Instagram may seem overwhelming for lawyers. People will skip your posts or unfollow you if the things you share don’t resonate with them.
The good news is you can use inspiration from other lawyers on Instagram who are already succeeding on the platform. From regular grid posts to reels and Instagram stories, lawyers can use this social media platform to connect with followers.
To reach these people, you need to strike a balance with the content you put on the platform. The ideas on this list will help you infuse your posting strategy with creativity to make great content for potential clients.
1. Client Reviews
Client reviews are as good as gold in the legal community. Whether you received a kind email, a new review on your Google My Business profile, or feedback on a legal directory listing, know that you can repurpose it into images for Instagram.
Social proof in the form of other people’s words can carry much more weight than talking about yourself. People trust you more when others take the extra step to share a good experience with your firm.
2. Show Behind the Scenes
You might assume that no one cares to see the behind the scenes of a law office, but that’s not true.
Much of what lawyers put out there in their marketing showcases the professional, educated, and serious approach they take to clients’ cases. This can come across as overly serious to some people. Giving people a peek behind the curtains shows your potential clients that you and your staff are people too.
If you have a funny holiday party photo, a unique staff birthday tradition, or got involved in some community service as a group, don’t be afraid to highlight it on Instagram.
3. Dispel Myths
As a lawyer, you probably hear the same myths and misconceptions with new clients or on intake calls. You can turn this information into helpful Instagram posts that clear up the issue for others.
If prospective clients hesitate to take action with their legal issue because of a misunderstanding, make a myth post.
These types of Instagram posts plant the seed that you are an expert in your field with a deep understanding of your practice area. You can become the person that prospective clients come to for answers by dispelling myths.
Posts like the one above build the viewer’s interest to learn more about the myths and the truth behind them.
4. Explain the Value of a Lawyer
Many clients worry about the possible expense of hiring a lawyer or feel confused about the best way to find someone to help them.
The concept that people “don’t know what they don’t know” applies here. If you have information that a potential client hasn’t really thought about, you can discuss your role in helping with cases.
The law firm in the example above recognizes that some people think they don’t need a lawyer. Their post uses four simple statements to explain the value a new client will get from hiring their firm.
5. Break Down Practice Areas
If you represent many issues under one practice area umbrella, don’t assume that your clients understand all the nuanced details.
Although people could find this information on your law firm’s website, it makes for a good post every so often to give a little more information on all your practice areas or one in particular.
In the example above, the lawyer breaks down various kinds of personal injury lawsuits they handle. There’s also a very clear call to action in the caption and nice use of emojis.
6. Make a Meme
If you want to catch your viewer’s attention with something outside the ordinary, a funny meme can get eyeballs on your content. Make the content interesting, relatable, and associated with your practice areas.
In the above example, the law firm did an excellent job showcasing how hard they fight for clients and their knowledge of negotiating with insurance companies, all while making an eye-popping image.
7. Reference Case Outcomes
This law firm knows how to celebrate an out-of-court win. It also shows that they are actively working and closing out personal injury claims for their clients.
Even if you can’t always share a photo of someone holding a giant settlement check, there are other ways to get the point across.
You can post a picture of yourself celebrating after the settlement conference, post the amount of money recovered, or share something like “Another six-figure car accident verdict for our critically-injured client.”
The best firms use these types of Instagram posts sparingly since it can seem like they’re bragging if they do it too often. Refocus the award as an honor you’re proud to have because of how you help your clients.
Your state bar association may restrict what you can say in these posts (and on your website). Your content should clarify that you do not promise similar results to other new clients.
8. Answer a Common Question
This is a great example of how to use a carousel post to address a step-by-step process. While the timeline and steps to take in a case may seem obvious to you, your client might be researching to ensure they’ve done what they need to before hiring a lawyer.
Your front office staff probably gets the same questions over and over, so spend some time brainstorming with them or ask for a list of some of the most common legal questions new clients bring to the table.
Brief answers to some of these common questions make great fodder for your Instagram feed. You can repurpose top of funnel content to easily make these posts if you already invest in content marketing on other channels.
9. Share a Learning or Professional Development Note
While being vulnerable can be a challenge for lawyers, it’s also a good way to show prospective clients who you are as a person.
If you’re working on growing the business, getting more involved in your community, or tackling a new personal habit like reading more books or being more mindful, that might be another level on which your clients can connect with you.
In this example, the lawyer does a nice job of showing how she approaches the business of practicing law. It’s a subtle message about the power of hiring other people to help you with life or business.
Many people may be nervous about hiring a lawyer or not know how to resolve their legal issues on their own. This post makes the lawyer seem more approachable by showing her own vulnerabilities.
10. New Staff/Lawyer Announcement
If you have a growing law firm, it’s nice to celebrate your achievements and new hires on Instagram. Even if you have a lawyer who has worked at the firm for ten years, when was the last time you introduced them to your audience?
Use something like the example above to share a little detail about someone on your team. Talk about things like how long they’ve been practicing, what inspired them to go to law school, or what they are most excited about in joining your team. A good post humanizes your team and shows that you’re growing and successful.
11. Awards Announcement
While not all law firm awards are equally meaningful, if you have accomplished something special, you definitely want to get some mileage out of that on your social media feed.
Repurpose any badges from awards and pictures from events where you were honored. Clients like knowing that their lawyer is active in the legal community and has received nods from others in the industry.
Talking about yourself occasionally can be a good addition to your social media calendar. But the best law firms on Instagram balance these posts with more informative or client-focused posts, so their feeds don’t come across as self-congratulatory.
12. Share a Video, Interview, or Podcast Episode
Even if you don’t host your own show, you can share interviews where you’ve been featured, snippets from a YouTube channel, or snippets from blogs on your website.
With social media feeds moving quickly, it’s fine to share this information when it first comes out and then weeks or months later if the content is still relevant. Don’t assume that everyone sees your material the first time you post it.
13. Highlight Unique Firm Aspects
If some aspects of your firm are unique or set you apart from the competition, make sure to call attention to these as that could be the deciding factor for your client.
In this Instagram reel, the lawyer uses both text overlay and an audio explanation of how helpful it can be to work with multilingual lawyers. She wraps up the video by speaking in Spanish.
A personal injury firm with attorneys who used to be insurance adjusters or a medical malpractice lawyer who is also an M.D. are a few other examples of factors worth sharing on social.
14. Conduct a Poll
By conducting a poll, you get people to think about their actions and engage with the post by answering your question or sending you a DM. This idea is similar to the myth post because you’re calling attention to a misconception about your practice area.
Poll posts are a gentle way to call someone’s attention to the fact that they might be putting off important steps (like filing business documents, starting an estate plan, or working with a lawyer to discuss custody before they file for divorce) while educating them.
Getting the Most Out of Instagram
Instagram is just one platform that attorneys can use for social media marketing. If that’s where your audience spends time online, then now is the perfect time to plan your social media calendar.
Don’t overthink the content for this social media platform. Instead, focus on sharing a good balance of informational, relatable, and engaging content. Create posts that inspire people to follow you and potentially hire you.
Outside of posting, here are a few important tips for building your legal brand on Instagram:
- Make sure your law firm or lawyer Instagram bio is accurate with a call to action
- Choose a professional profile image
- Don’t limit yourself to static posts alone (use Instagram stories and reels, too)
- Use relevant hashtags in your captions to help get more eyes on your work
- Engage with your followers, such as answering them or liking their comments
- Use your Instagram profile to unlock your Threads account for cross posting and reaching an additional audience
If you want to learn more about getting the most out of this platform, check out our guide to how to market a law firm on Instagram.
