Have Multiple Facebook Pages
Here is another tip we picked up at the Taste of ABA TECHSHOW 2011 dinner in Chicago that Laura and I hosted this year. This particular tip comes from Catherine Sanders Reach, M.L.I.S. of Chicago, Illinois and the Director of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center.
While most people think that having one facebook page is enough, Catherine advises lawyers to have two. One should be your personal page and the other should be your professional page. When you list your facebook information on your website, business card etc., refer to your professional page only. Prior to posting to facebook, consider the content of your post and toggle between your two facebook pages and thereby draw a bright line between your online personal and professional lives.
Social networking is a great way to make contact, build relationships and gain new clients, however, through the rules of professional responsibility lawyers are held to a higher standard of conduct than the average citizen. The very nature of social networking means that you can’t – and probably don’t want – to control what your close friends post. But, for your own good, some worlds just shouldn’t collide!
I hasten to add that this doesn’t mean you can’t be personal and personable on your business FB page. It just makes it easier if you have to decide whether you’ll friend judges, clients, etc. to have two places that have distinct “voices”. Also, now FB let’s you toggle between your business page and your personal account. If you have a business page just go to “Account” and in the drop down menu choose “Use Facebook as Page”.
I tried this a while ago and soon shut down my “professional” Facebook page. Friends were finding me there and professionals were finding me on the personal page. I tried to create that bright line, but it didn’t work. I perfer keeping my professional online presence to LinkedIn and Twitter.
Ms. Hogan makes a good point, and there are a lot of factors that weigh in. If you don’t have a practice area that begs for a presence in FB, it might be more of a hassle than an asset.
Although some people do create more than one Facebook account, having more than one is actually against the terms of service. If you do create more than one, be prepared in the case that one gets closed down.
Right you are Connie! So, with one account you can now toggle or switch from your personal to your page, but no need for two accounts. See: https://www.facebook.com/help/?topic=upgradedpages and scroll down to the first bullet “Using Facebook as the Page you admin” for details.