Key Ongoing Developments<\/h3>\n\n- Legal Challenges:<\/strong> The Supreme Court rejected TikTok\u2019s First Amendment arguments, ruling that national security concerns<\/a> justify the ban.<\/li>\n
- Potential Reprieve:<\/strong> President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he might grant a 90-day extension to the ban.<\/li>\n
- Perplexity AI<\/strong> has submitted a bid<\/a> to merge with TikTok\u2019s U.S. operations.<\/li>\n
- \u201cShark Tank\u201d<\/strong> investor Kevin O\u2019Leary<\/a> has made a $20 billion cash offer for the platform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should my law firm be on TikTok? What is Threads? Is it too late to create a Facebook page for my law firm? Have you heard of that new platform, FriendFrame?<\/p>\n
OK, FriendFrame doesn\u2019t exist \u2026 yet.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/should-your-law-firm-be-on-tiktok.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nTable of contents<\/h2>\n\n- Key Ongoing Developments<\/a><\/li>\n
- Four Questions to Ask About Social Media Marketing<\/a>\n
\n- 1. What Is My Primary Goal on Social Media, and How Will I Measure Success?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Is My Primary Audience on This Platform?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. What Type of Content Do Users Want to See on This Platform?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 4. What Content Format Does Best on This Social Media Platform (And Can I Create It)?<\/a><\/li>\n
- A Few Tips for Creating Content<\/a><\/li>\n
- The TikTok Ban<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
According to American Bar Association data, most law firms (89%) have an existing social media presence. Most firms that use social media are on LinkedIn (87%) and Facebook (62%), and about a third of firms (38%) are on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n
Whether you are considering launching a social media account to support your law firm\u2019s client development efforts or are looking to expand to new platforms, it is essential to consider how a social media platform would add value to your firm\u2019s marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
Four Questions to Ask About Social Media Marketing<\/h2>\n
When assessing the effectiveness of a social media platform, a few clarifying questions can help you decide if it is worth the time needed to nurture an impactful social media presence.<\/p>\n
Here are four questions to ask before launching a social media account for your law practice.<\/p>\n
1. What Is My Primary Goal on Social Media, and How Will I Measure Success?<\/h3>\n
When defining your social media goals, remember that the public looks to social media primarily as a source of connection, entertainment and information. According to a recent survey<\/a>, the top reasons people use social media include keeping in touch with friends and family, filling spare time, and reading news stories.<\/p>\nHowever, more consumers are also using social media as a search engine: 31% use social media to find answers to their questions, and 15% prefer to search on social media over traditional search engines like Google or Bing.<\/p>\n
While \u201cfind a lawyer\u201d may not be listed as a top social media search term, individual lawyers and law firms have the same opportunity as other entities to create and distribute content that provides the information audiences are searching for. \u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, your primary goal may be to increase awareness of the services your firm provides locally and, therefore, increase potential client inquiries. Or, perhaps you are hoping to position yourself as a \u201clegal thought leader\u201d who creates content that offers a personal perspective on legal issues in the news or educates fellow lawyers on innovations in legal practice.<\/p>\n
Even if your answer is a little of both, it will help inform what platforms you use (more on this later) and how you measure success.<\/p>\n
Either way, define clear metrics to help determine if your social media efforts support your goal. Then, establish methods for tracking and evaluating these metrics. For example, you may focus on high impressions on your posts (which may lead to increased brand awareness) or website traffic originating from your posts (which may lead to more lead generation).<\/p>\n
Social media platforms provide basic analytics, while tools like Hootsuite, SproutSocial and Google Analytics can supplement your data analysis.<\/p>\n
2. Is My Primary Audience on This Platform?<\/h3>\n
Nearly every demographic has some representation among the 5 billion worldwide social media users. Each of these users engages with about seven<\/a> social media platforms per month. But what platform will help you reach your goals?<\/p>\nSome platforms, like TikTok (whose largest age group<\/a> among its 900 million monthly users is 18 to 24 years old), may not immediately seem like a fit for an attorney hoping to raise awareness of their services in the local business community.<\/p>\nHowever, diverse and niche communities of all ages, genders and backgrounds exist on most social media platforms. That\u2019s why research is vital.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say you are a lawyer looking to grow your firm, which focuses on business formation, contracts, employment, and dispute resolution. When researching potential social media platforms on which to engage, you may consider if the social media platform has an active community of small businesses in your area, your local chamber of commerce or entrepreneurship-oriented groups. These organizations and their members may naturally support your practice, so they are ideal users to start following and engaging with.<\/p>\n
You can also consider searching for hashtags that are used locally (e.g., your city\u2019s name) and filtering search results to display only local people or organizations so you can gauge the number of users in your designated audience.<\/p>\n
If you are hoping to build a more education-focused thought leadership presence, consider searching for trending topics and hashtags related to the topic you want to discuss (e.g., #LegalTech) to see if there are active discussions on the platform.<\/p>\n
It may be more difficult to determine an emerging platform\u2019s audience. Consider subscribing to a newsletter like Social Media Today, which provides updates about new social media platforms.<\/p>\n
3. What Type of Content Do Users Want to See on This Platform?<\/h3>\n
According to Hootsuite\u2019s 2024 Social Media Consumer Report<\/a>, which surveyed 6,026 people aged 18\u201364 from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia on social media preferences, 56% of users said they prefer content that tells or teaches something new, 55% want content that makes them laugh, and 47% prefer content that inspires them.<\/p>\nHere are some examples of how law firms are using social media to do this:<\/p>\n
\n- West Coast Lemons<\/a> (@westcoastlemons on TikTok), a lemon law firm in California, shares video content on TikTok that is relevant to its audience: car owners. The firm leverages content on this topic to demonstrate its lawyers\u2019 expertise in the firm\u2019s practice area without directly advertising their services. Their videos include Q&As on the most reliable cars, cars the employees would never buy, recent car buying trends, and more general content like jumping on the Lawyer Barbie trend. The firm also includes a disclaimer in its video captions that says the content is not legal advice.<\/li>\n
- Price Benowitz LLP<\/a> (@pricebenowitz on TikTok), a criminal and personal injury law firm in Washington, D.C., educates users on best practices for navigating things like workers\u2019 compensation cases and personal injury claims through short videos featuring firm lawyers. It also humanizes its lawyers and showcases office culture through videos of office dogs (\u201cpawtners\u201d) and employee outings.<\/li>\n
- The Law Office of Erin Wilson<\/a>, a divorce and family law firm in Chicago, uses photos in almost all of its posts, which does great on most social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook). The photos are a mix of infographics, testimonial quote graphics and seasonal elements, which are used to educate readers on how the firm\u2019s services can cater to their lives. The firm also includes photos of the law firm\u2019s employees engaging in community events, illustrating a human side of the firm and building credibility locally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. What Content Format Does Best on This Social Media Platform (And Can I Create It)?<\/h3>\n
How you format the content you post will depend on each social media platform\u2019s design and the content you can feasibly create with your law firm\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n
According to the 2024 Hubspot Social Media Trends Report, short-form video<\/a> (or a video about five to 90 seconds in length) is the most popular format of posts among Gen Z, millennials and Gen X, in general, but especially for TikTok and Instagram reels.<\/p>\nHowever, long videos and text- or photo-based posts may also perform well depending on the platform. For example, on Facebook, photo posts earn the most engagement; on LinkedIn, posts that include a question or an infographic often earn the most engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\nAdditionally, authentic and relatable content typically outperforms highly produced or overly promotional content on social media. While this applies broadly to social media, some platforms, like LinkedIn<\/a>, may value a more professional tone.<\/p>\nA Few Tips for Creating Content<\/h3>\n
Once you commit to joining a social media platform, determine the resources you will need to consistently create new, engaging and informative content for your audience. Using a content calendar to ensure you have a plan for posting (at least once a week) will set expectations among your audience and help retain their following.<\/p>\n
There are several simple tools available that enable you to create eye-catching graphics, edit videos, build a schedule for social media posts, and support idea generation for content. Try Canva for graphic design, CapCut for video editing, Hootsuite or SproutSocial for scheduling, and Google Trends and generative AI tools like ChatGPT for idea generation. (Read: \u201cTop AI Tools for Legal Marketers.\u201d)<\/a><\/p>\nIf you determine that you can\u2019t commit to creating consistent, engaging content yet, you may still want to \u201creserve\u201d a space on the platform for your law firm.<\/p>\n
Create a profile with your law firm\u2019s name<\/a>, and fill out the relevant fields with contact information, your website and a short description of your services.<\/p>\nThis way, your information will be available to those who use social media as a search engine, and your law firm username will be available to you if you want to begin posting on that platform.<\/p>\n
So, Should I Join the Next Big Social Media Platform?<\/h2>\n
If you can successfully answer the questions above, you have the beginnings of a social media strategy that will lay a solid foundation for any platform you choose to join.<\/p>\n
The world of social media will continue to evolve rapidly, but staying true to your target audience and goals will help you approach each new platform with a consistent, strong presence for your law firm.<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s Going On with the TikTok Ban: National Security, Implications and Next Steps<\/h2>\n![\"What\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Whats-Going-On-with-the-TikTok-Ban.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBackground<\/h3>\n\n- The US government has been worried about TikTok\u2019s ties to the Chinese government and data collection and national security risks so there have been talks about banning TikTok. This legal and political mess has involved multiple lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the ban and the implications for First Amendment rights and overall free speech.<\/li>\n
- ByteDance owning TikTok has been the central issue in the related legal and governmental challenges. The Chinese government having access to data has been the concern so there\u2019s been legislation threatening to ban TikTok unless it\u2019s sold to a non-Chinese company.<\/li>\n
- The government\u2019s national security concerns in the area of data collection, influence operations, and cybersecurity risks, will ban TikTok as early as January 19, 2025.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s part of a broader effort to address national security concerns around Chinese companies and their ties to the Chinese government. The ban has raised free speech and government\u2019s role in regulating social media questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The TikTok Ban<\/h3>\n\n- The ban would prevent app stores from distributing or updating the TikTok app so it would be removed from the market.<\/li>\n
- The ban would also apply to internet services that host or distribute TikTok content.<\/li>\n
- It would affect TikTok users who would no longer be able to access the app or its content.<\/li>\n
- It raises free speech and users\u2019 ability to express themselves online questions.<\/li>\n
- The security and moderation issues faced by TikTok accounts especially the recent hijacking of brand and celebrity accounts show how important TikTok\u2019s Community Guidelines and its enforcement mechanisms are to keep all TikTok accounts safe and sound.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Legal and Updates<\/h3>\n\n- TikTok is challenging the ban in court saying it\u2019s unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment.<\/li>\n
- The Supreme Court will ultimately decide if the ban stands as TikTok has said it will appeal.<\/li>\n
- The legal challenges show how hard it is to regulate social media and the need for clear national security guidelines.<\/li>\n
- The ban also raises questions on government\u2019s role in regulating online content and censorship.<\/li>\n
- The Supreme Court\u2019s history of protecting Americans\u2019 First Amendment rights will be key to these constitutional challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
TikTok Users React to the TikTok Ban<\/h3>\n\n- The ban has also raised concerns about the impact on the economy and the potential for job losses.<\/li>\n
- TikTok users are worried and upset about the ban and many are speaking out against it on social media.<\/li>\n
- The Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has also responded to the ban saying it\u2019s unfair and unjust.<\/li>\n
- Lawmakers and policymakers are also divided on the ban, some say it\u2019s necessary for national security and others say it\u2019s government overreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should my law firm be on TikTok? What is Threads? Is it too late to create a Facebook page for my law firm? Have you heard of that new platform, FriendFrame?<\/p>\n
OK, FriendFrame doesn\u2019t exist \u2026 yet.<\/p>\n According to American Bar Association data, most law firms (89%) have an existing social media presence. Most firms that use social media are on LinkedIn (87%) and Facebook (62%), and about a third of firms (38%) are on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n Whether you are considering launching a social media account to support your law firm\u2019s client development efforts or are looking to expand to new platforms, it is essential to consider how a social media platform would add value to your firm\u2019s marketing strategy.<\/p>\n When assessing the effectiveness of a social media platform, a few clarifying questions can help you decide if it is worth the time needed to nurture an impactful social media presence.<\/p>\n Here are four questions to ask before launching a social media account for your law practice.<\/p>\n When defining your social media goals, remember that the public looks to social media primarily as a source of connection, entertainment and information. According to a recent survey<\/a>, the top reasons people use social media include keeping in touch with friends and family, filling spare time, and reading news stories.<\/p>\n However, more consumers are also using social media as a search engine: 31% use social media to find answers to their questions, and 15% prefer to search on social media over traditional search engines like Google or Bing.<\/p>\n While \u201cfind a lawyer\u201d may not be listed as a top social media search term, individual lawyers and law firms have the same opportunity as other entities to create and distribute content that provides the information audiences are searching for. \u00a0<\/p>\n For example, your primary goal may be to increase awareness of the services your firm provides locally and, therefore, increase potential client inquiries. Or, perhaps you are hoping to position yourself as a \u201clegal thought leader\u201d who creates content that offers a personal perspective on legal issues in the news or educates fellow lawyers on innovations in legal practice.<\/p>\n Even if your answer is a little of both, it will help inform what platforms you use (more on this later) and how you measure success.<\/p>\n Either way, define clear metrics to help determine if your social media efforts support your goal. Then, establish methods for tracking and evaluating these metrics. For example, you may focus on high impressions on your posts (which may lead to increased brand awareness) or website traffic originating from your posts (which may lead to more lead generation).<\/p>\n Social media platforms provide basic analytics, while tools like Hootsuite, SproutSocial and Google Analytics can supplement your data analysis.<\/p>\n Nearly every demographic has some representation among the 5 billion worldwide social media users. Each of these users engages with about seven<\/a> social media platforms per month. But what platform will help you reach your goals?<\/p>\n Some platforms, like TikTok (whose largest age group<\/a> among its 900 million monthly users is 18 to 24 years old), may not immediately seem like a fit for an attorney hoping to raise awareness of their services in the local business community.<\/p>\n However, diverse and niche communities of all ages, genders and backgrounds exist on most social media platforms. That\u2019s why research is vital.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you are a lawyer looking to grow your firm, which focuses on business formation, contracts, employment, and dispute resolution. When researching potential social media platforms on which to engage, you may consider if the social media platform has an active community of small businesses in your area, your local chamber of commerce or entrepreneurship-oriented groups. These organizations and their members may naturally support your practice, so they are ideal users to start following and engaging with.<\/p>\n You can also consider searching for hashtags that are used locally (e.g., your city\u2019s name) and filtering search results to display only local people or organizations so you can gauge the number of users in your designated audience.<\/p>\n If you are hoping to build a more education-focused thought leadership presence, consider searching for trending topics and hashtags related to the topic you want to discuss (e.g., #LegalTech) to see if there are active discussions on the platform.<\/p>\n It may be more difficult to determine an emerging platform\u2019s audience. Consider subscribing to a newsletter like Social Media Today, which provides updates about new social media platforms.<\/p>\n According to Hootsuite\u2019s 2024 Social Media Consumer Report<\/a>, which surveyed 6,026 people aged 18\u201364 from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia on social media preferences, 56% of users said they prefer content that tells or teaches something new, 55% want content that makes them laugh, and 47% prefer content that inspires them.<\/p>\n Here are some examples of how law firms are using social media to do this:<\/p>\n How you format the content you post will depend on each social media platform\u2019s design and the content you can feasibly create with your law firm\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n According to the 2024 Hubspot Social Media Trends Report, short-form video<\/a> (or a video about five to 90 seconds in length) is the most popular format of posts among Gen Z, millennials and Gen X, in general, but especially for TikTok and Instagram reels.<\/p>\n However, long videos and text- or photo-based posts may also perform well depending on the platform. For example, on Facebook, photo posts earn the most engagement; on LinkedIn, posts that include a question or an infographic often earn the most engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Additionally, authentic and relatable content typically outperforms highly produced or overly promotional content on social media. While this applies broadly to social media, some platforms, like LinkedIn<\/a>, may value a more professional tone.<\/p>\n Once you commit to joining a social media platform, determine the resources you will need to consistently create new, engaging and informative content for your audience. Using a content calendar to ensure you have a plan for posting (at least once a week) will set expectations among your audience and help retain their following.<\/p>\n There are several simple tools available that enable you to create eye-catching graphics, edit videos, build a schedule for social media posts, and support idea generation for content. Try Canva for graphic design, CapCut for video editing, Hootsuite or SproutSocial for scheduling, and Google Trends and generative AI tools like ChatGPT for idea generation. (Read: \u201cTop AI Tools for Legal Marketers.\u201d)<\/a><\/p>\n If you determine that you can\u2019t commit to creating consistent, engaging content yet, you may still want to \u201creserve\u201d a space on the platform for your law firm.<\/p>\n Create a profile with your law firm\u2019s name<\/a>, and fill out the relevant fields with contact information, your website and a short description of your services.<\/p>\n This way, your information will be available to those who use social media as a search engine, and your law firm username will be available to you if you want to begin posting on that platform.<\/p>\n If you can successfully answer the questions above, you have the beginnings of a social media strategy that will lay a solid foundation for any platform you choose to join.<\/p>\n The world of social media will continue to evolve rapidly, but staying true to your target audience and goals will help you approach each new platform with a consistent, strong presence for your law firm.<\/p>\nTable of contents<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Four Questions to Ask About Social Media Marketing<\/h2>\n
1. What Is My Primary Goal on Social Media, and How Will I Measure Success?<\/h3>\n
2. Is My Primary Audience on This Platform?<\/h3>\n
3. What Type of Content Do Users Want to See on This Platform?<\/h3>\n
\n
4. What Content Format Does Best on This Social Media Platform (And Can I Create It)?<\/h3>\n
A Few Tips for Creating Content<\/h3>\n
So, Should I Join the Next Big Social Media Platform?<\/h2>\n
\nWhat\u2019s Going On with the TikTok Ban: National Security, Implications and Next Steps<\/h2>\n
Background<\/h3>\n
\n
The TikTok Ban<\/h3>\n
\n
Legal and Updates<\/h3>\n
\n
TikTok Users React to the TikTok Ban<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AttorneyatWork-Logo-%C2%AE-2021-1.jpg?resize=372%2C106&ssl=1\" "\\"\\""){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n