Instagram launched as a photo sharing app in 2010. Two months later, it had one million users. Now Instagram has more than 600 million active users and is more popular than ever. While Instagram was initially a way to share photos easily, it’s a lot more now. The Instagram algorithms are changing drastically, which could affect the way you and your law firm use the platform as part of your online marketing strategy. Read on to learn about the changes to Instagram’s algorithm and what effect they will have on your firm’s marketing. 

Why Law Firms Use Instagram

Instagram can be profitable for law firms, offering big results for a relatively small investment. Instagram helps lawyers and law firms build brand awareness and establish proficiency in their practice areas, even within the limitations of the legal profession’s best practices for social media use. The platform also facilitates retargeting, which encourages potential clients to remember the firm when they are in need of legal services. 

A recent marketing survey report shows that approximately 25% of attorneys use Instagram as part of their marketing plan to share relevant content that garners likes and shares. In fact:

• Some law firms have more than 10K followers with substantial engagement, and
• Half of the top twenty U.S. law firms use Instagram.

Four Key Instagram Algorithm Changes 

In the summer of 2021, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri shared plans for how Instagram is changing: “We’re no longer a photo sharing app.” Instead, Mosseri explained that Instagram is moving into video sharing and expanding its use as a shopping app. 

Before you completely freak out, thinking Instagram is moving away from photos, remember that the specific Instagram algorithm changes are unknown. We can’t assume, for example, that photos will no longer be allowed. Rather, it is likely that Instagram will remain a photo sharing platform, but will prioritize videos over photos in an attempt to compete with other platforms like Tik Tok and YouTube, which have popularized videos. 

While it’s not entirely clear what changes to the algorithm Instagram will make, we can expect changes in these four areas in the near future.

Monetization

Instagram’s first priority will be to help content creators monetize the platform, giving individual creators and influencers a way to compete with institutions. New and improved features for monetization prioritizing video over photos will keep Instagram competitive with other video platforms, like TikTok and YouTube. 

Video

Because video is extremely popular on nearly all major social platforms right now, Instagram will undoubtedly focus on growing video use. Mosseri says that Instagram will experiment with allowing creators to use video more broadly. The increased use of  immersive and entertaining video content will be optimized for mobile devices by default. The platform is also expanding beyond IGTV to offer full screen video elsewhere in the app, and is adding features similar to elements currently available on Tik Tok.

Shopping

The global pandemic shifted shopping online in huge ways. Instagram wants to jump on this trend by revamping and expanding its shopping capabilities. 

Messaging

The fourth major area that Instagram will augment is messaging. The last five years have seen an increased use of DMs on the platform, and Instagram wants to ensure people can continue to connect with their friends in the app. 

More Changes

There are more changes we can expect in the Instagram algorithm, including: 

• • Exclusive stories. Instagram is expanding upon its Stories features, which allows creators to post content that all users on the platform can see. To enhance this component, Instagram is testing a new feature called Exclusive Stories. Unlike regular Stories, Exclusive Stories can be viewed only by a creator’s fans and followers. This new feature will require a paid subscription to access.
  • Collectibles. Instagram is also exploring the display of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on a user’s profile in a new feature called Collectibles. NFTs include items such as special products or activities with the user that can be purchased by others. 
  • Video recommendations. Instagram will begin providing video recommendations on users’ feeds, including recommendations for videos by people that a user does not currently follow. 
  • Greater focus on transparency. Instagram plans to keep the public informed of its ongoing and future plans by expanding transparent communication. 

Changes To The Instagram Algorithm Are Inevitable

The social media industry is very competitive, and each platform must change in order to remain competitive. In an effort to stay in the game, Instagram has previously changed by adding the following elements:

• Stories to mirror Snapchat’s similar feature,
• Reels to give short video clip functionality akin to Tik Tok,
• Shopping hub to allow monetization similar to Facebook (even though Facebook owns Instagram),
• Longer videos to compete with YouTube, and
• Exclusive Stories similar to the exclusivity offered by Clubhouse.

While change in social media is inevitable, that does not mean everyone will embrace the new changes. Some will like the new features; some will not. Not everyone will grow with Instagram as it changes. Instead, a number of users will likely move to the next new social media trend. 

Those who use the platform for photo sharing only may find the new Instagram overloaded with unnecessary extras. Although some creators may celebrate the add-ons, others may feel Instagram has moved too far from its roots in its attempt to be everything to everyone. 

Each user, including your law firm, will need to assess the new Instagram to decide if the latest features enhance or detract from your marketing goals and online strategy. 

Your Law Firm and Social Media: A Quick Review

Most law firms understand the benefit of using social media in their marketing strategy. Those who gain the most value and have the greatest success do so with a clear plan in place. Your law firm’s social media strategy must consider the firm’s brand, audience, goals, and practice area in order to choose the social media platforms that work best and deliver the greatest return on investment (ROI). Here are some basic steps for crafting an effective social media strategy.

Follow the Rules and Regulations

Confirm your marketing team members, and any lawyers who will be posting on social media on behalf of your firm, understand the state regulations and ethics guidelines that legal professionals must follow when marketing. Become familiar with ethics decisions about what language to avoid in your social media posts.

Set Clear Goals

Be specific, clear, and reasonable about what you want to achieve using social media. Is it more clients? Brand awareness? Increased traffic to your website? 

Research Competitors and Influencers 

Take a look at what competitors in your practice area are doing on social media. Pay attention to what works for them: which posts have the most engagement or views, for example. Find and follow influencers in the legal arena, then share and engage with their content and their audience as a way to increase your visibility on the platform. 

Start Small

While it is tempting to jump in and join every social media platform right away, it is better to start small. If you are a solo or small law firm, you most likely do not have a full-time social media staffer, and maintaining all platforms at once is very time consuming. Besides the time factor, you may want to test the waters to see what works best for your unique audience. Is your audience on Tik Tok or Instagram or somewhere else? If you haven’t tested the platforms, you won’t know where your ideal clients hang out or where to focus your resources. 

Create Top Content

The content you provide is one of the most important parts of your social media presence. Without quality content, you cannot be successful on social media. Good content takes time to produce and post. You can schedule your posts with an online scheduling tool that makes social media management easier. Also consider hiring a content company that specializes in creating quality legal content for your firm’s social media platforms. 

Digital Marketing Next Steps: 

If your law firm uses Instagram, you will face substantial Instagram algorithm changes in the near future. Depending on your unique brand, practice and business goals, these changes can be great news. On the other hand, they could be a reason to leave the platform in favor of another social media app. Stay up to date on the latest news with Instagram, and take some time in the fourth quarter of this year to consider how your law firm can utilize the new features to bring greater benefits to your business in 2022 and beyond! 

Annette Choti graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is now the CEO & Owner of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Law Quill is the only legal digital marketing agency that provides unique, SEO-optimized content, pre-packaged content, and courses for lawyers to learn SEO themselves through Law Quill Academy. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at annette@lawquill.com.