By Marc Apple ● ● 8 min read
Table of Contents
TL:DR Social media marketing is a must for family law firms that want to boost engagement, enjoy higher visibility, and score more clients. Firms can succeed with social media by understanding their target audience and engaging with them on a personal level.
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Maybe your family law firm has spent thousands on a beautiful website packed with helpful content, but you’re just not bringing in clients like you expected. If you’ve been ignoring social media marketing for family law firms, that’s where you’re going wrong!
Social media marketing offers awesome benefits to family law firms, so you don’t want to miss out. In this guide, our family law marketing pros explore the benefits of social media and how your firm can take advantage.
Social Media Marketing for Family Law Firms
Want more clients? Of course, you do, and legal social media content can help you snag them. Here are some of the biggest benefits you’ll enjoy and how social media can improve online presence for lawyers.
Help Users Believe That They Can Trust You
Family law attorneys are plentiful, and let’s face it, some are much better than others.
Potential clients thinking about divorce or going through a tumultuous child custody battle are naturally wary.
They know that picking the wrong lawyer could make or break their case.
So, why should they trust you? If you want them to hire your firm, you’d better give them a compelling reason.
Social media is an excellent place to convey your trustworthiness to would-be clients. You could answer simple legal questions and say, “If you want more help, I’m here for you.”
Users love to see success stories, too. You can write short stories on social media about how you helped clients achieve their goals, such as winning custody of the kids or divorcing without a nasty court battle.
Educate Potential Clients About Your Family Law Services
Your clients are probably aware that you handle divorce cases, but they might not know that you also work with adoption or domestic violence cases.
If you’re not telling people what legal services you offer, your firm could be losing out on a lot of business.
Social media lets you promote your law firm’s services to prospective and current clients. You might enjoy a few referrals from clients who were previously happy with your work.
Build Awareness of Your Law Firm’s Brand
Your law firm’s website might enjoy a good position in the search results. Maybe it’s even sitting pretty at the top of the first page. The trouble is that many people won’t see your site unless they’re searching for a family law attorney.
With social media, you have the chance to stay top of mind with potential clients.
Regularly sharing valuable content makes users think, “Hey, this lawyer really knows their stuff.”
One day, when one of your followers needs a family law firm, they’ll think of yours.
Attract Clients With Paid Ads
Social media is a great place to connect with users, but that’s not the only thing you can do with it. Just as you’re able to run ads on Google, so too can you purchase ad space on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Doing so could net you faster results than relying on organic traffic alone.
And even if someone doesn’t click your ad because they’re not searching for a lawyer, they might remember you when they need one later. They may also refer a friend who needs a lawyer to your firm.
Retargeting is another powerful technique to try. Suppose someone drops by your website, takes a look at your divorce services, and then leaves without taking any action. You might think you’ve lost them for good, but with retargeting, you have the means to draw them back.
By running a retargeting ad on social media, you can show your services to that user again, reminding them of your firm.
Platforms like Facebook even allow you to show ads based on which specific pages the user visited.
Improve SEO for Your Website
Let’s say you’ve published a helpful guide to mediation in divorce on your website, but it’s not enjoying many views. Think your beautifully written piece has to languish without attention forever? Not with social media, it doesn’t.
You could link to that content on your social media pages to attract more interest and send extra traffic your way. Plus, when Google sees users click links to your content, it recognizes that content as useful. In turn, it may rank the piece higher in the search results.
Promote Events and Can’t-Miss Content
If your law firm regularly hosts events, such as podcasts and free legal advice clinics, you’re one of the smart ones. Events like these work wonders for attracting clients and building awareness of your firm.
The trouble is that people won’t attend your events if they don’t know about them.
Enter social media, which lets you keep your followers informed about upcoming events they won’t want to miss. For example, you could post something like, “Check out my upcoming webinar on how to protect your assets in a divorce.”
Social media is also a fantastic venue for posting content your readers would enjoy, such as legal news, case success stories, videos, and interesting tales about your community engagement.
How To Develop a Law Firm Social Media Strategy
You’re convinced of the power of social media marketing for family law firms, but where to start? Just follow this easy social media marketing guide.
Figure Out What Your Target Audience Wants
You’re probably itching to start banging out social media posts, but not so fast. Before you write a thing, you must know who your target audience is. Without that knowledge, your message won’t land.
Ask yourself what type of clients you typically serve. Are they worried about protecting their assets or paying alimony?
Maybe they’re young mothers who need custody advice, or perhaps you mainly focus on high-value divorce cases.
Once you understand your ideal client’s pain points, you can start crafting social media content that resonates with them.
Learn Where Your Audience Hangs Out Online
A great social media strategy will not help if you don’t talk to the right people. Which platform should you focus on? That depends on your audience’s demographics.
Facebook is popular with people aged 30 to 64 and has slightly more male users than female users. LinkedIn’s base primarily consists of people aged 25 to 34. This platform might be ideal for business-related family law or high-value divorces.
TikTok and Instagram’s bases skew younger. Stats have shown that 60% of Instagram’s base is under 34 years old, while 60% of TikTok’s base is under 30.
Refine Your Voice
Who are you as a lawyer? Are you an aggressive champion of people’s rights in a divorce? Or perhaps you’re the compassionate ally on whom clients can lean. Think of the persona you’d like to project to potential clients and stick with it for every post you make.
For example, perhaps you present yourself as a friendly partner who helps women cope with divorce.
You could write, “I understand how difficult divorce can be. You have no idea what to expect, and you’re scared of this big change in your life. I’m here for you.”
If you promote aggressive representation in high-net-worth divorces, you might write, “You’ve worked hard for your money, and your soon-to-be ex shouldn’t just be able to take all that away from you. I’ll fight hard to help you hold on to every possible penny.”
Showcase Your Experience With Valuable Content
Users don’t come to social media to be advertised to. They come to relax, hang out with friends, and maybe learn something new. Where does that leave your law firm?
The good news is that you can still build an audience and even win clients without explicit advertising. The trick is to post helpful, engaging content that your users will find valuable.
Maybe they’ll even like it enough to share it with their friends.
Your content should include a mix of personal insights, like stories about why you became an attorney, and educational content, such as tips on navigating property division.
Use a Mix of Organic and Paid Strategies
Although we said above that social media users don’t come for the advertisements, that doesn’t mean they never work. You could score a few clients this way, and social media ads are fairly inexpensive, so you don’t have much to lose.
For good results, marketing pros recommend using a balanced mix of organic content and paid ads.
Want More Social Media Tips for Lawyers?
When done well, social media marketing for family law firms can drive traffic to your website, increase awareness of your firm, and score you new clients. If you’d like to learn about marketing trends in 2024 or need help with your social media strategy, call Forward Push Law Firm Marketing at (800) 692-4037.
FAQ Law Firm Social Media Tips
How can social media marketing benefit family law firms?
Social media marketing builds trust, educates potential clients, increases brand awareness, and attracts new clients through organic and paid strategies.
Why is trust important in family law marketing, and how can social media help build it?
Potential clients often face emotionally charged situations and need a trustworthy attorney. Social media allows you to showcase success stories, answer questions, and demonstrate expertise, building confidence in your firm.
How can family law firms use social media to educate potential clients?
Social media provides a platform to highlight your services, such as handling adoption or domestic violence cases, while also sharing tips and legal insights that position you as a knowledgeable resource.
What is the role of brand awareness in a family law firm’s success?
Brand awareness keeps your firm top of mind for potential clients. Consistently sharing valuable content helps build recognition so that users remember your firm when they need legal help.
How do paid social media ads complement organic content strategies?
Paid ads can quickly attract attention and drive traffic to your site, while organic content builds long-term trust and engagement. Together, they create a balanced approach to reaching potential clients.
What is retargeting, and how can it benefit a family law firm?
Retargeting involves showing ads to users who previously visited your website, reminding them of your services and increasing the chances of converting them into clients.
How can social media boost SEO for a family law firm’s website?
Sharing links to your website on social media increases traffic and signals to search engines that your content is valuable, potentially improving your search rankings.
Why is understanding your target audience important in social media marketing?
Knowing your audience’s demographics and concerns allows you to create content that resonates with them, improving engagement and conversion rates.
Which social media platforms are most effective for family law firms?
The ideal platform depends on your audience. For example, Facebook is great for users aged 30-64, LinkedIn targets professionals, and Instagram or TikTok appeal to younger audiences.
What type of content should family law firms post on social media?
Post a mix of personal stories, educational tips, and valuable insights about family law, ensuring your content is engaging, shareable, and relevant to your audience’s needs.