Social Media for Attorneys

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 3, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

Effective networking skills are crucial for attorneys looking to grow their practice. For years, lawyers have been visiting clients, attending trade association meetings, and wining and dining prospects, as a means to sustain clientele and attract new business.

Now, social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, are opening the door to a new array of networking opportunities that enhance these traditional methods. For example, social networking enables attorneys to:

• Connect with existing clients in a more personal way.
• Build stronger personal connections with colleagues and peers.
• Expand their business development network with prospects.
• Nurture referral sources.
• Build their personal brand and profile within the industry.
• Stay on top of legal industry trends, news and regulations.
• Monitor client industry news and trends.
• Learn from industry influentials/thought leaders.

The following is an overview of why attorneys should be using social media, as well as some best practices for doing so.

Why Social Media?

While social media provides a wealth of benefits for attorneys, some key ones are outlined below.

Benefit #1: Those attorneys that generate new business for their firms are more highly regarded, and thus more likely to be promoted. Social media can enhance your business development opportunities.

Attracting new business goes back to the importance of networking. The more people who know you and respect you, the more referrals you will receive. These, in turn, lead to more business for your firm, and a more successful career for yourself. In fact, according to LexBlog, “Lawyers in the top 10% of the profession spend a minimum of 3-5 hours each week on practice development,” otherwise known as meeting new people and networking with existing contacts.

Since more people are interacting online via social sites, you can expand your pool of potential new business opportunities, as well as extend the value of your practice-development initiatives, by connecting and engaging with prospective clients where they are already communicating. By establishing trust with these individuals and building your personal brand, you will remain top of mind, and your connections will be more likely to turn to you when they need an attorney - or when their friend/collegue/family member needs one.

Benefit #2: Potential clients are talking about legal issues online, enabling you to become a trusted resource by sharing helpful content.

People are using social networking sites to ask legal questions and recommend attorneys. See the following screenshots from Twitter as examples.

By sharing useful, helpful and relevant information with potential clients online, you can differentiate yourself in the market as a trusted resource. To do this, post articles, answer questions, provide updates on new laws and regulations, and be an active participant.

However, be careful not to violate any of your state’s professional rules of conduct (see below), and avoid giving legal advice. When communicating with people online, stick to the facts (news, regulations, etc.) and then point people to where they can find more information.

For some examples of how attorneys are using social media effectively, check out Mashable’s post, “How Lawyers are Using Social Media for Real Results.”

Benefit #3: Other legal professionals are communicating on these sites, allowing you to connect with peers and learn from each other.

Networking with peers helps you stay on top of industry trends and legal news, ultimately making you a better practitioner. There are ample opportunities online for attorneys to network with peers. Consider the following statistics:

• A LinkedIn group search for “attorney” generated 382 groups.
• On WeFollow.com, a site where Twitter users can designate which topics they are most interested in: 642 people tagged themselves as interested in “attorney," 16 in “attorneys,” 1,463 as “lawyer,” 44 as “lawyers” and 568 as “legal.”
• There are 6,377 legal professionals listed on LexTweet, a community of legal professionals using Twitter.
• There are 9,226 lawyer blogs in 74 subcategories, according to Blawgsearch.com.
• Roughly one-third of the “AmLaw 100” top law firms are on Twitter.
• In 2009, 86% of attorneys between the ages of 25 and 35, and 66% of those age 46 or older were using social networking sites.

In addition, establishing yourself as a thought leader and industry expert among your peers can enhance your credibility and visibility in the industry, as well as lead to other opportunities such as speaking engagements, and mentions in blogs and trade publications. As an active participant on these networks, you also won’t fall victim to social-media savvy competitors who could steal potential business away from you just by being present online.

Best Practices for Attorneys

Below are some best practices to consider as you get started in social media.

Remain ethical, and stay true to your state’s professional rules of conduct.

There are special rules that apply specifically to attorneys when it comes to social networking. For example, the “Specialties” section on LinkedIn could pose a risk for attorneys in regard to their State Bar regulations. Therefore, be sure to know how your state handles issues such as attorney advertising, recommendations and ex parte communications, and then adapt your participation accordingly. For a list of items to consider, check out “12 Social Media Ethics Issues for Lawyers,” which provides a very comprehensive overview.

Overall, just remember that the same rules (such as client confidentiality) apply to social networks as they do to traditional communication platforms.

Consider joining an industry online community.

In addition to active participation on general sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, you may find value in niche industry communities where other attorneys are gathering to share information, resources and advice. Communities worth looking into include: Counsel.Net, Legal OnRamp, Martindale Connected and JDSupra.

Focus your efforts on niche markets and your specialties.

People are often looking for a specific type of attorney (for example: a tax, bankruptcy or divorce attorney). Therefore, consider your specialities and the client needs relating to those, and then develop relevant, helpful content that speaks directly to those individuals.

Move communications offline when possible.

Face-to-face meetings can add additional credibility and personality to your personal brand. Therefore, when possible, meet your online contacts in person. For example, go to lunch, connect at industry events or organize a tweet-up.

Your Thoughts?

• How have you used social media to connect with your target audiences and grow your business?
• What tactics and best practices have resonated the most success?
• What challenges have you faced online?

Related Resources

• The Business of Personal Branding
• A More Sensible Approach to Facebook
• How Lawyers Are Using Social Media for Real Results
• 12 Social Media Ethics Issues for Lawyers

Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

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Photo Credit: umjanedoan