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Online advertising is a necessity for law firms. More often, potential clients needing legal services are scouring Google and social media platforms to find the best attorney for their needs. One of the most popular platforms for attorneys to share their services is Facebook. Facebook marketing for lawyers can seem intimidating, but we have the information to build strategies that work for your law firm and goals.
What Is Facebook Marketing?
In a purely definitional sense, Facebook marketing is the practice of promoting your law firm and maintaining an active presence on the platform. There are organic and paid marketing options to consider.
Organic posts refer to those you share on your business’s timeline in the hopes that your followers and others will interact with them – like sharing a blog post or new articles. Paid posts are a form of advertising. You can target individuals and locations to boost the chances of relevant Facebook users seeing your ads and potentially contacting you.
Whether you are new to Facebook marketing or looking to revamp your strategy, it is essential to understand why and how Facebook marketing is helpful for lawyers.
Is Facebook Marketing Useful for Lawyers?
When you think of Facebook, you might think of cat videos, graduation photos, and gardening groups. However, the reality is that Facebook can be a potent tool for any business – including law firms.
When used efficiently, Facebook is an excellent tool for building your brand and generating new cases. It is important to note that it takes time and money to make Facebook a revenue stream; however, with the proper attention to detail and an understanding of how to use the platform, you will see your hard work pay off.
If you have tried Facebook before and it has not worked for you, it is crucial to understand why. Some of the most common issues attorneys encounter when struggling with Facebook include the following:
- Not seeing traction on posts
- Boosted posts that do not generate leads
- Targeting an advertising campaign in a specific location without getting any cases
- Share community events but not getting any likes
If you have experienced problems like that, you are not alone. Facebook can feel like the wild west for law firms. No matter your struggles, you can face them head-on with the right Facebook marketing strategy.
Facebook Marketing for Lawyers: Strategies
Once you have decided to advertise your legal services on Facebook, you need to know where to start, how to grow your following, and how to ensure your organic and paid posts succeed or exceed your goals and expectations. Jumping into Facebook marketing is simpler than you might imagine. Let us take a look at the first steps you might consider.
Start With a Blog Post
Whether you have a business Facebook page or not, you will not attract potential clients without something compelling. One of the easiest ways to generate engaging content is to start with a blog.
Consider what topics are trending in your practice areas. Are there specific topics you know would interest clients? Have any current clients recently asked you a question that you know others would benefit from the answer to? If you are stumped on ideas, consider what a potential client might need or want to know to take the leap and schedule a consultation. Examples include:
- X Things to Ask Your Lawyer
- X Signs of a Good Attorney
- How a Lawyer Can Help You With You X
Once you have your topic, it is time to get to writing. Remember that the information you share in the blog must be helpful in some way. Avoid fluff and legalese to prevent potential clients from getting overwhelmed and clicking away. Instead, stick to the main points and encourage readers to return for more.
Create Your Facebook Page
Once you have your compelling organic content, it is time to work on your Facebook page. If you already have a page on the platform, you may think this does not apply to you, but it never hurts to ensure you are following best practices.
To start, use high-quality images. It is best to use your logo as your profile picture. You have a bit more leeway regarding your cover photo, but make sure whatever you choose is on brand. You might include an image of your law firm or team or a slogan. But, if your photos are blurry or low-resolution, your page could come off as unprofessional.
Once you have the graphics down, ensure all your business information is up to date. Include your office’s physical address, phone number, hours of operation, and a brief description of services. It is crucial to update this information anytime something changes to ensure that Facebook and potential clients have the correct information.
After setting up or reworking your profile, it is time to share that blog post. However, it is not enough to just share a link. You need to create engaging copy that compels your target audience to click. Consider pulling an interesting line from the blog or briefly explain why the issue is important and worth checking out.
It is a good idea to determine a posting schedule and stick to it. The more active you are on Facebook, the more likely you will start seeing your following count trend upwards.
Facebook’s Ad Manager
Once you have a handle on organic posts, it is time to delve into paid posts. Head to Facebook’s ad manager to get started.
When you prompt Facebook that you are ready to start an ad, you will be directed to create a campaign. There are a number of campaign types to choose from. For law firms, your best bet is “Traffic” or “Conversions.” Traffic-based campaigns are primarily for driving Facebook users to your website. In contrast, conversion-focused campaigns are best for getting Facebook users to complete a specific task on your site, like filling out a contact form.
Once the campaign type is established, you will choose your target audience. You do not want to target every single Facebook user out there. Instead, consider your practice areas and your ideal client. Choose the best demographics for that audience and the specific location you want to target. Depending on the scope of your law firm, this could be a city, state, or country.
After narrowing down your audience, you need to set your budget and schedule. You have the option of choosing a lifetime budget or a daily budget. With a lifetime budget, you select a start date and an end date. This is a good choice if you have a strict budget or want to keep your spending in check. A daily budget allows your ad to run continuously until the budget is spent in a given 24-hour period.
In terms of determining a budget, you need to understand the cost per click of automatic versus manual bids. You have the option of letting Facebook decide the best price for your ads, or you can set the maximum that you are willing to spend. Remember that every time someone clicks on your ad, Facebook charges you money based on your budget and schedule.
Once you have handled the logistics of the ad, it is time for formatting. You can create an ad from scratch or use an existing post – like that blog you wrote. If a current post has a lot of interaction, it is often better to promote it instead of starting from scratch.
Finally, it is time to publish and pay. As you get more comfortable using Facebook ads, you can play with your budget and schedules to determine what works best for your goals.
Tracking Ad Performance
Your job does not stop after creating a Facebook ad. You also need to track its performance. After your ad has had some time to run, think 24 to 48 hours, it is time to start tracking its progress. Use Facebook Ads Manager’s “Ad Reporting” to get information on your ad’s number of clicks, the cost per click, and how much you have spent as time passes.
If your ad performs exceedingly well, it is beneficial to consider running it a bit longer. However, if the opposite happens, you might want to try a different post for your next campaign. Use Facebook to experiment with ads to learn what works for your law firm and does not. As with many aspects of digital marketing, remember you may experience trial and error.
How Law Quill Can Help With Facebook Marketing
At Law Quill, we stay abreast of all the current trends and strategies when it comes to Facebook marketing for lawyers. If you are looking to have digital marketing professionals handle your Facebook marketing efforts so you can focus on clients and cases, we can help.
We welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call on our calendar today at your convenience. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.
