Facebook is an opportunity for attorneys to network for referrals, research defendants and potential jury members, market their law firms, and vet potential legal hires and current associates. Lawyers who use Facebook solely for personal reasons should reevaluate their use to consider the site’s possibilities for marketing and the development of professional relationships.
Top six reasons why lawyers should have a Business Facebook Page:
1. Facebook can bring you referrals and clients by helping you to reconnect with old classmates, colleagues, friends, events, and interest groups.
2. Facebook can help you strengthen relationships with colleagues, both those at your firm and others. Facebook does this by fostering open communication about shared interests, activities, family life, and by offering opportunities to connect through groups and events.
3. Facebook Pages are great marketing tools. Pages allow you to post videos, photos, notes, blogs, and other interactive and community-building applications. Once you have created a Facebook page, you can promote it through Facebook’s Social Ads, although you should make sure to stay within the ethical rules for client solicitation in doing so.
4. Facebook is often used by jury consultants to evaluate potential jurors before and during trial. This internet vetting can disclose juror’s associations, interests or past statements that may make a lawyer want to strike them from the jury pool or prioritize keeping them on the case, and can provide a lawyer with insights into specific jurors, which may be beneficial in crafting effective closing arguments.
5. Facebook can be an effective tool for investigating defendants, witnesses, and prosecutors. Evidence revealed from Facebook searches has been used to prove that a defendant had no remorse after committing a crime, to prove a defendant’s motive, as evidence of the crime itself or of an individual’s participation in a crime, and to show the extent of plaintiffs’ injuries after an accident.
6. Through Facebook you can research potential job applicants’ public statements, photos and questionable social activity. A search of the site may also reveal statements by current employees regarding your firm or their workload. However, since Facebook may also reveal otherwise unknown protected information (race, religion, political affiliation) about job applicants or employees, be careful not to take adverse action based on that information.
If your Firm does not have a Business Facebook Page, let BARD Marketing create and Monitor your Social Media Account.
Give us a call at 561.744.2133 or visit www.bardmarketing.com.
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BARD Marketing encourages you to visit and ‘Become a Fan’ of our Facebook Page. Our page highlights our services, our team, firm announcements, our community involvement, legal events and updates, and conveniently allows visitors/fans to engage and ask questions.
We look forward to being a part of your social network!