Obtaining clients from organic social media is a two-step process. First you attract viewers and followers. Second, you let them know what type of law you practice.
To help you with the first step – attracting viewers and followers, I am starting this new article series called Popular Social Topics.
I share examples of high-view Instagram and TikTok videos from successful lawyers on social media, along with my analysis of the technique they are using.
You should find this information helpful in broadening your own social reach, for as a general rule, the more widely known you are the more successful your practice will be.
And for additional ways to market your law firm, check out 10 Marketing Tips From My Interviews.
Topic #1: Argue less, converse more
Injury lawyer Jefferson Fisher has done a masterful job of delving deeply into the large and popular topics of argument and conversation. What do they have to do with personal injury, you ask? As a lawyer, language is your primary tool, so it makes sense that others might look to you for guidance on using it … especially since arguing is what you do for a living.
Jefferson has also grasped the important social media lesson of first drawing an audience, and second letting them know what type of law you practice. Had he stuck strictly to talking about personal injury, his follower count would be a small percentage of the 3 million he currently has on Instagram. And yes, I said 3 million.
Lastly, notice that Jefferson begins nearly all of his videos with “How to….” Teaching people how to do something is one of the most popular video categories across nearly every subject.
Topic #2: Everyday law
- Do you have to tell your boss why you are out?
- Can anyone legally park in front of your house?
- Is skipping jury duty legal?
I interviewed Neama Rahmani in November 2022. In 8 years he and his partners have built a sizable and fast-growing injury and employment firm of 25 attorneys and 100 support staff, relying heavily on social media for new clients.
A large percentage of Neama’s social videos deal with everyday law – legal questions people have on a daily basis. Most are unrelated to personal injury. In Neama’s words:
We are the equivalent of an orthopedic surgeon who is doing rotator cuff surgery. No one wants to think about getting catastrophically injured and needing to hire a lawyer. But if they do, we want them to think, ‘I’ve seen Neama, he seems very knowledgeable, he has told me about all these legal things, why don’t I give him a call?’
Topics #3 and 4: Movies and legalese
- What should Harry Potter sue for?
- Avengers sued for destroyed cars?
- ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ in legalese
Joel Hengstler and team members at his personal injury team have discovered two high-view, legally-oriented, unique-to-them topics:
1. Lawsuits around popular movies. What causes of action can Harry Potter include in a lawsuit? Can the Avengers be sued for damaging cars? Can Hagrid sue for defamation? This is a topic well that will never go dry.
2. Plain English to legalese. Ditto for translating popular phrases into legalese, as the possibilities are endless.
However, the attraction element in both is Joel’s talent for extemporaneously providing great responses when questions are posed. That ability will keep these topics mostly proprietary.
Lastly, notice how verdict and settlement videos and posts are periodically sprinkled in. Those posts remind viewers that the firm handles injury cases.
Topic #5: Rights you didn’t know you had
- Keep and read your credit card receipts
- Informed consent for fingerprints
- Illegal restaurant surcharges
Obscure laws and regulations that have a monetary element have proven popular for Haseeb. As analyzed car crash videos do for injury lawyers, these money-oriented videos have the added benefit of demonstrating Haseeb Hussain’s expertise in consumer law. He calls them ‘rights you didn’t know you had.’
Notice that Haseeb doesn’t seek to entertain. No dancing, funny faces, or costumes. He plays it straight in all his videos, providing education in simple and straightforward fashion. Being his lawyerly-self has not held him back; 450,000 TikTok followers is a massive following for a lawyer.
Topic #6: Commenting on accidents
Within the personal injury specialty, vehicle accidents are the most popular category of videos. Within this category, dashcam videos will draw more views. Adding your commentary, focusing on who is at fault, is almost a guaranteed path to more views.
This approach can be extended to other types of accidents, including falls, construction injuries, and workers’ comp incidents. A built-in benefit is the establishment of your expertise as you explain why one or both of the parties are at fault.
The silliness used by James, while memorable, is not necessary for success with accident videos. I know several lawyers who are succeeding with a straightforward, analytical approach when commenting on accidents.
Topic #7: Taking a strong position
- Keeping spouse on health insurance during divorce
- Objection, Your Honor
- New girlfriend/boyfriend can pick up your child
Cherika Nicole leans heavily on two approaches in her more popular videos – (1) lip syncing over humorous or trending sounds, and (2) B-roll footage combined with text.
Both approaches lean on her firmly expressing her opinion, which is a lesson worth remembering. Taking a position pro or con … even if some people will disagree … conveys an image of combativeness, which is what many people expect from their lawyer.
Topic #8: Answering common questions about work
Answering commonly-asked questions is one of the surest routes to success on social media. Start with the ones your prospects and new clients regularly ask. Begin by stating the question, and then answer concisely, in plain English, and without hedging as employment lawyer Adam Juratovac does here.
If you have enough followers, you will also receive questions in your comments. Definitely answer those, both briefly in the comments and later in more detail with a follow-up video. And as the second stitched example illustrated, you can look outside your office and your comments for questions.
Topic #9: Answering common questions about criminal law
- What do you do with your one phone call from jail?
- What do you do when the cops say they have a warrant?
- Why do officers touch the back of your car during a traffic stop?
Kevin Kennedy’s firm accepts most types of consumer cases, from bankruptcy to Social Security disability and nearly everything alphabetically in between.
And yet most of his videos – especially the high-view ones – cover criminal law. That is because, with consumers, (1) criminal law is the most popular of all the legal specialties and (2) Kevin knows that the first goal in social media is to attract viewers and turn them into followers.
Kevin has adopted a distinctive and flashy style that works with his personality and appearance. Grabbing attention is half the challenge on social media when you are competing with daredevils, models, dancers, and the nearly naked.
Don’t think that I am advocating being someone you are not merely to draw attention to yourself. One, it will never work. Inauthenticity is a recipe for failure. Two, and more importantly, it is not necessary. As my previous illustrations showed, many lawyers have succeeded on social media with a straightforward approach – no acting, comedy, costumes, or flashiness.
Conclusion
In my interviews and research I have uncovered dozens more social topics which are popular with consumers, so I will be sharing more with you. Hopefully some of the topics will fit your specialty and interests.
And if you want help with your social media, remember that my team and I remotely shoot, edit, and post over 100 videos every week for lawyers. We know what works on social media, and have streamlined the process so it only requires 45 minutes of your time every month.
Calendar an appointment with me if you want to learn more.