A Law Firm’s Guide to Instagram Hashtags

Your law firm should not overlook the power of social media marketing, particularly Instagram. Remember that simply posting photos or videos on Instagram under your profile will not be enough. To view those, someone would have to already follow you or happen to stumble across your post. To increase the chances of someone seeing your posts, take the time to learn how to use Instagram hashtags to your advantage.

Why Hashtags Matter

Hashtags are the way that people will find your posts on Instagram. Think of them as Instagram’s way of sorting content, so everyone can see what appeals to them. Hashtags can be vague, such as #law, or more specific, such as #familylaw. When used correctly, you can categorize your posts using hashtags, letting you attract your target audience. Remember that getting your target audience to see your posts increases the chances of engagement and conversion.

Use Trending Hashtags

At any given moment, some hashtags will be more popular than others on Instagram. If you can incorporate the most popular ones into your post in a natural way, this can help with visibility. Get creative and use popular tags, such as #photooftheday, to your advantage. Just keep in mind that using a popular hashtag also increases competition.

Mix Them with Targeted Hashtags

To get the most from Instagram hashtags, combine trending and popular hashtags with those that are more targeted to your field. Things like #attorney, #law, #lawfirm, and #lawyer fit the industry, narrowing down your post’s targeted audience. If you want, get more specific, such as #familylaw or #businesslaw. Before using a hashtag, check to see how popular it is. While creating your own hashtag does have a time and place, it will not typically lead to people stumbling across your law firm.

Look at Related Hashtags

As you start typing in your hashtag on Instagram, the platform will suggest other related hashtags. Use these for inspiration and consider incorporating them into your posts. The best way to figure out which hashtags work for your law firm is via trial and error.

Make Your Own Hashtag

While creating your own hashtag will not gain you more followers at first, it can do wonders for your law firm’s advertising. Create a company hashtag that includes your law firm’s name or maybe a quick slogan. Your best option is to create a related hashtag that will encourage others to engage, such as sharing related images or stories with your hashtag. If you can choose one that grows, followers will unintentionally advertise for you. In our recent blog post about the most inspiring law firm Instagram accounts, we mention that O’Melveny Myers created a custom hashtag #cOMMitment2cOMMunity that incorporates their commitment to causes and their brand name. This is a great example of how Instagram hashtags can serve the purpose of getting found, but also as great branding.

Organize the Hashtags

As mentioned, hashtags help organize your Instagram posts. However, to make the most of this function, you need to have some behind-the-scenes organization. If you have an Instagram business account you’ll have access to analytics, but you can also use a spreadsheet, or something else to sort the hashtags you will use the most. Include information on how often you use them and which ones tend to correlate with the posts that are the most popular. There are some advanced tools available that can perform analytics and store the data for you; those are worth considering depending on the size of your social media strategy. If you are just starting out, use a spreadsheet at first.

How Many to Use

There is a sweet spot when it comes to how many hashtags to include on an Instagram post, but it is slightly different for everyone. Ninety-one percent of the top brands will use seven or fewer hashtags on every post, but some can use many more successfully. You will need to experiment to see what your ideal number of hashtags is.

Takeaway

If your law firm is using Instagram for promotion or recruiting, hashtags are key. Instagram hashtags allow law firms to organize, brand, and increase the engagement of their posts. If you need help developing the right Instagram strategy for your firm, contact us for help.