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Facebook is one of the first social media platforms that you should consider when building your law firm’s social media presence. Check out this post to learn more about the nuts and bolts of creating a Page for your law firm on Facebook.
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms out there. Even if you do not have a personal profile, you have certainly heard about Facebook. Facebook is the most widely used social platform by adults in the United States. Across all social platforms, it is beaten only by YouTube in terms of adult usage.
Furthermore, according to 2021 statistics, 2.79 billion people across the world use Facebook, and 73% of those users log in to Facebook daily. These same stats indicate that two-thirds of Facebook users visit a local business’ Page at least once per week. It is also reported that adult users spend an average of 34 minutes each day on Facebook.
All this boils down to the fact that law firms have key audiences on Facebook, from current clients to potential clients, employees, colleagues, and community members. You can leverage a presence on Facebook to further your law firm’s goals, from marketing to general public relations, recruitment, networking, and more.
How to Create Your Law Firm Facebook Page
The process of setting up your Facebook Page is surprisingly easy. It can be done in just a few quick steps.
The Basic Setup
First, you need to sign up and select the type of Facebook Page that you wish to create. For your law firm, you should select a business or brand Page.
Next, you will need to enter the basic information about your law firm, such as the name and a brief description. Your law firm name may seem obvious, but don’t forget your Brand Guidelines. If you have several named partners in your official business documents but only use the first few names in your branded materials, you need to consider how you will present your law firm on Facebook. Will it be only with your branded name, your full name, or some hybrid of the two?
After inputting your firm name, you will need to select the categories for your business. You can choose a general category, such as “Lawyer & Law Firm,” or go with something more specific that applies to your firm, such as “Criminal Lawyer,” “Divorce & Family Lawyer,” “Estate Planning Lawyer,” or “Real Estate Lawyer.” Facebook will allow you to choose up to three categories for your new Page.
Finally, don’t forget to input a brief description about your law firm. Once you have added this basic information (Page Name, Category, and Description), you are ready to create your Page. You will be able to add more important details once your Page is created.
Adding Details
Add your pictures immediately after “Create Page.” You will need a profile photo and a cover photo. For most law firms, your profile picture will be your logo or a picture of key attorneys used in advertising. Your cover photo will be something else that aligns with your brand. For instance, if you use a cityscape as the header on your website, you may want to consider a similar image for your profile cover photo. Alternatively, you may want to consider a photo of your team or a cover photo incorporating a slogan or tagline.
Regardless of which photos you choose, make sure that these photos are high-quality. Your photos will display in various pixels on different devices. For a cover photo, Facebook recommends 851 x 315 pixels, while the minimum size is 400 x 150 pixels. While Facebook does not offer a minimum size for your profile photos, the display quality ranges from 170 x 170 pixels on a desktop to 36 x 36 pixels on feature phones. Also, keep in mind that profile photos are cropped into a circular shape, so take care to ensure that important elements of the image are not inadvertently removed.
Next, you need to complete your business details. This means filling out the various available fields on your profile, including your address, phone numbers, website information, and hours. Some fields, such as pricing, are optional. If any of this information changes in the future, be sure to update your Facebook Page as well.
Using Your New Law Firm Page
Once you have finished completing your profile, you are ready to get started using your Page. You can start by inviting your connections to “like” your Facebook Page. You should also promote your Page by adding a linked icon to your website and email signatures. Gaining likes for your Page may take time, so do not be discouraged if it doesn’t happen overnight.
You also need to develop a strategy for engagement on your Page. To see benefits from your Page, you will need to consistently keep it updated. Remember that you do not need to always be the one to post on or update your Facebook Page. Instead, you can add admins who will help you with updates and keep a consistent engagement schedule.
You should outline a schedule for posting content. We suggest a strategy designed around optimal posting times that avoids long stretches of inactivity. You should plan to include holiday messages, promote blog posts that your law firm may publish, and share announcements about exciting events at your firm. These are great general posts that can drive engagement. You can even “pin” a post at the top of your Page if you want to make sure that it is seen by visitors.
The new frontier in Facebook engagement seems to be private Facebook Groups. Organic traffic to Facebook Pages is down. However, you can create member-only spaces, called Groups, that tend to receive heightened engagement. You can learn more about business uses for Facebook Groups in this post from Hubspot. You can also check out this article from Attorney At Work to learn more about lawyers using Facebook Groups for networking and referrals.
Facebook users will have the option to message your Page directly. Thus, in addition to determining how you will publicly engage and post content, you will need a strategy for approaching any messages that you may receive directly to your Facebook Page.
You can set up instant replies. However, regardless of whether you make use of instant replies, you must assign a person in your office to monitor this inbox. Take care to respond with the same level of care and professionalism that you would exhibit if someone walked into your office or submitted a contact form.
If you wish to avoid engaging in a prolonged legal discussion through Facebook Messenger, you should develop a professional note that directs the sender of a message to contact you through appropriate channels.
Facebook will also allow you to engage in various forms of advertisement through your Page. You can add a call-to-action message to your profile that directs visitors to do something, such as visit your law firm’s website. You can also boost posts to reach wider audiences, buy sponsored ads, or even launch a Facebook Remarketing campaign.
For more information about the various ways to advertise with Facebook, check out this information from the Facebook for Business Help Center. While you can undertake these paid strategies on your own, you can also reach out to specialists, like Justia, to assist you in getting the greatest return from your investment.
As a final note for using your new law firm Facebook Page, don’t forget to check out your bar association’s ethical rules governing attorney advertisement. They likely have some provisions that apply to social media advertising and engagement that you need to remember as you venture into the world of Facebook.
Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?
Creating your law firm’s Facebook Page is 100% free. It does not cost you any money to simply have a Page. What lawyer doesn’t appreciate a free way to market their practice? Additionally, Facebook offers robust paid advertising solutions that can be leveraged to propel your law firm even closer to your marketing goals. Get started on the next phase of your marketing plan by creating your law firm’s Facebook Page today.
