How to Use Twitter for Law Firms

Social Media

Twitter has long since been a place for users to share thoughts and speculate on trending news topics. You may think tweeting is for the birds and something young people do in their free time. However, if used correctly, Twitter can be a powerful marketing channel to connect with your audience and establish your brand.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a microblogging social network that allows you to send concise messages up to 280-characters. These messages are called “tweets,” and users can like, comment, or share them on their profiles. Twitter also doubles as a digital news source for trending information that users react and respond to.

Twitter allows you to say a lot with a little, and you’d be surprised how your succinct tweet can pack a punch. Since Twitter connects directly with the news, shared content can quickly go viral among 396.5 million active users. 

Making the Case for Twitter

If you already have your hands full with a LinkedIn profile or company Facebook page, you may be wondering if you need a Twitter account. Twitter can add a lot of value to your firm. Here’s how.

Understanding Your Audience

As a lawyer, you deal with everyday people. It’s essential to understand what they care about and how they react to your content or trending topics in the news. Knowing this information can help you adjust your content strategy and better serve them.  Twitter gives you real-time access to customer sentiment.

Building Authority

Just as much as Twitter helps you get a pulse on what your audience cares about, it also enables you to share your legal knowledge and what parts of the law you’re passionate about. Crafting insightful tweets that spark conversation or sharing your take on trending legal news are great ways to position yourself as a thought-leader.

Connecting with the Legal Community

Twitter also opens the door to engaging with other legal professionals. Hashtags like #LawTwitter help you instantly connect with lawyers, law students, professors, and many others in the legal field. Tweet your thoughts, retweet posts, and join conversations. 

How Your Law Firm Can Use Twitter  

If you’re new to Twitter, you most likely need help getting started. Don’t worry. We’ll explain all that Twitter has to offer, including what to post and the features you may be interested in.

When You Should Post

Twitter content comes and goes quickly. Users have about 20 minutes to view your content before the next big thing swallows up their feed.

Since your tweets have a short shelf-life, don’t worry about recycling your posts. Consider making at least two tweets a day to maintain a steady flow of content. If you can’t find the time to commit to a couple of posts a day, create a more reasonable Twitter content schedule to keep your profile fresh.

What to Post

When it comes to posting content, everything you do should add value to your brand. Sometimes engaging with others is just as effective as creating your own tweets. If you stumble upon a tweet that sparks your interest, consider retweeting it with a personal quote that offers your take on the topic.

Refrain from getting into arguments or entertaining users’ negative comments. Letting your emotions get the best of you can damage your brand image.

When creating your own tweets, always make sure they’re relevant to your practice area. Commenting on new legislation or current trials that could affect your audience are great ways to flex your legal knowledge and give users insight into complex legal topics.

Links also get a lot of engagement on Twitter, so it’s an excellent place for you to share recent blog posts or articles you’ve been mentioned in. Use the URL shortening tool Bitly to stay within the character limit.

Take Advantage of These 6 Twitter Features

Don’t limit yourself to 280 characters. Utilize all of Twitter’s features to create quality content that engages with your audience.

1. Twitter Live

Instead of waiting for users to see your feed, create live videos and meet them where they are. Live videos allow you to connect with followers in a more personal way. They also build trust more quickly with your community.

They can tune in and engage with you in real-time while you’re at an event or if you just have some free time to chat.

Go live by tapping the camera icon when you’re making a tweet. Then, swipe right and hit “Go LIVE.”

2. Photos & Videos

Put a face to the name with a personal photo or video to go along with your tweet. Make sure you post high-quality images. Think about the lighting, angle, placement, and content of your photo.

Use portrait mode to blur the background of your picture and create a more professional look. Upload photos simply by tapping the photo icon.

Just like tweets, make videos short and sweet. Enhance your audio by ensuring you’re in a quiet place with limited distractions. You can upload videos the same way you upload photos.

3. Twitter Audio

As a lawyer, you’re a gifted speaker. Why not use your voice to compose a tweet? Twitter Audio allows you to record audio messages for your followers.

Record your tweet by tapping the compose tweet icon and the voice icon. Then, hit record and let ’er rip.

Be aware though, like everything else on Twitter, there is a recording limit.

Twitter gives you 2 minutes and 20 seconds to record your audio. If you go over, your recording will be split up into another tweet. You can record up to 25 tweets of continuous audio.

4. Twitter Moments

Twitter Moments are the most popular stories happening on Twitter. They are divided into different categories like sports, news, and trending. You can access this by tapping the explore tab icon (it looks like an eyeglass).

Here, you can view all the current stories.

This is a good tool to use when current trials are going on that are relevant to your practice area. Click on the story and retweet it so it appears on your page and put your two cents in on the subject.

5. Twitter Spaces

Twitter spaces give you a place to share your thoughts and ideas in a controlled audio environment. You can assign up to two co-hosts and include up to 11 speakers. Set the topic and let the discussion begin. This live audio conversation appears at the top of your timeline, which helps users easily join in to listen.

You can create a space by pressing and holding down the compose button and tapping the spaces icon on the far left. Name your space, send requests to listeners, and start the conversation.

6. Twitter Communities

Twitter communities make a social network consisting of millions of users feel small and personal. They allow you to connect with others who have similar interests and encourage discussion around a focused topic. Create one by submitting an interest form.

Twitter Profile Checklist

Before you compose your first tweet, you need a branded profile. Make sure your profile includes the following:

• Header Image – Make sure you adjust your image to fit within Twitter’s dimensions (1500px x 500px)
• Profile Photo – This can either be your logo if it’s a firm page or a professional headshot for solo practitioners creating a personal profile.
• Twitter Handle – Your handle is your profile’s name. Handles have a 15-character limit and must be branded to you. This could be either your name or the firm’s name.
• Bio – Keep your bio brief (160 characters). This should explain your practice areas, what you’re passionate about, and a call to action to contact your firm or visit your website.
• Location – Use the city and state of your main office location.
• Website URL – Include a link to your website.

Twitter Professional Account

Twitter also offers the option to apply for a professional account. This gives you access to additional tools and features not available on your personal account.

You can select business categories, add your firm’s daily office hours and address, and include information for users to contact your firm, among other valuable features.

New to Twitter? We Can Help.

Twitter is an excellent tool for building authority and engaging with the community. However, crafting your social media strategy can be difficult and time-consuming for first-time users with packed schedules.

Postali helps you manage your accounts to help you get the most out of your social media strategy. We also offer an array of marketing solutions for small to mid-sized firms that put personality behind your brand and ensure a hefty return on your investment. Let us take your firm to the next level by contacting Postali today.