[Author: Noreen Fishman]
When it comes to establishing a social media presence, one of the areas most lawyers overlook is the bio section of the various social platforms. The CV is often filled out almost thoughtlessly, in a hurry and rarely updated. That’s a big mistake.
While it may seem like an afterthought, on any social media platform, your profile bio is often viewed more than any content you share. It is also the final piece of information that readers consider when deciding whether or not they should trust you and whether or not you are useful to them. It’s your last chance to make a good impression and attract her.
Writing your social media bio shouldn’t be done out of your head and as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated either. Below are some tips to help you create and execute the perfect social media bio for you as a lawyer across the big three social media networks.
1. Keep it short and sweet
The first rule of Write Your professional bio is about making the most of the very limited space you have. Some platforms give you more space than others, but most only give you enough space for a few sets. You need to get straight to the point and let people know why they should care about what you have to say.
Think of your bio as a kind of headline for all the content you share. Just as article titles are designed to grab and draw a reader’s attention, your bio should do the same if someone follows the content you share to your profile.
For more tips on writing for social media accurately and effectively, check out this free eBook: Advanced Social Media Strategies for Law Firms eBook.
2. Show vs. tell
When someone looks at your professional profile, it’s because they think you might be able to help them with some problem. To put it bluntly, people looking at your professional profile are more interested in what you can do than who you are. To stand out from your competitors, when writing your bio, think “show” rather than “tell”. Show that you a Leader in your niche. The trick is to try not to sound like everyone else.
You should use the space available to highlight events or skills that set you apart as a lawyer in your area of practice. Explain what you have done, major achievements, your professional and educational background, etc. In a humble way, find ways for your achievements to speak for themselves through your work.
3. Take your time and be original
Just because your social media bio is short doesn’t mean it needs to be written quickly. Take your time. Think about what you want to say and how you can get your point across in an original way. Again, it’s about trying stand out from other lawyers.
Most lawyers have very boring and impersonal online bios. Law firms want everyone to sound and look the same. It’s really important to break the mold and take off the professional mask. You can do this by including a personal statement about what you do and why you do what you do. It’s an opportunity to say something more personal on your profile by explaining why your work is important to you (instead of just telling people you’re good at it).
Also, if you look through a few resumes of people in a particular job, you’re bound to see the same thing overused buzzwords repeated over and over again. Creative, innovative, committed and dedicated are just some of the words that come up when two out of three people talk about themselves. When someone browses profiles looking for help, they see these words so often they lose their meaning.
4. Be approachable
Remember that after all, social media is about being social. You want to convey an image of friendliness and accessibility. Don’t be afraid to use the words “I” and “me”. Your biography is personal. It shouldn’t sound like it was written by someone else.
Your overall goal is, of course, to present yourself as a top-notch attorney, but there’s a fine line between looking professional and appearing aloof. Your skills and achievements should be a priority, but make sure you also include something that shows a bit of your personality and lets people know it’s you person. Tell us about your interests outside of work, including community involvement, hobbies, or family life.
5. A well-written bio is naturally full of keywords
Your social media bio is a great way to incorporate all kinds of content keywords relevant to your services and the problems you help solve. Of course, when you talk about yourself, you will mention the services you offer, your education, notable cases from the past, etc.
Even a short bio will be rich in keywords that your target audience will type into a web search. When it comes to SEO, social media profiles have a very good chance of ranking well for a large number of different keywords and phrases. So by adding relevant industry keywords, your profile will instantly become more discoverable.
Remember, you don’t want to make your social media bio so keyword-packed that it reads like a robot put it together.
6. Make the next steps easy for yourself
If necessary, consider adding a lead generation form so prospects can easily reach you, or something like a phone number or email address so you can easily get in touch. 
Potential customers may come across your page, but you’re not sure how to reach them or if you’re even accepting customers. In these cases, it helps to include an easy-to-understand CTA and link in your bio.
7. Best Practices for the Big Three
Now that you’ve got some general tips on what to include in your bio as a lawyer, let’s look at how you can maximize your bio space on the big three social platforms – LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Using LinkedIn is designed for that professional social interaction, this platform gives you the biggest space to promote yourself. As with Facebook, it’s important to use all available options.
LinkedIn automatically monitors your profile and gives you feedback on it. Follow the suggestions and make sure everything is 100% complete. Link to your website(s) and anything else relevant to your practice as a lawyer. More than any other platform, LinkedIn offers you many opportunities for SEO-boosting links and keywords.
This is where you can be a bit more expansive and get more details about your professional life, but like we said above, don’t forget to include a few things here and there to express your humanity as well. In most cases, you create your profile to attract new clients, not to impress other attorneys. Do not forget that.
Use all the options available to you. On your main page you can write a short introduction. In addition, click on “About Me” at the top of your profile and make sure you have carefully completed the various sections there.
You can add links to your personal and business websites and even other social profiles. Take advantage of these linking opportunities and be sure to include relevant keywords wherever you can SEO Boost.
Twitter is the tightest space, with only 280 characters to say everything you have to say. First, make sure you’ve filled out the URL and City Profile sections. For the bio listing itself, enter short and relevant keywords that will make you found as easily as possible. Don’t be afraid to include relevant ones hashtagsbut not too many.
You can squeeze a bit more into your page by including things like contact information or other URLs in your header image.
Bring away:
The tips listed above should give you a solid foundation for creating a great social media bio. But don’t stop there. You should come back from time to time (at least quarterly) and see if you want to change or update anything. Just like the content you share, your bio should always be current and relevant.
This post was edited and republished as of July 16, 2021.
Comments are closed.