Back in 2017, our team noticed that law firms weren’t utilizing Instagram in the same ways that they were leveraging other social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
So we offered a starting point for law firms interested in tackling Instagram, demonstrating how it can be a useful branding tool for providing insight into a firm’s culture, community roots, and client profile.
Over the last three years, the nature of Instagram has drastically changed. The app’s days as a simple visual branding tool are long gone, and today it’s a fully-integrated platform offering near limitless potential for all types of businesses – law firms included. From hyper-targeted advertising and influencer engagement, to detailed analytics, Instagram has come a long way since its 2010 launch as a photo sharing app.
Our digital team has outlined three ways law firms can use Instagram’s latest features as a business and branding tool:
Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
A micro-influencer is a user that typically has a following ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 people and posts content that relates to a niche topic or market. Building relationships with micro-influencers can be an effective path for driving website traffic, increasing a firm’s base of followers, and generating new business leads.
Begin by identifying popular Instagram profiles within the legal sector or a specific business vertical. For example, a firm specializing in real estate transactions might connect with a popular commercial or residential broker. From there, establish contact with the micro-influencer and explore potential avenues for mutually-beneficial collaboration – opportunities that will broaden your brand footprint among their network, and vice versa.
@LawPundits (42.3K followers) is an account dedicated to posting relatable memes beloved by law school students and attorneys. The team that manages Law Pundits founded the Global Legal Forum (GLF), which is an international conference hosted in The Hague that hosts professionals across law and other sectors to come together to address and find actionable solutions to the issues affecting business, society, law and the world at large.
A solo practitioner or law firm partner looking to grow their network might engage with @LawPundits to volunteer as a panelist at an upcoming conference or as a guest speaker during a training program for law students. The resulting exposure from this collaboration is likely to unlock new followers and expand brand recognition.
Leverage Analytics Tools
One of the most exciting developments on Instagram is the ability to establish your page as a Business Profile. This distinction offers benefits such as a ‘contact us’ button; the ability to add links to your Instagram stories; and an ‘auto-publish’ function that allows posts to be scheduled, ensuring content is posted on a consistent basis.
Another new feature is the launch of ‘Instagram Insights,’ which is the app’s built-in analytics tool. Insights offers real-time data on everything from the makeup of a profile’s followers and who’s viewing content, to the number of impressions and website clicks that a post generates. It also provides a detailed breakdown of activity trends, allowing users to better understand how and when their audiences are most likely to engage.
Don’t Count Out Advertising
Law firm advertising can’t be taken lightly, and any campaign must adhere to strict regulations governing what can and cannot be communicated. When executed strategically, Instagram advertising can be a targeted and cost-effective method for putting a firm’s brand in front of the right people.
By managing an Instagram business account, users can build paid ‘promotions’ that populate in the feeds of carefully-selected audiences. Content can run the gamut from videos showcasing a firm’s culture which is geared toward law students and potential hires, to favorable media coverage that promotes a favorable verdict or settlement. Best of all, Instagram ads can be highly-targeted, enabling a firm to curate their audience based on factors including interests, behaviors, and location.
With so many communications channels at a law firm’s disposal, the options can be dizzying. Instagram may not be the right fit for every firm, but when used correctly and strategically, the platform offers significant opportunity to engage audiences, grow a network, and track analytics.
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