How to Make the Most of 'Love Your Lawyer Day' This Year

International Love Your Lawyer Day is upon us. At the very least, the first Friday of every November is a chance for you to actually appreciate yourself for all the hard work you do as a lawyer. But if you're really thinking like a lawyer, you're probably wondering how you can use this holiday to your professional advantage.

To make the most of this year's Love Your Lawyer Day, think: free social media advertising. It may not be as uplifting as a card or a chocolate cake, but it's potentially much more valuable. Free, unsolicited social media advertising is what results when a current or former client posts praise about you online. Love Your Lawyer Day is the perfect occasion to capitalize on this form of free advertising. (Note that we use the term "advertising" loosely here -- be sure to follow ethical rules when advertising online.)

Love Your Lawyer Day Explained

If Love Your Lawyer Day is news to you, you might be asking: Do people even know Love Your Lawyer Day exists? And by all odds, most people probably don't.

It was created in 2001 by legal marketers as a legal marketing campaign to soften the appearance of lawyers in the public's eyes. Lawyers are still widely regarded as miserable people that the general public would be better off never having to deal with. So, the idea is to provide a day where people can share their positive experiences with lawyers. And if you were thinking that one day a year simply isn't enough, there's also "Be Kind to Lawyers Day" and "Love Litigating Lawyers Day."

Social Media Advertising -- for Free

If you're not on Facebook or Twitter,  you could be missing out on some of that sweet, sweet free social media advertising. However, there's a catch: You can't just post a message asking for "Love Your Lawyer Day" messages without actually tarnishing the image of lawyers. So how do you tip the balances in your favor?

First, you need to raise awareness early among your followers and friends on social platforms. Ideally you'll start in advance of Love Your Lawyer Day, or just really early in the morning, by sharing a blog post or other article to your social media about Love Your Lawyer Day that might speak directly to legal consumers. Also, it will help if you've been active on social media during the weeks leading up to Love Your Lawyer Day. This is a reminder that you should regularly post comments of encouragement, be positive, be informative, and avoid negative interactions online.

If you've curated content on your social channels, a good-natured post about loving your lawyer might get a few posts from actual people you've helped. If you do receive any sort of love, show that love right back and respond with a thank you, or by reposting/retweeting. This process of user engagement on a public platform essentially amounts to free adverting for you. And this is all part of a healthy strategy for effective social media marketing.

Related Resources:

• 6 Reasons Why You Should Love Being a Lawyer (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• 7 Ways to Show a Lawyer Some Love -- for One Day, at Least (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• Open Your Law Practice in a Tiny Office From Amazon (FindLaw's Strategist)