Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Every once in a while, an attorney does something on social media that reminds you: marketing is not always about being loud or costly. It’s about being timely.
Case in point: Sinai Law Firm, an LA eviction trial lawyer, went viral this week after posting the following “press release” style joke:
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sinai Law Firm is offering to evict Billie Eilish from her Los Angeles home on a pro bono basis on behalf of the Tongva Tribe.
Sinai Law Firm is the premier eviction firm in the county.”
Completely ridiculous and effective.
As of this afternoon, Feb 4, this post has crossed one million views.
Shout out to Sinai Law Firm. You win attorney social marketing this month. We salute you.
Full disclosure: I have no connection to this firm. I don’t know anyone there. I found their posts on my X timeline.
Even journalists were apparently duped into reaching out for comments about whether Sinai Law was actually going after Billie Eilish.
“Incredibly concerning to me that people in media are reaching to me as if this is a serious post”
To me, this series of posts is both hilarious and oddly well put together. It was structured like a real legal announcement. The tone was dead serious… while describing something completely insane.
Which, frankly, is the internet now.
The best newsjacking has one ingredient: Reality
The first time I read it, I really thought Sinai Law was going after the singer, for real. I couldn’t tell if it was satire or an actual filing.
“Eilish’s admission that she lives on stolen land gives the tribe a rightful action for possession…”
Again, I don’t think anyone is evicting Billie Eilish. But the attorney dropped just enough legal reasoning to make it sticky. That’s the trick.
The best viral attorney marketing is good entertainment with a thread of expertise running through it.
Branding wins when people remember your name
I don’t think anyone watching this unfold is hiring Sinai Law Firm to evict Billie Eilish.
That’s not the point.
The point is branding. And Sinai Law nails it.
If you live in LA and suddenly need an eviction attorney, who are you thinking of right now?
Because of the attorney’s viral posts, at least a million people now know:
- This firm exists
- They do evictions
- They have personality
- They understand media
- They’re not invisible
BIG win.
Can going viral backfire?
Sure. Happens all the time. People get ratioed, dragged, forced to delete accounts, or end up regretting a post that got too much attention.
Newsjacking walks a line. If the joke lands wrong, or the topic is too sensitive, it becomes controversy instead of marketing.
So the lesson isn’t: “Go post something outrageous.”
The lesson is: Post everything. Don’t think, just post. Fire away.
I’m kidding! Please don’t take my above advice. I’m not a social media guru (the social marketing team at SEO Advantage is), and I’m not pretending there’s some perfect takeaway here. Sometimes it’s just good luck, good timing, taking a side and making a light-hearted joke.
All I’m saying is, this viral post made my day. SEO-wise, how many backlinks and social mentions is the firm getting now? Way to go.
