For many influencers, success on social media is determined by how many likes, comments, shares, and follows they receive from their posts. For businesses in the fashion, food, or tech space, engagement and virality are also very important when determining their success. But…

You, as a law firm, should NEVER expect to go viral on social media.

In fact, if the only reason you post content is to try to go viral, you should just stop.

For law firms, going viral isn’t the answer. It isn’t the measure of success. Instead, social media success is a long game. It’s all about consistency and momentum, and there are other ways to gauge your firm’s success.

While some lawyers regularly go viral on social media (@LawByMike or @CEOLawyer on TikTok are two great examples), the odds of you joining them are very small. If it happens, great! But consider it a byproduct of you posting great content rather than the sole reason you post to begin with.

After all, most lawyers deal with very sensitive and heavy topics—topics that many people aren’t going to want to openly engage with. And when you’re in the world of social media where engagement is a key driver of success, what are you supposed to do?

Provide value.

Provide information that answers the common questions your audience has about the things you do and the situations they’re facing. Do this consistently, too! Post every single day. I promise it won’t annoy your audience.

Furthermore, if you’re concerned about being annoying, you should probably stop marketing altogether. Marketing is all about getting in front of your audience, and if you’re timid, you’re not going to get the results you want.

Now, when you focus on consistently posting informative content, your metrics for success no longer become likes, comments, or shares. Instead, it becomes about the following:

• Reach/Impressions: How many people are you getting in front of with your content? Staying top-of-mind and creating consistent touchpoints is important.
• Click-through Rate: How many people are clicking on the blogs and videos you share and going to your website to learn more?

If you can build a social media system that accomplishes those two goals, you’ll find success. People will send you referrals and they’ll associate you as the expert in your practice area.