Small Law Firm Use of Social Networking and Blogging

danapplegate
May 25, 2012

Social networking has become an integral part of any businesses looking to build value with potential customers. Businesses of all sizes have begun to understand the value of Facebook likes and re-tweets, we’re even seeing the likes of CEOs stepping up to the plate and speaking candidly on their blogs. Law firms are no different, in a way that they’ve grasped the concept of social outreach and began implementing it across the board.

A recent study gave us a glimpse on how small law firms (1-5 attorneys) are using social networking to reach their clients. The numbers are encouraging to say the least. It seems that small law firms truly understand the power of social networking and blogging, while large firms are still somewhat reluctant to adopt a similar approach to client acquisition.

Attorney Use of Social Media Channels

91% plan embracing social media channels
90% are already using professional networks like LinkedIn
88% of small law firms blog
73% said they’re using Twitter
68% use Facebook and Google+
51% do video marketing on YouTube and Vimeo
Only 19% participate on Q&A websites like Quora and Yahoo Answers

As we can see, small law firms have embraced social media and are slowly becoming completely engulfed by use of more than one social network. LinkedIn is still the most popular professional network as it helps generate the most revenue for attorneys seeking to network with other business professionals. As a matter of fact, there were over 1.4 million legal profiles on LinkedIn at the time the study was done. What did the surveyed firms say about how well social media is working for them? Let’s take a look:

76% said social media has generated new leads
71% say they rely on social media for new business generation
61% reported increased traffic to their websites
54% said social media increased number of online connections
59% said that social media is critical to their firm’s function
24% claim their client satisfaction is up

It’s Time to Embrace Social Media

Looking at the big picture we can clearly see the importance of social media to small law firms. If we think about these numbers, it makes perfect sense that connecting with people by presenting yourself as “you – the attorney” and not “us-the law firm”, forms stronger bonds. Blogging seems to have been the primary means of voicing opinions and thoughts by attorneys, however some companies are now ditching blogging all together and moving to social network interaction entirely. Personally, I see attorneys participating in blogs for another decade or so since many have yet to enter the arena. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how the legal industry shifts its way of thinking about connecting with clients.

About Author:

Dan Applegate is an SEO adviser to legal professionals including the law firm of Fisher & Talwar. Dan communicates the importance of social media presence and legal blogs to those who are willing to listen.