By Megan Martin

What? You’re not on Facebook?

If you’re a lawyer who isn’t using Facebook for personal networking or marketing, it’s a question you’re likely faced with regularly. Five years ago, lawyers weren’t expected to have a profile page, but the times have changed, and today, being connected is the rule rather than the exception.

Still, despite that social media marketing is now common in the legal world, a lot of lawyers are wary of the prevailing opinion that Facebook is a marketing must-have.

Common reservations among lawyers range from concerns about online privacy and security, to the fact that Facebook is “too personal” and creates a permanent record of all that you say and do. Other lawyers simply wonder where they’ll find the time to invest in posting, “liking” and promoting. Facebook has even become a topic of conversation in the courts: Can it be used as evidence of an alibi or to investigate a case? Is it ethical for lawyers and judges to be “friends” online?

The concerns are certainly justifiable, but alternately, with more than 1.4 billion users, is it smart to eliminate Facebook from your marketing efforts? Many lawyers have found Facebook to be a valuable way to gather referrals and connect with new clients, as long as it’s done carefully and legally. Although it’s probably not a good idea to think Facebook can replace your current marketing strategies, it can potentially have a positive impact on your legal success.

Before you sign up for an account and start posting or “poking,” read these five tips for avoiding pitfalls and making the most of your Facebook marketing efforts.

RULE #1: Keep It Ethical.

Before you set up your profile, perform your due diligence. Make sure you thoroughly understand the Nevada Bar’s ethical rules and use them to guide your participation in any online marketing initiatives. In particular, know the ins and outs of any restrictions on advertising, confidentiality and solicitation. Although it’s a common practice among law firms to offer prizes to Facebook users who “like” their page, under no circumstances should you offer legal services to users as a reward for their interaction.

Finally, avoid a major pitfall and never offer legal advice on your page.

RULE #2: Consider The Pros And Cons Of A Personal Account.

Facebook is set up so you can have both a personal page and a page for your law firm. Why would you want to use a personal page to help market your legal services? A personal page allows you to easily reach out to friends or former clients who are encountering struggles and may need your legal help.

But, personal accounts can create problems, too. There is a lot of room for error and for private personal information to be revealed. (What if a friend posts a photo of you doing something less than professional and your client sees it? What if you slip up and reveal a political stance in a comment you don’t want your clients to know?)

If you choose to have a personal account, carefully monitor your security and privacy settings to ensure that private information stays private. Create groups of “personal” versus “business” friends to ensure that posts are visible to only certain people. Finally, pause before posting anything. What you think may sound great may potentially tarnish your reputation and influence how other professionals or clients perceive you.

RULE #3: Post Meaningful Content That Your Audience Will Care About.

With the option to post links to articles, blog posts, videos, and more, you have a wide variety of ways to interact with your audience. Whether you’re connecting your readers to a blog post on your firm’s website or posting a tip about what to look for in a divorce lawyer, the rule of thumb is the same: post content your readers will care about and benefit from.

If your audience is bored or your content offers no value, it won’t do your business any good. You want to sell your services…but if all your posts have a transparent, aggressive, or unprofessional sales pitch attached, you’ll lose followers as quickly as you gained them. (That goes for rampant self-promotion, too. Don’t spout off about the case you just crushed. Your audience will see you in a less-than-flattering light.)

Now that you know what not to do, you might be wondering what constitutes “good” content. One way to be valuable to your audience is to link to helpful blog posts or articles relating to your area of law. If the majority of your clients are small business owners, link to an article (or even better, a blog post you wrote) about legal considerations they should make. If you’re an immigration lawyer, link to an article or personal blog post about a current event affecting immigration policy. If you want to keep it simple, post tips or guidance about a new law in your area of specialization.

Finally, when you post, keep it short, sweet and clear to grab your audience’s attention.

RULE #4: Be Proactive To Improve Your Facebook Visibility.

Unfortunately, creating a Facebook page for your legal business, getting people to “like” it, and posting amazing information frequently won’t guarantee everyone you want to connect with sees your posts. That is because Facebook’s algorithm for business pages doesn’t always offer outstanding visibility. In fact, posts from your personal account will likely receive more exposure (and this is another reason why many lawyers use their personal accounts for business).

Luckily, if you don’t have a personal account, there are ways to make posts to your business page more visible. You’ll have to pay, but if you look at Facebook as another marketing tool, you should expect to pay for it as long as the results are beneficial. Signing up for the Promoted Posts function automatically makes your posts visible to more people. It has other advantages, too, the most important being the invaluable ability you’ll have to target specific users who could potentially become your future clients. You can target:

• specific geographic areas;
• people who have recently gotten engaged;
• people who have recently started a business;
• people who have purchased a home; and
• people who have recently experienced negative life events like illness or accidents; and much more.

RULE #5: Avoid Security And Privacy Snafus.

Keeping your privacy and security settings updated is crucial to beneficial Facebook marketing. Facebook is known for changing these settings frequently, so you’ll need to stay on top of it. Make sure you understand how to use the settings on your page to keep unsolicited feedback to a minimum.

Here’s why: If your security settings aren’t current, strangers or clients can post negative comments about you or your firm to your page, which breaches confidentiality and corrupts your image. You’ll also want to adjust the settings to make sure you aren’t allowing clients or competitors to see any sensitive information they shouldn’t. You’ll have the power to delete anything you don’t want on your page, but by the time you see it, the damage may have already been done.

Whether you’re a lawyer who’s new to Facebook or you’re an old pro, follow these rules to keep your marketing strategies ethical and to maximize exposure of your business! And remember to always think twice before you post.