Social media is a lot, isn’t it? It feels like new platforms are popping up left, right and centre, with the likes of BlueSky, Threads and Substack fast on the rise. RIP to X (formerly known as Twitter) and all who sailed in her, in the good old days! And now we see it falling into a state of demise. I know I haven’t fired up my X since the Summer. But that’s the thing with social media – it’s exactly that: social. Platforms are driven by people, trends and technology. All of which you, as a law firm or legal founder have no control over.
Despite the frustrations of the constant flux, social media remains one of the crucial tools in your legal marketing toolbox. It helps you and your business to stay visible, front of mind and reach new audiences, before then bringing them to your owned assets like your website or email marketing.
Platforms have their moment in their sun, the algorithms constantly change and audience behaviour evolves. But you know what never changes? The power of the personal or business brand and quality content that speaks to the right people.
So where should you be focusing your marketing efforts? Let’s get into it, my legal friend.
Lessons from TikTok’s Uncertainty
Across the pond, TikTok has faced significant regulatory challenges in the form of scrutiny over data privacy concerns. This led to a temporary ban in January 2025, with ongoing debates about its future accessibility in key markets like the U.S.
With the uncertainty came migrations towards other platforms like Instagram and YouTube and above all, a vital lesson that social media is rented land.
You’ve worked hard to build your brand or your business (or both) in one place; so here’s what you can do to ensure your marketing foundations aren’t built on rocky ground.
Diversify your marketing channels
Make sure that your marketing strategy has a content distribution plan that includes both owned and rented channels. In other words – you should have a plan to bring people to your website with an SEO and email marketing strategy as well as social media.
You have full control over SEO, email marketing and your website – you own those channels and access to both the content and data they generate.
Repurpose your content
Don’t overcomplicate your multi-channel marketing strategy. If you create a content strategy that starts with your target audience in mind, you can create core content assets that can then be repurposed and reformatted for different channels.
It’s important to remember that only a tiny percentage of people see your content at any one time, so repurposing your content allows you to cover multiple channels and repeat your message multiple times. Both of which help you to create a brand that people remember.
The Power of YouTube: A Platform for Longevity and Trust
When it comes to video content, YouTube has been a stable platform since 2005, serving as the second-largest search engine globally. It can act as an alternative to the short-form video content of TikTok and Instagram. As well as a home for longer-form, editorial and educational content like webinars or masterclasses.
YouTube can absolutely form part of a wider SEO strategy and a library for video content that can then be embedded into your other distribution channels like social media or email marketing.
Building a Resilient Digital Presence: The Significance of Your Owned Channels
Owned channels like your website and email lists are not subject to external platform changes or bans in the same way social media is. What’s more, your social media content has a short shelf-life.
Using YouTube as a home for your video content can give it a much longer shelf life, driving traffic and leads for months or even years, especially when you create your video content around SEO keywords.
Create a content hub of articles or blogs – just like my very own Saltmarsh insights and ponderings from the wonderful world of legal marketing. This showcases your own expertise and once again, when researched strategically, can improve SEO.
In a world where you have very little control over who sees your social media content, consistent email marketing allows you to build a solid relationship with prospective clients that’s based on trust, connection and loyalty.
Is It Time to Move On From X?
Since its acquisition and rebranding, X has seen users leave the platform in droves – affecting engagement and content reach. To decide whether the platform still has a role in your marketing strategy, you need to:
- Assess whether your target audience remains active and engaged on the platform.
- Determine if the effort invested in maintaining an X presence yields sufficient returns.
- Decide whether there are still legal discussions taking place on the platform that make it worthwhile to engage with.
Leveraging LinkedIn and the Power of the Personal Brand
There’s something pretty unique about LinkedIn and that is the way it’s set up for networking. Compared to other social media channels, LinkedIn’s profile gives you so much digital ‘real estate’ from which to connect with others and build credibility.
LinkedIn is a perfect channel because:
- It’s the home of professional decision-makers, budget holders and thought leaders, so business conversations and opportunities thrive here.
- Organic reach is still strong on LinkedIn, with massive potential for meaningful, sustainable growth.
- It offers an unrivaled opportunity to build visible and trusted personal brands in a professional context – it drives connection as well as signposting to company pages and websites.
- In addition to offering personal branding, company-led marketing and thought leadership, it’s possible to deliver employer branding and talent attraction and acquisition.
Of course, as a LinkedIn specialist and trainer I may be biased – but LinkedIn is a non-negotiable social media platform choice. Have a read of my blog: The Power of Personal Branding with LinkedIn for Lawyers
Conclusion: Crafting a Future-Proof Social Media Strategy
It might be tempting to feel that the future of social media for legal marketing is bleak. Especially for those of us committed to sharing the work of underrepresented groups – where it could be argued that it feels less safe than ever to show up and share your voice.
Instead, my message remains the same as it always has. Make your social media strategy work for you, your target audience and your business. And finally, do not build your business solely on rented land, as those foundations are not solid or sustainable.
Ready to create a marketing strategy that will both stand out and stand the test of time? Let’s talk!