Facebook has been making radical changes to its platform recently, yet still remains an effective marketing tool for many types of businesses, including attorneys and law firms. Let’s take a look at Facebook marketing for lawyers…
Facebook As A Referral Source For Lawyers
It’s hard to dispute the influence and reach of Facebook when more than 2 billion people actively use the social media platform every month. More than anything, Facebook has become a source of information and resources. People use Facebook to get recommendations for just about everything in their lives, from recipes and movies to products and services. As a lawyer, you can take advantage of this marketing platform by becoming an active participant on Facebook. On your law firm’s Facebook business page, you can provide useful and interesting information, strengthen relationships with people you know (and the people they know), and build trust and credibility.
Best Practices For Lawyers On Facebook
Facebook is by no means a “one and done” type of marketing for attorneys. Law firms who use Facebook successfully have committed the time and resources to create a robust, longstanding social presence.
Here are some recommendations for best practices for attorneys on Facebook:
- connect Facebook to your website through links back and forth (from Facebook to your website and from your website to Facebook)
- post fresh, valuable content on Facebook and on your website
- make your Facebook posts visually attractive so they’re more likely to get shared
- develop links from other Facebook users by providing regular exchanges of related content
- treat your Facebook business page as a “marketing funnel,” with clear calls to action
- respond to “likes” and “comments” on your law firm Facebook page to propel the flow of responses
- be certain your Facebook content strategy is consistent with your strategy on click here to schedule a free Facebook marketing consultation. Please note: The Friedman Group is in Denver, Colorado, and we provide marketing services for lawyers throughout the United States. Brad Friedman practiced as an attorney for 16 years and has extensive social media and marketing experience.”>Twitter and LinkedIn.
Facebook Business Pages For Lawyers
Facebook business pages have become more sophisticated over time, and savvy attorneys have used some of the advanced marketing tools to increase Facebook traffic and promote their law firms. Here are some tips for making the most of your Facebook business page:
- describe your law firm in detail in the “About Us” section on Facebook
- create a confidential “Contact Us” link on your page, so that potential clients can contact you directly
- include informational videos on your page (no more than 2-minutes long)
- use a video to introduce yourself and your legal staff
- provide useful information related to your area of legal expertise
- post regularly
Lawyers often ask us what they should post on Facebook, and here are some overall recommendations:
- with every post, ask yourself “who is my target audience?” and “does this post add value to the reader?”
- post content about the legal field in general and issues that relate to your practice area specifically
- curate content from other Facebook pages and link to reputable websites, other blogs, legal journals, etc.
- develop a content marketing plan for what you’ll post on Facebook and how often you’ll post, and stick to it.
Facebook Live For Lawyers
In addition to regular posts, live video on Facebook is a great way for people to get to know you as an attorney and begin to trust you. Through video, you can let people see your personality, and you can position yourself as a thought leader.
Here are some tips for how you can use Facebook Live to help promote yourself and your law firm:
- answer questions that current clients have asked or questions from people who are attending the Facebook Live event
- talk about a “case study” of a legal client who has come to you, including what you did for them and the positive outcome
- host an “ask me anything” broadcast on Facebook Live
It’s important to note that you need to add a disclaimer at the beginning and end of each Facebook Live broadcast telling viewers that you’re are not giving legal advice, that every legal situation is different, and that by sharing this information with the viewer you’re not in any way establishing an attorney-client relationship.
Facebook Ads For Lawyers
To expand your reach even farther on Facebook, consider paid advertising. Facebook ads can be relatively inexpensive and extremely targeted. Facebook allows you to select micro-specific demographics and psychographics to target the audience that will see your ads. This type of laser-focused marketing is what can make Facebook advertising more effective than Google AdWords and other types of internet advertising.
With Facebook advertising, you can start by setting a monthly budget for how much you want to spend and/or the number of ads you want to run, and then test and track the results to see if you’re generating new business for your law firm.
It’s important to note that as a lawyer, you need to be mindful of the “Code of Professional Responsibility” that you’re bound by that applies to all types of advertising, including Facebook ads.
Track Your Marketing Progress
By including “calls to action” in all of your Facebook marketing efforts, you’re more likely to get a response. These calls to action can be big commitments on the part of your audience (e.g. schedule a free consultation) or tiny commitments (e.g. click to read your latest blog or newsletter or watch a video).
In addition to tracking calls to action, you can also measure your progress on Facebook by tracking:
- likes, shares and comments on each Facebook post
- likes for your Facebook page
- video views
- clicks through from Facebook to your website
- sign-ups for your email list
At The Friedman Group, we provide a full range of marketing services for attorneys and law firms, including Facebook marketing. We can help Facebook strategy, Facebook content, Facebook advertising campaigns, Facebook analytics, and more.
For more information on Facebook marketing for lawyers, please call (720) 248-8185, or click here to schedule a free Facebook marketing consultation.
Please note: The Friedman Group is in Denver, Colorado, and we provide marketing services for lawyers throughout the United States. Brad Friedman practiced as an attorney for 16 years and has extensive social media and marketing experience.
