In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, New York solo lawyer Joleena Louis shares the top tips she has learned when using Facebook to market her firm.
The new year means a fresh start, and for entrepreneurial attorneys, that means reviewing our marketing strategy.
Social media is one of my best tools for marketing and one of the foundations of social media marketing is Facebook.
Why Lawyers Should Use Facebook
The best reason to use Facebook is that you can connect with your target audience for free or, at most, a very low cost.
Just look at the stats:
- 2.27 billion monthly active daily users
- 68% of adult social media users are on Facebook
- 1.3 billion users on Facebook messengers
- 75% of adults who make over $75,000 a year use Facebook
Personally, Facebook has been a really useful part of my marketing strategy. Approximately 40% of my cases were referrals from Facebook (from friends, groups or Facebook ads). About 48% of my (prospective client) email list came from Facebook ads and 60% of the people from that list contact me for a consultation within 30 days.
And most importantly, your Facebook Business Page will be a cornerstone of your online presence.
Two Great Ways To Use Facebook
Marketing to new clients
The first way I use Facebook is to directly market to clients. This is where your Facebook page and Facebook Ads come in.
I don’t get a ton of engagement on my Facebook page but that also isn’t my aim. Instead, my goal is to get people on my email list. I use my page to share my basic information and lead potential clients to my email funnel. Once I get their email, it becomes very easy, inexpensive and productive to remarket and re-engage this audience.
So I will share a blog post that has a link to a free webinar or checklist. Or I will make a Facebook Ad to promote the webinar, checklist, or other lead magnets to get people on my email list. Once they subscribe, it is much easier to get them the info they need to make a decision to schedule a consultation.
Connecting With Referral Sources
The other way I use Facebook is to connect with referral sources and the primary way I do this is Facebook Groups.
There are so many fantastic communities on Facebook where you can connect with people you may have never met in person. I know lawyers from all over the country now who, when they hear the words New York and divorce, immediately think of me because of our communications in a Facebook Group.
You can also use groups to connect with your clients directly and establish yourself as an expert. For example, as a business or trademark attorney, you could join groups for startups and small business owners and answer questions or direct them to your website. If you actively engage and add value to the group you won’t have to market yourself, people will come to you.
Facebook is a great, low-cost addition to your marketing strategy. Even if you are not social media savvy, it’s an easy and effective place to start.