How Law Firms Can Get a Return on Social Media Marketing Spend

A recent article from Legal Futures revealed that only 23% of law firms feel their social media efforts are effective, even though many allocate up to a quarter of their marketing budgets to these platforms. Yet, with 91% of UK adults active on social media, the potential for client engagement is enormous—it’s the strategy that requires adjustment.

At Legal Growth, we’ve implemented proven social media strategies to grow our audience and engagement.

By combining insights from Legal Futures with our real-world results, this guide demonstrates how law firms can leverage social media to drive measurable success.

Use Facebook Groups to Build Authority

Facebook Groups are thriving communities where people share advice, ask questions, and look for recommendations—perfect settings for law firms to establish credibility. However, while 75% of law firms are active on Facebook, many fail to use groups strategically.

At Legal Growth, engaging in Facebook Groups helped us achieve a 104.35% increase in followers over five months for a recent client. By sharing practical, relevant content, we positioned ourselves as trusted advisors and connected directly with target audiences.

Why It Works: Groups allow firms to target niche audiences and build trust through valuable advice. For instance, property-focused groups are ideal for promoting conveyancing services, while family-centric groups can highlight Wills and probate expertise.

Get Staff to Share Posts for Greater Reach

Employee advocacy is a highly effective yet underutilised method to amplify social media content. Research shows that posts shared by employees generate 8 times more engagement than those posted from corporate accounts.

At Legal Growth, posts shared by team members contributed to a 15.73% increase in LinkedIn followers over the last 6 months, proving the power of personal networks in extending reach. More staff would accelerate these figures.

Why It Works: Social media algorithms prioritise posts from personal accounts, giving them better visibility than corporate posts. In essence we believe that these platforms want you to pay for commercial reach, and so far, in this article, we’ve suggested ways to boost visibility without spending on paid or social ads. By encouraging employees to share firm updates or achievements, you amplify your message and add authenticity. Providing simple templates or training can make this process seamless. Just ensure that team members add a little personality into their shared posts and don’t simply ‘share’.

Should you wish to have some training for your team on the use of socials and maximising reach, Legal Growth can provide this by video conference or face to face. Simply reach out for more information.

Run Competitions to Drive Engagement

Social media contests deliver 3.5 times more engagement than standard posts, making them a powerful tool for sparking interest and interaction. For law firms, contests can showcase expertise while encouraging participation.

Why It Works: Competitions encourage sharing and interaction, tapping into users’ desire to win. For example, a trivia contest on legal topics or a challenge asking businesses to share intellectual property best practices could attract attention. Incentives like free consultations or vouchers tie directly to potential clients’ needs.

Use Videos to Boost Engagement

Video content is king when it comes to engagement, generating 1,200% more shares than text and images combined. Yet, many law firms hesitate to embrace this format.

At Legal Growth, video content consistently outperformed other formats. A client testimonial video, for example, achieved 1,838 impressions and 10 likes, proving that even small-scale efforts can yield significant results.

Why It Works: Videos simplify complex topics and make your brand more relatable whilst also adding human elements in to build trust. For instance, a short clip titled “How to Write a Will” could demystify a common legal process while showcasing your expertise. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook favour video content in their algorithms, ensuring broader reach.

Post at the Best Times for Maximum Impact

Timing is everything when it comes to social media success. Research from Hoot-suite reveals that LinkedIn posts perform the best on midweek mornings, while Facebook posts thrive on weekdays after work between 5 pm and 8 pm.

At Legal Growth, posts scheduled during peak activity hours consistently delivered higher engagement, while those posted on Fridays tended to underperform.

Why It Works: Posting when your audience is most active ensures higher visibility and interaction. Analytics tools can help you determine the optimal posting times for your specific audience, maximising the impact of your content.

Social media is a powerful asset for law firms when used strategically. It enables relationship-building, drives client inquiries, and enhances your reputation. By applying tactics like engaging in Facebook Groups, empowering your team to share posts, running creative competitions, creating compelling videos, and posting at peak times, you can turn social media into a genuine driver for growth.

At Legal Growth, we’ve used these strategies to achieve significant success, from increased follower counts to boosted engagement. Your law firm can achieve similar results by embracing these proven approaches.

Contact us today to learn how we can help your firm transform social media into a growth engine or if you’d like us to provide training for your team.