A personal brand of a lawyer allows to see him as a person, understand values, qualities, and interests. And this provides an opportunity to establish business relationships with people who share similar values and interests.
Practical aspects of promoting a lawyer’s brand on TikTok and Instagram were discussed during a webinar organized by representatives of the Youth Committee of the National Bar Association of Ukraine – UNBA NextGen in Dnipropetrovsk region by Alevtina Bashkeeva, Anna Tsurkan, and Yuliya Protopop.
The event featured content expert Oleksandra Vladymyrova, who talked about the role of social media in building a personal brand and positioning.
In particular, the content creator emphasized the importance of highlighting expertise in a personal brand, for example, by being able to discuss specific cases. This helps to understand how professional a lawyer is.
However, one should not overlook the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers in pursuit of high views by posting jokes, songs, etc., which may be interpreted ambiguously. The use of certain words related to the profession, such as death, violence, sexual violence, etc., can be negatively perceived. The expert advises to consider this. If possible, replace them with similar terms, and if not possible, ‘bake’ them into video content or cut them in text format.
In general, a lawyer’s content should consist of cases, explanations, and applications of the law. In stories, one can highlight participation in legal proceedings, present legal documents (with personal data filtration), emphasizing personal advantages. Cases should be presented concisely, without mentioning names and using complex legal terms, to make the information accessible to a wide audience.
When it comes to the content presented, it is important to maintain a balance between expert and personal content. The latter should not exceed 10%. Additionally, lawyers are not recommended to post personal photos related to leisure, alcohol consumption, family time in a casual format. Personal life should be portrayed solely to attract people with similar values.
Instagram (compared to TikTok) offers a broader toolkit for promoting a lawyer. Audience targeting, targeted advertising, and analysis of its quantity and quality help in finding new clients. At the same time, TikTok provides a wider platform for advertising.
Participants received tips on ‘packaging a profile’ using examples of lawyer accounts. They were also given advice on technical aspects of content creation. In particular, the speaker emphasized the importance of specifying full name, contact information for communication, specialization in legal areas in the profile header. It is relevant to list specific services provided, provide information on the number of consultations given and satisfied clients. The profile cover should feature the most ‘lively’ photo, during work – in the office at the desk, etc.
Good lighting and sound, subtitles for maximum audience coverage are technical tips for creating video content.
Oleksandra Vladymyrova separately emphasized the importance of a content plan. It organizes and disciplines, helps to build a concept and consistency in material presentation, – explained the expert. This will allow for analyzing statistical data and accordingly adjusting sales volumes. The most optimal approach is to take one theme per week and present it in various ways (reels, posts, stories).