The world of social media has been tumultuous in 2023. From Elon Musk taking over X (formerly Twitter), to the massive expansion of AI use, to the scrutiny that social media giants have come under to keep their platforms safe.
Social media is fast-paced, and I don’t expect next year to be any different. With that in mind, here are the top six trends that you’ll want to include in your law firm’s social media marketing plan in 2024.
Trend 1: Ditch the social media channels that aren’t working for you
It’s easy to get trapped in the thinking that you have to be on all the major platforms like LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, but that’s really not the case. I’ve always said that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to what platforms law firms should be on. It really depends on two main things: 1) How much time you have to spend on social media and 2) where your audience is.
Conduct an audit of your social media channels and determine which are the ones that are performing best and aligning with your overall marketing goals. If X isn’t driving those website visits you were hoping for, then perhaps it’s time to rethink whether that platform is worth your time. It could just be that your strategy needs a little tweak, but if Facebook is driving all the engagement and traffic to your website, then perhaps your time would be best spent nurturing your audience on that platform.
In a recent survey by Hootsuite, 52% of businesses felt that the time or budget investment to maintain a presence on multiple social platforms contributed to their concern about ROI for social media activities. The same survey even saw a dramatic drop in those businesses’ use of platforms such as Facebook, X and WhatsApp, as they hope to streamline their social activities.
If you’ve been considering dropping a platform for a while, this is your sign! Go ahead and ditch the platforms that don’t serve you!
Trend 2: Get involved with vertical video
It’s hard to ignore the impact that TikTok has had on the world, and indeed social media. The platform has exploded in popularity since its launch, so much so that Meta copied their video format by launching Reels, as did YouTube with Shorts.
Although short video has been king for a while, it seems that longer-form video is also gaining traction and will continue to do so in 2024. By long form, I mean videos of two to five minutes long, rather than ‘TikTok-style’ less than 60-second videos. Hootsuite suggests there are two reasons for this; 1) users are increasingly turning to social media to find answers to their questions in the form of explainer videos (which they would usually use Google for) and 2) the social media platforms themselves keep increasing the maximum length of their videos.
For law firms looking to start out in social media video, you could share a day in the life of a solicitor at one of your offices, answer a question on a hot topic submitted by a follower, or even just comment on the latest piece of legislation. Find out what works for your audience and repeat! Make sure you’re using vertical video as these days, social video is mostly viewed on a mobile phone being held vertically, but it also makes it easier to share the same video across multiple platforms.
Trend 3: Become a storyteller
As humans, we have been telling each other stories for thousands of years, and it is a powerful tool. A good story can connect us, teach us something about ourselves and the world around us and stick with us long after we’ve heard or read it. So, it’s only logical that good storytelling on social media can help build your audience and keep them coming back for more, creating your own unique community.
As a law firm, telling a good story can help you stand out from the competition on social. Some good examples of stories you can tell are the history of the firm, your firm’s mission or values, or even a personal story from a lawyer within your firm. Client testimonials are also a great way to help tell the story of who you are as a law firm.
Just remember to avoid any legal jargon and weave emotional language into your story.
Trend 4: Embrace AI
AI tools have been around for a few years now in various forms, but since the launch of Chat GPT (the generative AI tool), we’ve seen an explosion in its use in 2023, and we will continue to see this grow in 2024.
AI use on social media has been growing, from AI filters to copy that’s been generated by AI, more businesses are starting to switch on to its potential. According to a survey by Hootsuite, businesses are planning to double their use of AI across various activities in the coming year. One of the main benefits of AI for social media is that it can save you time by helping you come up with content ideas, draft copy, create or edit images and videos or even just help you to organise your thoughts.
However, a word of caution; there are still concerns around the security of AI tools and Hootsuite found that 62% of consumers said that they would be less likely to engage with and trust content if they knew it was created using AI. The key message here is to know your audience and what they are receptive to. Make sure if you are using AI tools that you are transparent about it.
I spoke about all things AI and social media in my last Conscious Conversation, which is well worth a watch here.
Trend 5: Become edutaining!
‘Edutainment’ is a form of entertainment that is also educational. Being entertaining on social media can be tricky, but it can help drive ROI, with consumers saying the top reason they use social media is to be entertained and to mentally unwind (after keeping in touch with friends and family), according to Hootsuite.
Luckily, being educational and entertaining on social media is something that I think all law firms can achieve. You’ve probably already got lots of great content on your website that can be shared for educational purposes; you just need to share it in an entertaining way. Being entertaining could just mean sharing something that is valuable to your audience or something that brings your audience together as a community.
Experiment with different formats of edutaining content in 2024, see what your audience responds to, and then share more of that content. You’ll find that putting your audience’s wants, likes and needs first, will lead to trust, loyalty and eventually, clients.
Trend 6: Be a pillar of your social community
Social media is just that, social. It was created to gather people together online to socialise and talk about their common interests. It’s very easy to forget this when you’re trying to prove the ROI of your social media efforts to the partners of your firm. But even after all these years of social media being in our lives and the changes it has gone through; community still sits at the core of success.
We’re all guilty of posting content on social and then never looking at it again. But this is where you’re missing out on opportunities to engage with your audience! It’s important to carve out some time to engage with your social media community by seeing what’s being talked about, liking, commenting on and sharing their posts, following new people, and even checking in on what your competitors are doing.
It’s a task which at times can seem arduous and fruitless, but every interaction you make with your social media audience will help you to become more memorable and personable as a law firm or lawyer. Social media isn’t like SEO. If someone types ‘divorce lawyers near me’ into Google, then the intent here is high. Whereas on social media, you’re more than likely going to be interacting with people who don’t need a solicitor…yet. But when they do, they’ll remember you from that time you answered a question they had or moved them with a piece of content you shared. And that’s when they go from follower to client.
Need help with your law firm’s social media strategy in 2024?
Social media in 2024 will change rapidly, as it has in the years previously, but the key themes in trends are there every year – focus on sharing valuable and engaging content, spend time in your social media communities and work on building trust and authenticity.
If you need help with your law firm’s social media strategy in 2024, get in touch with our team at sales@conscious.co.uk or on 0117 325 0200 today.