As a law firm, it might be tough to compete with the witty fast-food giants and funny cat videos on social media platforms. After all, you probably spend a lot of your time behind a desk, sitting at conference tables, or in courtrooms . It can be challenging to make what you do seem appealing for social media.

But law firms can certainly achieve success through Facebook advertising. Why? Because life is full of obstacles, and you’re in the business of helping people overcome challenges. The trick is to set yourself up for success on social media and then create the perfect Facebook ad campaign for your law firm. Here’s how.

Why Law Firms Should Use Facebook Advertising

When it comes down to it, your law firm should be focusing on where its target audience hangs out. And most people today have social media profiles.

With over 1.9 billion daily active users, Facebook has an incredibly large and diverse user base. Whether your target clients are retirees, young parents, or someone else, there’s a good chance you’ll find many of them on Facebook.

And when potential clients have a legal concern, they’ll often use Facebook as a search engine. If you don’t have a presence there, you could be missing a huge opportunity to connect with this audience. Even if they find you on Google or through a referral, many prospects will still search you out on social media to confirm your credibility.

When you advertise on Facebook, your law firm can build trust, establish name recognition, and get fast results.

Creating the Perfect Facebook Ad Campaign for Your Law Firm

Once you’ve decided to use Facebook advertising for your law firm, where do you start? How do you get your ads in front of the right people and get the best results? You’re spending money on these ads, after all, so you want to stay within your marketing budget. Here are some tips for creating an effective Facebook ad campaign for your law firm.

1. Write Engaging Content

Before you even think about advertising on Facebook, it’s a good idea to consider where you plan to send people who click on your ads. Some ads just prompt people to call a phone number. But many people aren’t ready or willing to commit to a conversation yet, so sending prospective clients to a relevant piece of content might be a better option.

If your ad is targeting clients who have just been in an auto accident, you might send them to a blog post titled “5 Things to Do After a Car Crash.” That person will probably appreciate the free advice and will remember your name when they are ready to get the help they need.

One thing many businesses don’t understand is that it’s less costly to advertise on Facebook when you promote useful content. In other words, Facebook will give you lower rates to promote a relevant video or blog post than a straight-up ad that just directs people to call for a consultation. If your law firm doesn’t have a blog yet, it’s time to get one.

2. Create Your Law Firm’s Facebook Page

Next, if you haven’t already done so, you should create a Facebook page for your law firm. Having a dedicated Facebook page will help your law firm establish credibility, encourage reviews, and build brand awareness. Once you set up your page, create regular engaging posts and use high-quality images and video. All things Facebook begin with your firm’s Facebook page.

3. Set Up Facebook Ads Manager

Here’s the simple part. You don’t have to do a lot of “set up” because Facebook already has your business information. You’ll probably need to tell them how you plan to pay for your ads. To get started, just click on “Ad Center” on the left side of your screen from your Facebook page. Then choose “Create Ad.”

4. Choose Your Ad Campaign Objective

When you create a new campaign, you want to choose the objective of your ad. This is an important step because Facebook will optimize your campaigns based on your choices. Some common choices are: traffic, engagement, brand awareness, conversions, video views, and lead generation.

Most law firms will want to choose either traffic or conversions as an objective. “Traffic” has the goal of driving Facebook users to your designated content. “Conversions” is better for getting people to complete a specified objective, such as calling a number or filling out a form.

5. Identify Your Target Audience

Next, you need to make sure that your ads will be displayed to the right people. This is critical. The good news is that Facebook has nearly endless ways to target your audience. For a blog post titled, “6 Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid,” you could target people who:

• Are married
• Have minor children
• Live within 60 miles of your office

6. Set Your Schedule and Budget

You can choose when your ad will start running and even an end date for the campaign. Facebook also gives you several options for budgeting. You can set a daily budget for the ad or a maximum budget over the life of the ad campaign. No matter which option you choose, your ads will stop running once you hit the maximum you designate.

7. Format Your Facebook Ad

If you are creating a new ad, Facebook will walk you through the process of creating and formatting your ad. You can test out a variety of headlines and primary texts to figure out what works best with your target audience.

8. Track Your Ad’s Performance

As with any other digital marketing initiative, you’ll want to track your performance to determine what is working and what needs improvement. In Facebook Ads Manager, you can review the performance of your ads to see how many clicks an ad received, the cost per click, and the total amount spent.

Get the Help You Need with Facebook Ads for Law Firms

Facebook ads are highly targeted and competitive. If you are dedicating your advertising dollars to paid ads, there’s little room for error, so you want to get it right the first time. This is where an experienced legal marketing professional can provide the guidance you need.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, our paid ad specialists can incorporate Facebook ads into your overall legal marketing strategy to help your law firm get the best results. Give us a call at (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free consultation.