paced environment where people have short attention spans can be challenging, however. Here are some of the top social media trends in legal marketing to give you an idea of what’s currently taking shape.

Important Social Media Trends in Legal Marketing

1. Video on Social Media Still Rules

If you spend any time on social media platforms (two-thirds of the U.S. population is active on social media), you’ve likely noticed the popularity of video content. Instagram/Facebook Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and other emerging video formats have become one of the primary ways people learn about and connect with brands.

Short-form video is an excellent way to reach new followers and build trust with audiences. Reels can be up to 90 seconds long, while TikTok videos are anywhere from three seconds to 10 minutes in length. Many brands are finding a “sweet spot” in video length that will work across all popular platforms.

While video marketing might require more of a time and financial investment for your law firm, the potential returns make it worth the effort. You can get the most out of your marketing dollars by producing multiple videos at once, repurposing some of your popular blog content as short videos, and cross-posting your content to multiple social platforms.

2. Firms Experiment With Different Platforms

In the past, there weren’t many choices in social media platforms. Every business simply created a Facebook page and started posting memes. This has changed a lot over the past several years. There are many options for law firms, with each platform catering to different demographics and serving different purposes.

You should still consider Facebook to reach the largest audience and engage with local communities through posts, reviews, and events. Facebook owns Instagram, so you can leverage both when you create short video content, or Reels.

LinkedIn is an excellent networking site if you want to connect with other professionals or if your audience consists mainly of other businesses. Don’t forget other social platforms like TikTok, X, and YouTube to share content that will resonate with those particular audiences.

3. Strong Engagement Is a Must-Have

One of the unfortunate consequences of social media use is the global decline in attention spans. According to one report, attention spans have plummeted from about 2.5 minutes two decades ago to around 45 seconds today.

What does this mean for your legal marketing strategy? If you plan to market your services on social media or anywhere online, you must engage people quickly and effectively. When consumers are searching for answers to their legal questions, they are looking for a brand that is authentic, relatable, and knowledgeable. They don’t necessarily care that your content is perfectly polished, however.

As you approach your social media marketing, think about how you can be authentic. What sets you apart from your competitors? Be intentional with how you interact with your audience, and avoid any type of corporate or formal jargon that might bore them or turn them off.

4. Social Search Continues to Grow

Move over, Google, social media platforms have become a top choice for discovering new information. Over the past several years, nearly half (46%) of Gen Z and 35% of millennials prefer to use social platforms over traditional search engines.

While this doesn’t eliminate the necessity of ranking well in the search engines, it does present a new opportunity for your law firm in terms of brand discovery. Your law firm can optimize its content for social search in several ways.

First, you should optimize social profiles so they are consistent across all platforms. For example, your contact information, branding, and voice should be the same. Next, you can create relevant, high-quality, and shareable content that will be easily discoverable by your target audience and boost your visibility on social media platforms.

5. Social Listening Offers New Opportunities

Your law firm can gain a lot of traction on social media sites by posting relevant and engaging content. But consumers are increasingly performing searches on social sites and asking questions, so it no longer works to simply post something and hope for the best. You’ll get much better results by joining the conversation and doing what’s called “social listening.”

Social listening involves monitoring online conversations to identify potential clients, look for mentions of your brand, learn more about industry trends, and understand public sentiment. For example, when someone asks a question, you can provide knowledgeable answers and position yourself as an authority in your field. If there is a mention of your brand, good or bad, you can quickly respond appropriately to show you are engaged and that your firm cares.

6. Social Data Remains a Key to Success

This last social media trend is one you won’t want to ignore. Digital marketing has become increasingly data-driven. Fortunately, every social media platform offers users access to valuable insights you can use to improve your strategy and overall results. It’s astounding how many businesses fail to access this data and fully leverage it.

When you begin your social media marketing journey, consider your goals and create some key performance indicators (KPIs) attached to them. You can track metrics like engagement, clicks, and conversion rates, among others. In addition to tracking KPIs, this valuable data can provide deeper insights into what’s important to your audience, allowing you to adjust your strategy and messaging to produce better overall results.

Get Help With Your Law Firm’s Social Media Marketing Strategy

If your law firm isn’t fully leveraging social media to increase its online visibility and attract more clients, now is the time to start. Ignoring this critical strategy could result in your missing out on lucrative opportunities that your competitors have already recognized.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we can help your law firm create a customized legal marketing strategy that includes crafting and nurturing a strong social media presence. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about our services.