How Important is Consistency for Attorney Social Media?

Social media plays a significant role in an attorney’s or law firm’s reputation, and is no longer just for socializing. Some of the most effective marketing strategies involve social media advertising and engagement. This is no surprise, considering that the average person spends approximately three hours a day on social media, according to the Global Web Index. This is why it is particularly important for attorneys to understand and manage the type of impression they offer for themselves.

One of the biggest pitfalls anyone can make when using social media as a way to attract and engage with potential clients is lack of consistency. When a potential client discovers an attorney’s social media account only to find that every post is sporadic in both content and timing, this doesn’t build a great reputation. The same goes for accounts that haven’t been updated for a year or more.

Current and future clients want to know exactly what they can expect from an attorney or law firm, and that includes social media. When can they expect to see new content posted on a particular social media platform? What type of content is going to be posted? Above all, it is important to make sure your posts are consistent and reliable.

What kind of schedule can you commit to?

When developing or revamping a social media strategy, it is important to consider your schedule first and foremost. How often can you commit to posting new content, or sharing existing content? Don’t commit to a schedule that you cannot keep up with. If this means you only post once a week, that’s fine; consistency has a huge effect on how professional an attorney or law firm appears to potential clients.

Discuss your schedule with anyone who will share responsibility for managing social media accounts. Whether you post once a day, twice a week, or once a week, make sure you can maintain a high level of consistency. Try to avoid posting less than once a week if you can, as long periods of time between engagement on social media can appear absentminded and noncommittal.

What type of content do you plan to post?

It is important to remember that social media is a way for current and future clients to get to know you. Social media content should be engaging, informative, and helpful whenever possible. While it is great to post about successes the attorney or law firm has experienced, it’s also a good idea to post attorney videos, blog posts, and other material that is active, unique, and valuable to your clientele. Regardless of what you decide to post, be consistent.

Are you going to focus on posting original material such as attorney videos and blogs? Or are you going to focus on sharing articles from other sources, such as legal news articles? Maybe you want to keep the mood lighter and share funny legal jokes or memes. When choosing the type of content you want to share, the social media platform itself can be a good indicator.

For example, Facebook and Twitter are great places to share videos, blogs, and articles; Instagram is a good place to share funny jokes, memes, and pictures; LinkedIn is a good place to connect with other professionals or to share industry-specific information.

An attorney or law firm does not necessarily need a profile on every social media platform.

Above all, it is important to be consistent with the type of content you post on a particular social media platform. Try to avoid crossing into other types of content beyond what you have already established that you intend to post. Whatever the content is, it should be consistent, relevant, and informative and/or entertaining. It’s important to note that an attorney or law firm does not necessarily need a profile on every social media platform out there. Choose the platforms you know with certainty that you can consistently handle in regard to both schedule and content.