The next time you're standing in line
at the movies, sitting in a restaurant, or waiting in a courthouse
hallway, look around at the people on their smartphones, laptops, or
tablets. How many are checking their Facebook accounts?
Since nearly 1.6 billion people use
Facebook each month and 65 percent of them use it daily for at least 20
minutes, it's safe to assume many of those around you are on Facebook
reading and responding to others.
Facebook is a social network. All are
welcome, including lawyers. It can, however, cause problems for lawyers.
Your personal and professional life should be separate. A link to a
news article of interest to your clients or potential clients shouldn't
appear next to a picture of your daughter's birthday party.
Facebook has a way to avoid such
conflict. Set up a Facebook page for your law firm and keep your
personal posts on your home page.
What is a Facebook Page?
A Facebook page is a distinct site for
businesses, brands, and law firms. You create a page from your personal
account and customize it by posting articles, videos, and photos, and
adding links to items of interest. People who like your page and their
friends can get updates in their News Feed.
Create a page with your professional profile picture, a picture of the firm members in the cover photo, and your logo.
How to find followers:
- Invite friends and email contacts to like your page
- Include the name of your page on your marketing materials such as business cards or e-mails
- Add a link on your website
- Announce your new page with your Twitter account.
What do I post on my page?
Keep followers engaged with interesting
content. Include links to posts written by others in your area of the
law, your blog, or news items in your field. Know that Facebook pages
are public. Anyone who can see the page can also see your comments or
posts.
Marketing experts recommend half of
your posts should connect readers to interesting and informative online
content; thirty percent should respond to others' posts, and twenty
percent can be divided between self-promotion and your personal
interests.
Photos and videos are important. Use
them when you can—they foster the greatest response. Include pictures of
the people from your law firm or events in the community—they help
humanize your firm. And most of all, be active on your Facebook page
with interesting content. If you think you can't keep up with it, don't
start.
Remember ethics rules. Don't give legal
advice or answer complicated legal questions—stick with news and posts
in your area of practice. If you have a question about a post, contact
the Ethics Helpline at (877) 558-4760 to receive an informal advisory
opinion from a staff attorney.
Finally, have fun with it. Remember,
it's a networking platform where you can connect with clients, other
lawyers, referral sources, and leaders in your area of practice. Don't
forget to add the link of your Facebook page to your SBM member directory enhanced profile. Create it and they will come.
Roberta Gubbins has served as the editor of the Ingham County Legal News.
Since leaving the paper, she provides services as a ghostwriter editing
articles, blogs, and e-blasts for lawyers and law firms. She is the
editor of Briefs, the Ingham County Bar Association e-newsletter, and The Mentor, SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.
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