"Everything you've been told about building
an injury law practice is wrong"

What Lawyers Don’t Understand about Facebook

When it comes to social media, most lawyers just don’t have a clue. Lawyers brag about their big settlement or verdict, but with the exception of your mother and maybe your spouse, no one cares.  This is what lawyers don’t understand about social media.

Your friends and followers want to see your human side, especially your failures and mistakes. Why?  By revealing a bit of your humanity, you’re showing your friends that you’re just like them: an imperfect person…and the bond with your social media friends grows a little stronger.  

The 3 Secrets of Social Media Success: Educate, Inspire & Engage

Before you post on Facebook, ask: Are you creating content that others will want to share? If so, you’re inspiring, motivating and educating. But where do you start?  Here are a few ideas:

Secret #1: EDUCATE:  I interviewed Infusionsoft’s Dream Manager, Dan Ralphs, about the Dream Manager Program during a Facebook Live show on our firm’s Facebook page.  The 40 minute show got 5,600 views on Facebook and 51 shares.

Alabama injury lawyer, Morris “Mo” Lilienthal, Esq., engages his Facebook friends with his Facebook Live show, “The Mo Show”. The “Mo Show” is educational and highlights the good work of members of the community in Huntsville, Alabama. By featuring the altruistic work of others, the “Mo Show” has built a loyal fanbase on Facebook.

Secret #2: INSPIRE:  St. Louis immigration lawyer, Jim Hacking, Esq., shares the success stories of his clients outside of the courthouse after their hearing for citizenship.  The stories of hardship and perseverance are heartwarming and Jim’s friends get an inside look at the impact of his work.

New Jersey injury lawyers, Bill Colarulo, Esq. and Rich Grungo, Esq., engage with their Facebook friends by asking them to select their favorite charity for the firm’s “Wheel of Charity”. The top 5 charities selected by the firm’s Facebook friends have a chance to win $500 during a Facebook Live show. The live Facebook show is funny, engaging and the firm gets a share of goodwill by making a donation for a good cause.

Houston injury lawyer, Don McClure, Esq. and his wife, Edith, have frequent Facebook Live contests for free rodeo and baseball tickets. No boring lawyer talk—Don and Edith talk about their kids and personal lives.  This is what your friends want to see.

South Florida injury lawyer, Craig Goldenfarb, Esq., features the achievements of his employees on his firm’s Facebook page. Nice way to say “thanks” to his team and a great way to build morale.

Secret #3: ENGAGE YOUR TEAM:  Every time you post new content on your firm’s Facebook page, have your staff share and like your content on their personal Facebook page.  Better yet, have your team/staff to post content about their work at your firm.

Atlanta injury lawyer, Rebecca Kay Sapp, Esq., has Halloween parties and contests on Facebook Live.   Ohio injury lawyer, Chuck Boyk, Esq. pioneered community marketing programs, such as “Bikes for Kids” and “Teach of the Month”.

Be Social, Not Professional

The idea of social media is to be social—not professional.  Show your human side, your weaknesses and imperfections and engage your friends with community programs that feature the success stories in your town.  And if you do any of this, you’ll be head and shoulders above every other lawyer.

________________________________________

What John’s Up to?

What is the one thing that ultra-high achieving lawyers do? They are fiercely devoted to self-improvement and attend a lot of seminars. I’m guessing you might be the same.  If so, these are the seminars where I will speak in 2019. Hope to see you there!

April 15th, 17th, 18th and May 2nd:  “Handling Tough Issues in a Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Action”, for the New York State Bar Association in New York City, Albany and Rochester and Long Island

May 2nd and May 3rd:  “The Secrets of Lawyer-to-Lawyer Referral Based Marketing” at the annual convention of the Ohio Association for Justice in Columbus, Ohio

June 6th and 7th:  “How to Build a Powerhouse Law Firm with a Book” at the Maximum Lawyer, Max Law Con ’19, in St. Louis, Missouri

July 12th:  “The Hidden Dangers of a Home Birth” at a medical symposium in Destin, Florida

October, 2019:  “Why Lawyers Suck at Marketing” at the 34th annual convention of the Chicago Title Claims Insurance and Underwriting in South Carolina


Photo by Tobias Dziuba from Pexels

Leave a comment below telling me what surprised, inspired or taught you the most (I personally respond to every comment). And if you disagree with my take on running a personal injury law firm, or have a specific, actionable tip, I’d love to hear from you.
CLOSE
CLOSE