Social Media has changed the landscape on how lawyers and law firms communicate with their fellow lawyers, clients, the courts, and their prospects. But, just like any technology, it doesn’t come without a price.
According to the American Bar Association, despite the marketing and networking opportunities brought by social media, it has also raises new legal and ethical challenges, more especially now that it becomes a ripe source of electronic evidence for litigators and potential sources of risk for those advising businesses.
However, when used properly and accordingly, social media such as Facebook, currently the largest social networking website, actually bring in more benefits than disadvantages.
Facebook and Lawyer Marketing
With the privacy scandal the social networking giant has faced recently, many people who are quite sensitive with data privacy issues have advocated to stop using it. But, do the advantages outweigh the risks?
When it comes to Lawyer Marketing, Facebook has brought many benefits for lawyers, especially solo practitioners and small law firms.
With nearly 40% of surveyed small law firms revealing they don’t have a website of their own, the availability of social networking sites, such as Facebook, solves their immediate need to create a presence and visibility online.
When you are a solo attorney who has just started your practice, getting found online through Facebook (either organically or through ads) by those who need your services can help you drive new business which can help your practice thrives amidst stiff competition.
Top 4 Reasons Facebook is the Ideal Social Media for Your Law Firm
Aside from the fact that Facebook is still the unbeatable social networking website when it comes to the total number of active registered users, here are the reasons why a lawyer or a law firm should use it to gain traction, referrals, and visibility online.
1. Facebook is Where Most Family Members Connect with Each Other
If family law is your field of expertise, then Facebook is definitely a good platform where you start increasing your visibility online.
You can publish contents that are highly relevant to your target audience, thus you can expect better engagement.
2. Facebook has a Cost-Efficient Advertisement Program
Among all advertisement programs in popular social networking websites, Facebook has the best ad platform wherein even those in a tight budget can afford.
Also, you can target geographically the group of people who you only want to see your advertisement.
For example, if you are a solo attorney in Corning, New York, you only need to target people who are living in Corning city. This saves you effort and money because you only have to spend your advertising money on high quality leads.
3. Facebook Pages Appear in the SERPs
If you don’t have the resources to build your website yet, your Facebook fan page can still help you get found by your prospects who use search engines to look for lawyers.
Make sure you include your main keyword as part of your official brand name. For example, Divorce “Lawyer in Corning New York – John Doe” is better than “Attorney John Doe”. SEO for Lawyer, Qamar Zaman, said that using your main keyword as part of your Facebook page name, increases the chances that you’ll get higher ranking in the SERPs despite not having a your own domain name yet.
4. Facebook Pages Has Built-In Analytics
The last but not least, are the advantages of having a built-in analytics. It is easy to read, analyze, and understand.
Facebook page analytics is designed for everyone even the non-techies. Thus, you can just simply check the updated reports to evaluate if your page is doing well or not. Reports regarding your latest advertisement are also readily available, letting you know the performance of your ad campaign.
Final Thoughts
Of course, as legal practitioners, vigilance and precautions in sharing sensitive information online should always be observed. But, when it comes to promoting your business, the benefits always outweigh the risks more especially if you have a tight marketing budget.
Using Facebook to build your presence and authority online can definitely help you gain more visibility and ultimately, create new business. You just need to be creative, resourceful, and patient.
Sources and References:
https://www.slideshare.net/maple-syrup/21-eyeopening-marketing-statistics-for-law-firms
A Digital Marketer's Musings - Kimmie Nguyen's Blog 