Is Your Law Firms Facebook Page Working Against You

Thousands upon thousands of law firms have Facebook pages, but is the effort really worth anything? Sure, they have more than 1 billion users all over the planet, and millions across the U.S. log in every day… but what are they getting out of it?

Actually, it doesn’t matter what they’re getting out of it. What are you getting out of your Facebook page?

If you said, “Nothing,” you wouldn’t be alone. Most lawyers don’t leverage Facebook to their benefits. Even worse, some let Facebook work against them.

How Can Facebook Hurt Law Firms?

We all know that when it comes to hiring a lawyer, it’s all about reputation and trust. If your Facebook page isn’t building that between potential clients and your attorneys, then it’s working against you.

You can have a “Like” button on your firm’s website, but that’s not what matters.

What matters is engagement.

In order to maximize engagement, you have to make sure that you consider everything you post carefully. Remember that your audience comprises potential clients and that you need to target their interests – not your own. (Never, ever use your personal Facebook page for your law firm. There’s just too much risk involved when it comes to personal viewpoints.)

Can Facebook Be Good for Law Firms?

Like anything that encourages people to engage with your firm, Facebook can be a spectacular addition to your online marketing plan.

In order to make Facebook work for your firm, it’s essential that you post often. If you can, try to stay on top of the news that relates to your practice areas and be the first to share it – the sooner you share fresh news, the better.

Don’t forget to use appropriate hashtags. Although they’ve been slow to pick up on Facebook (they’re far more popular and a bit more useful on Twitter), hashtags are still gaining momentum.

Other tips from the pros include:

• Always using images with your posts. Facebook is a highly visual medium, and posts with photos receive far more engagement than those without.
• Don’t task just one person in the firm to manage all of the Facebook interaction. You can always hire out the task, as well.
• Make sure your brand identity is clear on every aspect of the page, including within the URL.
• Use a great cover photo.
• Optimize your “About” section to include descriptions of your services to help potential clients.
• Share every blog post on your Facebook page. (Why would you have a Facebook page and neglect to use it?)

The bottom line, though, is that Facebook is about engagement and relationship building. Don’t just share your own links. Instead, follow the 3-2-1 rule:

• 3 of your posts should be shared from other pages.
• 2 of your posts should be a commentary on posts shared from other pages.
• 1 of your posts should promote your own services and firm.

Your Facebook page can work for your law firm, not against it… as long as you have a clear objective in mind each time you log in.