Trust and credibility have long been two fundamentals in the legal industry and with the rise of digitalisation, the success of a law firm is increasingly being linked to the reputation and visibility (the ‘personal brand’) of its lawyers. Undoubtedly, social media has become a powerful platform for lawyers to humanise their practice, demonstrate their expertise and crucially, to develop a recognisable personal brand. In an increasingly competitive legal market, empowering lawyers to build their online presence isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic imperative.
The importance of personal branding for lawyers
Clients today are more informed than ever. It is increasingly common for potential clients to refer to channels such as LinkedIn, and the lawyer’s page on the firm website, before making a decision to instruct a lawyer. A strong personal brand not only communicates competence but also builds trust and confidence between the client and their lawyer. Shared values, insights and personality between a client and a lawyer means a more effective working relationship, conducive to success.
Social Media
Channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram present lawyers with the opportunity to share their knowledge, opinions and thoughts on significant events and developments in the legal sector. The key to success with these platforms is authenticity and a clear strategy:
- Content Strategy and Positioning
It is important for lawyers to identify their target audience to ensure this is in alignment with their specific area of legal expertise. Lawyers can then create and share content which reflects these strengths – including commentary on cases, blogs, updates on changes to the law or short videos explaining key concepts within their practice area in concise, clear language.
- Authenticity and Consistency
Building a brand is not something which ‘happens overnight’. A long-term commitment to consistent posting, a clear tone of voice and authentic engagement with others is essential. Potential clients will respond best to lawyers who are not only experts in their field but are also authentic and consistent on social media.
- The importance of personality
Professionalism on social media is a non-negotiable for lawyers. However, it is possible for lawyers to balance this with showing some personality. Social media posts that reflect on career lessons, mentoring and pro bono work can humanise a lawyer and make them more approachable. Whilst maintaining professionalism, its also recommended to take a more casual tone in posts and comments to maximise likelihood of your network having a genuine human interest in your content.
- Regular Engagement with others
By regularly engaging with other individuals working in their practice area, lawyers can not only increase their following, but also their wider personal brand across key social media platforms. Such engagement can include comments on developments in the sector and congratulating peers on their achievements. Building such relationships with peers online can widen the scope of networking opportunities available to lawyers.
Firms play a key role in providing lawyers with the tools to build their personal brand. Providing training on social media best practices and compliance enables lawyers to engage on social media with confidence. Content support such as templates and firm branded assets can increase efficiency around engagement on social media, especially at a senior level. Ultimately, firm should embrace their lawyers increasing their individual visibility. When lawyers build their personal brand, their firm’s brand becomes stronger by association.
Building the personal brand of your lawyers through social media is not just about building a digital presence – it’s about earning trust, establishing a presence and enhancing the reputation of the firm. By empowering lawyers to build their personal brands, law firms can build stronger connections with their target audiences and position themselves for long-term growth in what is an increasingly relationship-driven legal market.
