Instagram has huge potential for lawyers looking to increase visibility, grow their business, and connect with clients.
In this guide, we’ll examine the potential of Instagram for lawyers. You’ll find actionable tips on how legal professionals can use the platform to grow brand awareness, along with their client base.
Instagram’s Unique Benefits for Lawyers
Growing popularity and broadening demographics make Instagram a potential fit in any industry. But it remains shockingly underutilized in the legal world.
According to a 2020 survey by the American Bar Association, only 13 percent of lawyers use Instagram as part of their legal marketing efforts. However, about 50 percent of American adults have Instagram accounts.
Marketing your law firm on Instagram can help you reach an enormous segment of your target audience.
There are a number of other benefits of Instagram marketing for lawyers, including
- A personal way to engage with your audience. Its visual opportunities allow you to introduce your team and provide a comprehensive picture of your law firm’s brand.
- Hashtag opportunities for brand awareness. Hashtags exist on every social media platform, but they’ve been most consistently successful on Instagram. Here, you can use them to present your content to potential clients just looking for general legal information and advice.
- Increased opportunity for engagement. Studies consistently find that Instagram significantly outpaces other social networks in terms of post interactions. More engaged followers lead to higher brand recall and, ultimately, a more loyal client base.
- Fitting supplement for existing legal marketing. Because of its visual nature, Instagram doesn’t overlap with Facebook, LinkedIn, or organic SEO efforts. Rather, it adds a new element to your marketing strategy that reaches your audience in unique ways.
- Limited time investment for new content. Ideal posting frequencies rarely exceed once per day. This makes a successful legal Instagram strategy comparatively easy to execute. You do, of course, need to plan enough time for visual content creation.
Of course, Instagram is by nature attractive for legal marketing efforts targeting younger audiences. But according to the Pew Research Center, 66 percent of Americans ages 30-49 use Instagram, and 36 percent of those ages 50-64 are on the platform.
Even if your target clients are over 50, Instagram can still help you connect with over a third of your market.
Eight Examples of Successful Lawyer Instagram Accounts to Gain Inspiration
Before getting into the nuts and bolts of successfully building an Instagram marketing strategy, one more bit of context.
As with any marketing effort, it helps to visualize just how others in the industry use a platform successfully.
These eight examples showcase the possibilities that Instagram for lawyers can unearth.
Bob Simon
Bob Simon, known as @planetfunbob, has approximately 20,000 followers and is the co-founder of the Simon Law Group and Justice HQ.
He shares engaging content centered on personal injury law, trial strategies, and legal entrepreneurship.
Bob’s dynamic presence shines through his “Bourbon of Proof” podcast, where he discusses legal insights and life experiences over bourbon, offering a unique and entertaining take on the legal profession.
Jefferson Fisher
Jefferson Fisher, who commands a following of over 2.8 million as @jefferson_fisher, specializes in practical communication tips that focus on conflict resolution and effective argumentation.
Drawing from his trial lawyer experience, Jefferson’s concise, relatable videos deliver actionable advice, making complex legal communication accessible and engaging for a broad audience.
Amanda Demanda
Amanda Demanda, with around 30,000 followers on Instagram, uses her account @amandademandalaw to share personal injury legal tips, client success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her practice.
Her authentic storytelling and dedication to client advocacy make her a relatable and inspiring figure for followers seeking legal guidance.
Alex Su
Alex Su, known on Instagram as @heyitsalexsu, has garnered over 34,000 followers by blending humor with insightful commentary on the intersection of law and technology.
As the head of community development at Ironclad, a contract lifecycle management platform, he offers a unique perspective on legal tech and law firm dynamics.
Alex’s content often satirizes traditional legal culture, providing a refreshing and entertaining take on the profession. His engaging posts resonate with both legal professionals and those interested in the evolving legal landscape, making his account a valuable follow for insights into modern legal practice.
Taylor M. Tieman, Esq
Taylor M. Tieman, Esq, better known as Legalmiga, runs an account with about 30,000 followers. She provides legal education and advice with a special focus on issues affecting the Hispanic community.
By offering content in Spanish and addressing culturally specific legal concerns, Legalmiga serves as a vital and relatable resource for Spanish-speaking individuals seeking legal guidance.
McKinney Law Group
The McKinney Law Group, with approximately 15,000 followers, focuses on criminal defense, legal rights, and the justice system on their Instagram account, @lawmckinney.
Their posts often delve into current events and legal news, providing a clear and informative perspective that educates and engages their audience on important legal matters.
Paige Sparks
Paige Sparks, known for her Instagram and TikTok presence, has amassed over 407,000 followers by simplifying employment and labor law topics.
Co-owner of Sparks Law Firm, Paige shares practical legal tips and insights into workplace laws, making complex topics accessible. Her relatable and empathetic approach, shaped by her own experiences with disabilities, resonates with a broad audience, earning her a standout spot in the legal influencer space.
Imani M. Williams, Esq.
Imani M. Williams, Esq., posting as @imamimwilliamsesq, has approximately 12,000 followers and shares insights into family law. Topics include divorce, child custody, and prenuptial agreements.
Her approachable demeanor and dedication to simplifying family law processes provide essential support for individuals navigating challenging personal legal matters.
How to Set Up and Optimize Instagram for Your Law Firm Marketing Efforts
So much for the basics. Through the rest of this guide, we’ll get specific on just how you can build your Instagram legal presence to maximize impact, brand awareness, and client relationships.
How to Get Started With Your Attorney Instagram Profile
To start, download the app in Apple’s App Store or Android’s Google Play Store. Use your business email address or phone number to create a profile.
Instagram automatically generates a username on your behalf. However, you can customize it to match your law firm’s name.
Try to pick a name that aligns with your other social media network handles as closely as possible.
Even if you run a solo legal practice, the next step is vital.
Create a professional business page, rather than using your own Instagram profile. This ensures that your personal digital presence doesn’t get confused with your professional expertise.
It also unlocks additional audience engagement features that we’ll discuss in more detail below.
Every account you create begins as a personal account. If you plan to run only one Instagram account (the one for your law firm), you can switch it to a professional account in the settings by following the steps below.
- Go to your Instagram account on your mobile phone. Once you’re there, click on the Account button in the bottom right corner. This will be a small round icon with your profile picture or, if you haven’t added a profile picture, a small silhouette icon.
- Click on hamburger menu button in the top-right. You’ll be taken to a new screen. Scroll down to the section “For professionals” and click on “Account type and tools”. Under “Account type”, select “Switch to professional account”.
You can also click the “Edit profile” button below your bio and select “Switch to professional account”.
- You should see a screen telling you about the advantages of a professional account. Click “Continue” at the bottom of the screen.
- Enter “Lawyer” in the search box, and then choose “Lawyer & Law Firm.”
- Click into the search bar again, and type “Lawyer.” Choose from the list the type of law that best describes you.
Next, add your profile photo.
It needs to be at least 180 pixels wide and long. You may want to use your law firm logo or, if you’re a solo practitioner, a professional headshot of you.
Where possible, use the same profile image you use on other social media networks.
Click on the profile picture, and you can customize your profile in a number of other ways:
- Enter a description of your legal practice. You’ll need to work within a 150-character limit. Use this space to be as convincing as possible in describing why potential clients should work with you.
- Link your law firm’s Facebook account. That pulls in your hours, business category, and price range. Plus, Instagram is owned by Facebook. Linking your account will make it easier for people who follow you on Facebook to discover you on Instagram.
- Add your contact information. Adding a physical address allows users on mobile devices to click on your street address for quick directions with Google or Apple Maps.
With these few steps, your profile is ready to go.
How to Find Hashtags Relevant to Your Legal Niche and Clients
Hashtags are a vital tool on Instagram because they broaden your scope. While great content can attract followers over time, hashtags enable instant visibility in conversations relevant to your legal expertise and niche.
Using hashtags is, in many ways, similar to selecting keywords for your search engine optimization strategy. You find relevant keywords, figure out which ones get the highest engagement, and then build and optimize content around those topics.
That starts, of course, with finding hashtags your audience actually uses in their daily posts, comments, and interactions.
That research starts informally. The Search & Explore tab on Instagram allows you to browse legal topics.
Doing this will give you an idea of just how other users and law firms use the same strategy to engage their audience.
Once you’ve found hashtags that are relevant to you, click them and browse through recent posts to get an overview of their popularity and relevance to your legal niche.
Of course, you can also use external tools to get more specific.
For example, Keywordtool.io has an Instagram-specific tab that allows you to find relevant, popular hashtags based on common legal keywords.
Follow the hashtags that match your needs and niche. Then begin to use them as you create a content strategy optimized for your audience.
How to Scope and Create an Instagram Content Strategy
With a general idea of the hashtags and content that are typical for your legal niche, it’s time to build your strategy. This is a multi-step process.
The result is a simple document that clearly outlines the why and how of spending your resources on Instagram.
- Begin with your goals. Exactly what are you hoping to achieve with an Instagram presence? Do you want to gain new clients? Are you looking to deepen your relationships with existing clients? Or, do you simply want to supplement your other digital efforts?
- Outline your resources. This includes listing what personnel and how many hours will be available for your legal Instagram marketing. You will also want to detail any budget you have to support paid efforts. While this step may seem redundant for smaller law firms and single attorneys, it will make scaling your social media strategy easier as you grow.
- Focus your content. Create a list of the types of topics and themes you hope to feature on your Instagram account. Draw from the goals and hashtags you’ve researched to create a topic list anyone on the account can easily refer to. Consider working with a content writer to truly make your posts shine.
- Define your frequency. We mentioned above that in most cases, posting once per day is sufficient for a successful commercial Instagram presence.
However, that does not account for the production of that content and any content beyond regular posts, like the Instagram Stories and Reels we’ll discuss below. Base your goal frequency on the resources available, as outlined above.
How to Create Posts that Showcase Your Law Firm and Expertise
Next, it’s time to build the posts that will become the backbone of your law firm’s Instagram presence. All posts are videos and photos.
This means there is some production required to ensure the content represents your firm well and accomplishes your marketing goals.
Here are a few tips to create posts that build brand awareness and audience engagement.
- Avoid over-promoting your own firm. The 80/20 rule is valuable here. No more than 20 percent of your content should be about yourself or your team.
- Offer a peeks behind the curtain. Profiles of your lawyers and staff, a quick office tour, or even a check-in during a particularly important day in court can all help personalize your presence.
- Focus on tangible value for your audience. As in legal content marketing, actionable tips on how to act in a situation where you claim expertise can go a long way toward building audience engagement and goodwill.
- Keep a professional voice. Unless your legal brand specifically focuses on relatability, it’s vital to come across as professional and authoritative in your field.
- Spend sufficient time on production. The right light and angle, well-planned videos, and well-prepared subjects all matter in creating engaging, professional Instagram content.
- Explore Instagram filters. They can be great in adjusting the lighting and visual appearance for you without much picture editing expertise needed. Of course, as with any tool, avoid overusing them.
With these tips in mind, begin creating posts that speak directly to your audience. Over time, you can evaluate their engagement to determine what types of posts tend to work best for your specific niche and clientele.
How to Leverage Instagram Stories for Increased Audience Engagement
Instagram Stories have become such a central part of the network that it’s difficult to remember that the format actually started at rival Snapchat.
The core concept, though, is the same. You create a series of short photos or videos, which are then shared not on the regular newsfeed but on top of it for 24 hours. After that, they disappear.
The reason for using them is simple. Stories appear above the newsfeed, optimizing visibility. Because they’re only available for 24 hours, they are ideal for timely content.
And because Instagram automatically rotates from one story of accounts to the next, you maximize the chances someone will see yours.
Stories allow you to interact directly with your audience. In addition to a photo or video, you can add stickers such as open-ended and yes-or-no questions, countdowns, and polls.
You can even add a hashtag sticker that brings your story beyond your followers and into broader user numbers.
Instagram Stories appear in a vertical phone format, with an ideal pixel size of 1080×1920. Planning out your content ahead of time is key to getting these right.
Potential Stories ideas for lawyers include:
- Q&As about your law firm or legal expertise. Be careful to avoid questions about specific cases or individual situations, though, as clients may need a more thorough consultation for valid advice.
- Live videos during events, such as the opening of a new office or attending a legal conference.
- Playful introductions of new team members, including the ability to ask them questions and showcase their personal and professional background.
When a story hits home, you can feature it as part of your profile to preserve it for more than 24 hours.
Over time, you can create a library of stories that comprehensively showcase your brand, expertise, and background.
How to Add Instagram Reels to Your Instagram Strategy
Reels are short video clips at 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds long. They use a full-screen 9:16 ratio to keep the user engaged.
Because Instagram prioritizes video content over static images, Reels tend to show up higher in newsfeeds than typical posts, making them a perfect opportunity for exposure and awareness.
For lawyers, Instagram Reels work best to answer quick questions that a broad segment of your audience might be interested in. Record your answer in profile mode, and don’t forget about your lighting and angles.
The Final Puzzle Piece: Integrating Instagram Into Your Legal Marketing Efforts
Create an Instagram presence designed to attract your audience and raise brand awareness. But of course, Instagram is not a standalone platform that could or should be the centerpiece of your legal digital marketing efforts.
At its best, it integrates into a larger strategy, all designed to increase brand awareness and build your client base.
That process can manifest itself in a number of ways:
Analytics from Instagram can provide valuable insights into your audience that you can use as you build and execute your strategy on other channels.
Instagram content can cross-post to Facebook for increased awareness and engagement with your local community.
Other channels can point to your new Instagram presence to build a follower base faster.
Paid Instagram ads can reach a broader audience and link directly to your law firm website for more in-depth content and client conversions.
When focusing on the right keywords and hashtags, Instagram can supplement your SEO for lawyers campaign.
Of course, getting to that time can get complicated. Fortunately, you’re not on your own. Contact our attorney SEO specialists at LawRank for more help in your legal marketing efforts.
