Twitter has over 500 million active users. With the right messaging and branding, that's a lot of opportunities to enhance your online presence and visibility with potential clients.
While other social media platforms like TikTok have cornered the market on the younger generation, nearly 60% of Twitter's users are between ages 25 and 49, which likely coincides more with a big chunk of your target market.
Twitter is a powerful brand-building platform and can help with lawyer lead generation efforts, too. But having a profile and knowing how to use it correctly are two different things. Check out six tips lawyers can use to make the most of Twitter.
1. Optimize Your Profile
Your profile is a home base for people to learn more about you after checking out a tweet or a comment of yours on someone else's tweet. Make sure you've filled out every part of your profile and that it fully represents you and your brand.
Your Twitter profile should include:
- A professional and clear Twitter handle, such as your name, your law firm's name, or something like “yournamethelawyer.”
- A profile picture that shows what you really look like, preferably in business casual or professional clothing
- A cover photo with your law firm logo
- A customized bio of no more than 160 characters, ideally explaining what you do and where you do it, as well as a way to get in touch with you
Matt Dolman does a great job highlighting his unique value proposition and hashtags related to his practice area on his profile. A professional picture and clear cover photo stand out, too.
Morgan & Morgan’s profile is another great example to look to. Note the use of the pipe symbol (|) to help break up different ideas within the bio, the law firm hashtag, and solid branding throughout the image and cover photo.
2. Create a Consistent Posting Schedule
Twitter is a fast-paced social media platform, so it's not enough to jump on once a week for a few minutes. According to the American Marketing Association, the best time to post on Twitter is 8 A.M. on Mondays and Thursdays.
Test out planning a few tweets per week and gather data about which ones perform the best in terms of views and responses. Best practices on Twitter are to post at least once per day.
3. Respond to Other's Tweets
On Twitter, it's not just about what you post. It's about creating engagement by following other people and commenting on their material, too. Much like LinkedIn, the platform favors you the more you engage with other people.
Stay connected to others in the legal industry and retweet or comment on their material as it's relevant to your own practice areas. If you're using social media as a way to build a following across the board, show that you're an active Twitter user to get more attention for your own account.
Here, Kenneth Grady answers a question on a hot topic, engaging with his audience and sharing his expertise on Twitter.
4. Reschedule Tweets Three Times
Because the Twitter feed moves so quickly, most people won't see your tweet the first time you post it. If you're posting evergreen content that works well across all seasons, reschedule it to come back to your feed a few weeks or a month later. There are several tools that can help with this, including:
This is important if you're adding commentary to your blog posts and other thoughts on general FAQs or legal issues faced by your law practice clients since you want to increase the views on these important pieces of content.
5. Use Hashtags with Intention
Is there anything more annoying on Twitter than the person who overdoes it with hashtags? Lawyers are often front and center for important legal issues, and hashtags make it possible to get your content in front of others. Search on Twitter to see what's trending. You can search "#personalinjury" or #familylaw" to see what's popular right now.
As a general rule, don't use more than a few hashtags in every tweet. If you can, work them into the sentence you're writing, too.
6. Share Visual Content, Too
Twitter is definitely all about the pithy short comments, but don't forget about visuals, too. Combine engagement and visuals with your thoughts like Jordan Couch did recently after attending the Clio Cloud Conference.
Here Jordan used the conference hashtag for more visibility but also tagged the speakers at the event he snagged pictures from, which is a great way to boost his following and give credit where it's due.
Is Twitter Worth it for Lawyers?
Twitter is great for getting your law firm name out there as part of your social media and digital marketing plan, but it's not the best channel for attracting new leads to your law firm. It’s a solid platform for sharing information, but this doesn't mean your target clients are ready to buy legal services from you simply because they saw your tweet or your profile.
Other forms of content marketing, such as creating great content for your law firm website, may meet your prospective clients closer to the point at which they are actively searching for a lawyer's help.
Even if Twitter is unlikely to lead a high proportion of viewers to converted clients, it is still good for:
- Brand building (check out Ben Crump’s Twitter for proof)
- Networking
- Staying up to date and discovering new trends in the legal industry
Twitter is also good for forming and growing relationships with other lawyers and referral partners. Keeping up with legal news and current events is easy with Twitter, which also gives you strong fodder for your own feed.
If someone does end up finding you and wants to speak with you about their legal issue, make sure you have contact info and a call to action in your Twitter bio.
One other thing to note is that the tactics that you apply to Twitter also apply to Meta's new Threads app. Lawyers can post on both to get twice the impact.
Who Should You Follow?
Twitter has some great uses aside from lead gen. Following other accounts is the best way to start engaging with others on this social media platform and also to begin growing your own following. Here are some of the top influencers worth following in the Twittersphere for lawyers.
ABA Journal: Every lawyer should stay connected to the American Bar Association, but one of the easiest ways to follow popular topics and trends is to follow them on Twitter. Similarly, follow your state bar association for news and upcoming events.
Gyi Tsakalakis: A prominent thought leader in the legal field, Gyi is a great example of how to post consistently, use hashtags, and mix it up between your own content and that created by others.
Bob Ambrogi: Bob covers hot topics in legal innovation and tech, and his tweets are often at the cutting edge of things lawyers should pay attention to online and offline.
Above the Law: Above the Law features a lot of relevant news in the legal industry, especially when it comes to tips and tools for running a firm.
Attorney at Work: Committed to sharing one really good idea every day, you'll find inspiration and practical strategy on this Twitter feed.
Legal Marketing Association: Looking for upcoming events for you or your law firm's marketing team? Or perhaps you're more interested in research and data on what's working to scale a law firm. This is the feed to watch.
Legal Talk Network: A company with links to plenty of new media in the legal space, this is a great feed to watch for the latest updates and podcasts across the industry.
Legal Intelligence: Get your quick fix of recently-filed suits by following this publication.
Legal Tweets: A regular dose of tech-inspired tips is what you can expect when scrolling through this feed.
Chere Estrin: Lawyers are nothing with their legal support staff; stay tuned to what's hot with paralegals and other legal professionals by giving her a follow.
Legal Tech News: See what's coming up soon and what's working well for tech-enabled law firms interested in the best practice management tips.
Anxious Lawyer: Too much anxiety-provoking news on your social media? Get reminders and tips about meditative practices and mindfulness.
Adriana Linares: Stay at the forefront of what's most important in cybersecurity and tech by following this San Diego County Bar tech officer.
Rankings.io: Practical, actionable insight on how to make content marketing matter in your law firm.
Fitting Twitter into Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Around the world, Twitter is the 9th most visited website. When you know how to use Twitter well, post consistently, use hashtags effectively, and connect with others on the platform, you can grow your brand and boost your online presence with Twitter.
While this might not always mean a new client comes directly from your Twitter, the opportunity for enhanced visibility fits in well with your law firm marketing plan. If you haven't yet claimed your handle and set up your Twitter account, get started now.
Don't forget that Twitter should be used in conjunction with other lead gen channels to get the most out of your online marketing. Combined with efforts like paid ads and especially SEO and content production, you'll round out a solid way to reach new clients and grow your law firm's revenue.
