Some tips for lawyers who want to promote themselves on social media

In the last fifteen years, social networks have changed our lives and also the way we work. The data speak for themselves: about 5.3 billion people in the world use a mobile device, and 4.62, or almost 60% of the world's population is registered with at least one social network.

New professions have been born within this parallel virtual world, one above all the "influencer" phenomenon that has changed, again, the way of doing business, but also the "traditional" professions have found, on social platforms, a new channel to procure customers.

Among the last to land on social media in a "pro" way, that is, not to share videos of kittens, children, ballets and fashion outfits, or the report of the Easter Monday barbecue, there are lawyers; a category notoriously resistant to change (worse than them perhaps only notaries, linked to an extremely traditional conception of the profession and the role they play), But that apparently it has also realized, recently, that times have changed, for everyone.

The hieratic figure of the professional barricaded behind his mahogany desk, who "summons" and "receives" clients, has disappeared since the 80s and, except for a few companies in the form of companies, which still today (but for how much longer) enjoy the privileges and glories of their past fame, today's lawyers, young and old, if they want to work, Invoicing, paying mortgage installments, rents, in short, living, customers must go and look for them.

And just as to look for a new partner we now rely on dating apps, easier and (apparently) less tiring than going out into the real world, so every professional, including a lawyer, can, in 2022, find new customers and make themselves known through social networks.

And the code of ethics?

A first problem encountered by the forensic category, apart from the natural reluctance of its components and resistance to innovations, is constituted by the forensic code of ethics, the text that collects all the duties of loyalty and correctness that a lawyer must respect in his relations with the client, with the counterpart, with colleagues and  with magistrates.

Together with the prohibition of customer hoarding, art. 37, for which it is forbidden to offer, either directly or through an intermediary, their professional services at the users' homes, in the workplace, rest, leisure and, in general, in public places or open to the public, also the prohibition of using websites in the case of redirection of commercial and / or advertising content  It was, until a few years ago, a problem difficult to overcome for lawyers who wanted to make themselves known on social media. An intervention by the National Forensic Council, however, has overcome this second limit, introducing a change that allows, albeit in a limited and controlled way, the use of the web even on non-proprietary sites.

The new text of art. 35, in fact, states in the first paragraph: "The lawyer who gives information on his professional activity, whatever the means used to make the same, must respect the duties of truth, correctness, transparency, secrecy and confidentiality, referring in any case to the nature and limits of the professional obligation".

The engraving that has been added "whatever the means used", therefore, opens up to the forensic professional the possibility of using non-proprietary sites, such as typically social networks, provided that in compliance with the decorum of the profession and the obligation to base its conduct on the characteristics of dignity and decorum.

The following paragraph 10 of the same art. 35 was also deleted, which provided: "the lawyer is responsible for the content and security of his site, which cannot contain commercial or advertising references either through direct indication or through internal or external connection tools to the site".

Therefore any means is allowed, within the limits of the duties of truth, correctness, transparency, secrecy and confidentiality, referring in any case to the nature and limits of the professional obligation.

But how, in practice, can a lawyer promote himself on social media?

Between the (right) limits imposed by the forensic system and the difficulties in understanding algorithms, platforms, content and social dynamics, it is not easy, in practice, for a lawyer, to make his way through the rocks of the social world.

Here is a practical and concrete mini guide, without shortcuts and without tricks or false chimeras, to help lawyers who wish to use these powerful tools in favor of their business.

How to get started, which platforms to choose

When you start a professional promotion activity on social media, the choice is mainly on three platforms: Instagram, because in the world Meta is the one that currently pushes the most, TikTok, because it is certainly the most innovative and the one with the greatest growth potential and YouTube because... because it's YouTube, and His Majesty Google can't be ignored. LinkedIn is also important, especially in the professional field, to be used absolutely as a curriculum update and as a showcase to give authority to one's skills, rather than as a platform to share content. Facebook also has its importance and even if it no longer pushes as before, it still has its weight especially on content.

At the beginning my follower starting point is always laughable, you have to work a lot on content, especially quality videos to be able to grow the number of followers, although among all the platforms, certainly the most difficult is YouTube, also because it is the most saturated.

Whether it's a lot or little your starting point, here are five small "strategies" that you can follow to achieve good results.

1. Call your friends to arms

When you start and you're at zero and you don't know which way to turn, don't be ashamed and ask. Explain to your friends and family that you have just started a new professional project on social media and ask for their support. Starting from scratch is really hard, especially from a psychological point of view, having a "hard core" of 100-200 people who support you from the beginning will be very useful to lift your spirit and not to give up when the temptation will be very strong.

2. Follow your colleagues

Look for fellow lawyers (they are few, but there are some) who started before you and follow them: among colleagues there is a certain corporatism, even online, and it is easy that they will reciprocate your "follow". Don't stop there, though, remember that you're a colleague, and hookup duties also exist online. Write a message, introduce yourself, explain what you do, ask them what they do and hypothesize points of contact, domiciliation, possible collaborations: regardless of the social world, something beautiful and useful could really be born for both. Remember that you are both there for work.

3. Interact and comment

Social media is a do ut des: you can't expect, unless you're a Hollywood star or a famous influencer, that people will interact with you, if you don't do it with them first. But you must always remember who you are: you are a lawyer and you are on social media as a professional. So, in addition to publishing content relevant to your profession (as we will see better in the next point), comment in a relevant and interesting way on the content of others. Not only will you get noticed, but you'll push colleagues and other users to do the same with you.

Remember that you are not there to "grab customers". You are on social media to promote your image in accordance with the code of ethics, so the best way is to make good legal information and solve other people's problems, not with free advice, but also with just a little disinterested advice.

4. Post useful content

What you can't do on social media is say things like "come to my studio" or similar. What you can do instead is share your knowledge, your knowledge, to make people think that you are very good or very good in your field and that therefore coming to you is the only sensible thing to do. 

It's not you who say it, it's the people who will, because your content will be valuable, useful, and free. If you deal with family law, make short videos in which you explain how assisted negotiation works, if you do corporate explain the differences between normal or simple limited liability companies, if you do executions explain to debtors how to react to attachment: give useful information. There will be no need to say to come to you and there will be no violation of the code of ethics. It will only be a matter of sharing useful and Forensic Council-proof information.

5. Organize work and be patient

Imagine your professional promotion on social media as a gym: if you want to see results, you will have to train consistently for at least a year, maybe more. It's your job, not fun, so don't give up.

It takes a long time to grow on social media, many attempts, readiness to change course if things do not work well, constancy, commitment.

It's not about "wasting time on social media", it's about your work as a lawyer. Whatever subject you deal with, your customers may be there waiting for you, but they do not know that you exist and they do not even know that you are the best in your field: you have to let them know.

The publication of content on social media must be included in the agenda, just like hearings, appointments with customers and other study tasks and must be respected, as well as other commitments. To simplify the work of programming and publishing content on all social channels, there are some tools that allow you to do so. At Insight we use with great satisfaction PostPickr, a platform created in Italy, in Puglia, with which we have started an important technical and commercial partnership.

Constancy, patience, quality content (and a bit of luck, which in life is always useful) will allow you to use this powerful tool as a precious ally in your professional life. Without recipes and magic formulas.

And above all, without your Council of the Order to which you belong can find absolutely nothing to complain about.