Why Social Media is Step 2 in Your Marketing Plan
If you’re a solo or small firm lawyer trying to grow your practice, chances are you’ve felt the pressure to “get more content out there on social media.” Maybe you’ve been told to post more on LinkedIn, start a YouTube channel, or go live on Instagram. So you start posting. You put effort into creating helpful tips, answering common client questions, maybe even sharing a bit about your day-to-day work.
But the leads don’t come. Or at least, not the kind of leads you want.
What gives?
The problem isn’t your content. It’s the system (or lack of one) behind it. Social media isn’t magic; it’s a tool. And like any tool, it only works if it’s connected to something larger. It’s a layer that you put over your law firm marketing engine.
That’s why social media is Step 2 in your marketing plan, not Step 1.
Why Most Social Media Fails
Let’s be honest: most lawyers are treating social media like it’s a completely separate strategy on par with your other marketing initiatives. But in reality, it’s just the front door to your marketing. And if there’s no solid intake process or content behind that door when it’s opened, then even the best content can’t convert curious followers into real clients.
In short, you don’t need to go viral; you need a plan.
Think of it this way: posting content is the first touch. But what happens after that touch (assuming your social media post has a compelling call to action)? If someone watches your video, clicks on your link, and reaches out, but your intake process is inconsistent, slow, or unclear, you’ve just lost the opportunity you worked so hard to create.
That’s why posting should never be the first step. Your foundation (your intake system, your calendar availability, your response times) needs to be built first. Otherwise, social media becomes a leaky funnel, not a growth engine.
Using Social Media to Grow a Law Firm Means Thinking Long Game
Here’s the truth you won’t find in your social media analytics: your best clients often come from people who have been silently watching you for weeks, or even months.
They rarely like, they almost never comment, but they’re watching.
They’re observing how you show up. They’re getting a feel for who you are, how you talk, and whether they can trust you. And when the moment comes (when they finally need a lawyer) they already know who to call.
This is the real return on social media: trust at scale.
That’s the beauty of using social media to grow a law firm. It allows you to build familiarity and credibility with dozens, even hundreds, of potential clients or referral partners at once, without ever hopping onto the phone or sending a single email.
But again, none of that matters if there’s no reliable system behind the scenes to turn interest into action.
Build Your System Before You Build Your Feed
If you’re wondering where to start, I always recommend beginning with what you already have. You likely have great content already: your articles, your FAQs, your blog posts. That’s gold. Break it up and repurpose it.
But before you do, look at your intake. Could it handle a 5x increase in inquiries? Do you have a clear follow-up process? Are you booking consults efficiently? If not, that’s where your energy should go first.
Once that’s in place, you’ll want to keep your eyes on the right metrics. A video that gets 200 views and brings in 3 consults is a home run. One with 10,000 views and no leads? That’s just noise.
And when it comes to content creation, remember: you’re not trying to impress strangers. You’re trying to stay visible to the people most likely to refer or hire you: your Dream 100, referral partners, and past clients. Stay in their feed. Stay in their minds. That’s how social media turns into real growth.
Using Social Media to Grow a Law Firm—The Right Way
So yes, social media absolutely works. But only when it’s part of a bigger, better system. If your team isn’t ready to handle leads, if your intake isn’t dialed in, then social media won’t fix that; it’ll just make the cracks show faster.
But when your backend is solid, your message is clear, and your content shows up consistently? That’s when social media starts doing what you hoped it would all along: bringing in better clients, more consistently, with less effort.
Ready to Make Social Media Work for You?
Most lawyers think the problem is their content. But the truth is, social media doesn’t work if you don’t have a system behind it.
If you’re ready to build a marketing engine that actually gets results—one that connects content with a conversion-ready system—let’s talk. I help solo and small firm lawyers build lean, effective systems that turn attention into action. Click here to schedule a free call.
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