Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 25th, 2020, and was updated on July 2nd, 2021 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Social Networking platforms have been on a constant rise lately; social distancing due to COVID-19 has drastically improved their reach and significance. One of the most sought-after networks is Instagram, and today we’ll dive into ways to help you drive more traffic for your Law Firm. 

Previously, we’ve looked into the importance of Social Networks for Law Firms. We created a guide for organic Facebook Posts for Attorneys, we explored Tik Tok, and we’ve looked into Facebook Ad strategies for Law Firms. Instagram isn’t something new on our blog either, we’ve looked into ways to use it for marketing your practice, but today we’re going to look into the ways you can enhance your Law Firm’s presence on Instagram and use it to attract traffic to your Law Firm. Today, we’ll put together your go-to guide, including examples and straightforward, actionable tips for increased traffic.

Let’s look into the strategic actions you can take to start driving more traffic to your Law Firm’s website.

  • Optimize your profile and Bio link

Instagram allows you to create your profile and show some necessary information about your Law Firm. One of the most significant points that you need to pay attention to is your linking URL. Most Attorneys, most companies, in general, put it in their profile once they create their Instagram, but you can do so much more with it.

  1. Do you or your team write blog articles? It could be with any frequency, from daily to weekly or monthly, you name it, but once your blog is published, make sure you update your profile link. You can also add your customized caption.
  2. Did you write an Ebook for one of your Law Firm’s biggest success stories or your views regarding your practice area? You can use the profile link in the same fashion to promote it.
  3. You can also use your Bio link to send your visitors to a lead form to capture and generate new prospective clients.

Tip: Be careful, though. It would be best if you stayed on top of a challenge to make the most out of your Law Firm’s Bio link strategy. When you change links often, people who show an older post saying “find the link in bio” might get confused. That’s where tools come in to fill the gaps. You can find some reviews here, or contact us, and we can take care of everything.

Sounds simple? The good thing with stories is that you can sometimes get greater visibility than posts and add a swipe up or see more CTA (Call To Action) that will take the viewer to your linked page. The downside is that not everyone can do it. There are two prerequisites. The first is the mark of 10.000 followers. If you’re at that point with your Law Firm’s account, then thumbs up, you have been paying attention to all the trends, and you can unlock this powerful tool. The other way around is to try and get your profile verified. What does this mean? That you’ll get a blue badge next to your name. This one isn’t easy either, though, as Instagram saves it for particular users. Your Law Firm can be unique, though, you can prove that you stand for values, authenticity, and you are a thought-leader in your vertical. We’d strongly recommend you try getting the verified badge, as it can be powerful for your overall image and will let you use the Links to Instagram stories.

  • Create & Curate Your Law Firm’s Instagram Stories Highlights

Instagram stories, unlike posts, stay visible for only 24h after you post them. Is there a way to make them visible for longer? Sure there is, through highlights. What we’d suggest you do is group your best stories in themes and add them as highlights on your profile page. Some ideas could be highlights with your clients, happy moments with your team, FAQs that you’ve done through Instagram, and other activities that are of special meaning to your Law Firm. If you combine this with linked stories, you can increase your chances of visibility and more traffic.

Below you can check how Mike Morse is handling it.

  • Use Instagram DM (Direct Messages) 

There are two ways that we’d suggest you to start using your DMs more. First, start welcoming your new followers. You don’t need to create a unique message for each new person that follows you. You can create a snippet that you’ll be able to use for this particular purpose. In this welcome message, don’t forget to include a link to your website or landing page. The second is to encourage your followers to get in touch with you. That could happen in the form of Q&As (with IG TV) or through questions on Instagram stories. That way, you capture their interest, you help them, you stay on top of their mind, and you can potentially get them to visit your website and gather more information.

Nowadays, influencer marketing is not a new, radical marketing method that only a few pioneers use. All different companies might have tried to partner up with some influencers on Instagram, from large international corporations to your local store. So why not your Law Firm? We’d suggest you screen the available optioad@ns and create a pool of a few local influencers that you could work with. Please pay attention to their profile as you don’t want to be involved with controversies. What can they offer? They can increase your brand awareness, and they can help you get more traffic by promoting your Law Firm as a brand. Additionally, if you don’t manage to pass the 10k followers mark or get verified, they can be an alternative for linked stories. For example, if you are an Attorney handling Estate Planning cases in Spanish, based in Austin, TX, you can look for a local influencer with a strong presence and reach within the Hispanic community.

Tip: Don’t judge by what you can see at first glance. Before choosing, ask for analytics, and compare your options.

Bonus Tips:

  1. Add CTAs (Calls To Action) on your profile (phone number, website, appointment options). What’s the point of bringing prospective clients to your page if you don’t offer them ways to convert?
  2. Track your data and your CTAs. We’ve talked about it, again and again. It’s essential to understand what’s working and what’s not. It’s the only way to finetune your strategies and stay on top of challenges in the long run.

Time for our key takeaways:

  • Instagram is a powerful tool that all Law Firms should consider.
  • Adding your links to the right places can help you drive more traffic to your Law Firm.
  • Instagram stories can prove to be a powerful tool for your Law Firm, especially if you combine them with curated highlights and links.
  • Explore influencer marketing. It can be your passport to Instagram success, but do it with caution and respect to your values.

July 2nd Update

One of the most sought-after features on Instagram is, undoubtedly, the swipe up. The swipe up allows profiles to add a link to their stories and ask viewers to (literally) do what the feature says: Swipe up and visit the promoted product or service. For any attorney, this would be a vital addition as it would allow creating an additional call to action. What’s the catch? It requires an account counting at least 10k followers. That might sound like a lot, and therefore we’ve got a suggestion for an alternative.

a)  You can create a short and to-the-point IGTV video.

b) Draw attention to it (promote it through your posting options or even other Social Media).

c) Add your desired link to your IGTV caption.

d) Post the video on your channel (under your law firm’s Instagram profile).

e) Open your Instagram stories.

f) Tap/click the link icon at the top part of the screen.

g) Select the IGTV video with the link on the title you just selected.

And you are ready. Of course, that’s not a permanent workaround, and you should work towards that 10k follower’s goal, but you can use it as an alternative till you hit that mark.