A step-by-step guide to social media analytics for law firms

A step-by-step guide to social media analytics for law firms

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Have you ever wondered how other law firms maintain their competitive edge online? Are you curious about how a competing firm is excelling in social media, but unsure what their strategy might be? Social media platforms play a vital role in enabling law firms to connect with their audience, but are you up to speed with your firm’s social performance?

With millions of active users on various social media platforms, law firms are increasingly relying on social media analytics to gain insights into their audience's behaviour, preferences, and opinions. In this blog, we will explore the importance of social media analytics for law firms and how keeping a close eye on social media activity can help law firms to stay ahead of the competition.

What are social media analytics?

Social media analytics refers to the process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data from social media platforms to gain insights into audience behaviour, preferences, and trends. Social media analytics tools are used to measure the effectiveness of social media campaigns, track engagement, and monitor brand sentiment.

These tools allow law firms to track metrics such as reach, impressions, engagement rates, and conversion rates, which help them understand how their social media presence is impacting their brand awareness and new enquiries and where more or less time should be spent on content creation, engaging, and so on.

Why should I measure my firm’s social media analytics?

There are several reasons why monitoring your law firm's social media analytics is essential if you’re looking to build your firm’s social presence.

Firstly, by tracking social media metrics such as engagement rates, reach, and impressions, you can gain valuable insights into your audience's behaviour, preferences, and opinions. For example, you may find that posts featuring client success stories or thought leadership content receive more engagement than other types of posts. Armed with this knowledge, you can tailor your social media strategy to better resonate with your audience and increase engagement.

Measuring your social media analytics can help you determine the effectiveness of your social media strategy. By tracking metrics such as follower growth, website traffic, and lead generation, you can gauge how well your social media efforts are contributing to your overall marketing goals. For example, if you notice a significant increase in website traffic or lead generation from social media channels, you may want to invest more resources into social media marketing.

Social media analytics can also help you monitor your law firm's brand reputation. By tracking mentions, comments, and reviews on social media platforms, you can quickly identify any negative feedback or potential issues before they escalate. For example, if you notice a significant increase in negative comments about your firm's customer service, you can take steps to address the issue and prevent any further damage to your law firm’s brand reputation.

Make the most of built-in analytics tools on the platforms your law firm uses

Every social media platform comes with its own built-in analytics tools that offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of your content and engagement with your audience. Here is an overview of how analytics tools function on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for business pages.

1. Facebook Insights

Facebook Insights is a free analytics tool available to all Facebook Business Page owners. It provides valuable data on page performance, audience demographics, and content engagement. The tool allows you to track metrics such as page likes, post reach, engagement, and more. It also provides insights into your audience's demographics, including age, gender, location, and interests. Facebook Insights allows you to understand what content resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

2. LinkedIn Analytics

LinkedIn Analytics is a free tool available to all LinkedIn Page admins. It provides insights into page performance, audience engagement, and content metrics. With LinkedIn Analytics, you can track metrics such as page views, engagement, follower demographics, and more. The tool also provides insights into your audience's professional characteristics, including job title, company size, and industry. LinkedIn Analytics helps you understand your audience's professional interests and preferences, allowing you to tailor your content to their needs.

3. Twitter Analytics

Twitter Analytics is a free tool available to all Twitter users, not just those with a verified account. It provides insights into tweet performance, audience demographics, and engagement metrics. With Twitter Analytics, you can track metrics such as tweet impressions, engagement rates, and follower growth. The tool also provides insights into your audience's demographics, including location, gender, and interests.

4. Instagram Insights

Instagram Insights is a free analytics tool available to all Instagram Business and Creator accounts. It provides insights into post and story performance, audience demographics, and content engagement. With Instagram Insights, you can track metrics such as post reach, engagement rates, and follower growth. The tool also provides insights into your audience's demographics, including age, gender, and location.

What social media management platforms offer the best analytics features?

There are many.  One is Hootsuite which is what we use at Conscious and is widely recognised as one of the leading platforms for social media analytics, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that enable users to track and analyse key metrics across several social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The platform provides users with detailed reports and custom dashboards to gain a better understanding of their social media performance, so you always know where you're up to.

Another platform that has made a name for itself amongst social media managers is Sprout Social. With its advanced analytics capabilities, Sprout Social allows users to track essential metrics such as engagement, impressions, and reach. Moreover, the platform provides users with additional features, including sentiment analysis and competitor benchmarking to help them stay ahead of the competition.

How do I know if my law firm’s social media is performing well?

Evaluating the effectiveness of your law firm's social media endeavours can be challenging since there are numerous metrics to monitor as opposed to one ‘universal’ measure of success. Nevertheless, there are a few essential factors to consider when scrutinising your social media analytics…

1. Engagement rate

Engagement rate is a metric that measures the level of engagement your content receives, such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks. A high engagement rate indicates that your audience is interested in your content and actively engaging with it. The average engagement rate varies by industry and platform, so it's essential to compare your engagement rate to industry benchmarks.

2. Follower growth

Follower growth measures the rate at which your social media following is growing over time. A steady increase in followers indicates that your content is resonating with your audience and attracting new followers. However, it's important to note that follower growth alone does not necessarily translate to engagement or leads.

3. Website traffic

Tracking website traffic, using Google Analytics or another platform can help you understand how your social media efforts are contributing to your overall marketing goals. If you notice a significant increase in website traffic from social media channels, it may indicate that your content is driving traffic and generating leads.

4. Lead generation

Depending on your law firm's goals, lead generation may be the most important metric to track. By tracking lead generation, you can determine the effectiveness of your social media strategy in generating new business. This could be done by asking new clients where they heard about your firm and adding this to your CRM system.

But, all of the features social media analytics tools offer can be important to your firm’s social media strategy. For example, if your followers are active at a specific time, this might be the best time for you to schedule your posts. And if certain hashtags seem to get more reach and impressions, these might be hashtags you use in future and so on.

By tracking these metrics over time, you can determine what type of content resonates with your audience, adjust your strategy accordingly, and achieve your marketing goals.

Ready to analyse your law firm’s social media?

We hope that this blog has provided some insight into how your firm can leverage its social media analytics for maximum benefit. If you're not already monitoring your social media analytics but wish to gain a clearer understanding of your firm's performance on social media, we offer a comprehensive audit of your social channels, its employees, and competitor firms.

For a quote, please contact us at sales@conscious.co.uk or call 0117 325 0200