You might be wondering what Social Media has got to do with a Lawyer like you. That is what this post on social media for lawyer 101 is about.

Here’s for facts…

In the past 5 years, social media has exploded ridiculously. On Facebook alone, over 1 billion people connect with each other. Hundreds of millions more connect using other social networking websites like LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube, just to name a few.

With smartphones and tablets, the use of social media has evolved further. Now, people access online content and post updates 24/7 from anywhere they have an internet connection. The rise of social media has fundamentally changed how we all communicate in both our personal and professional worlds. I can also bet that this is not alien to you too.

The younger generation cannot even imagine a world without technology because they’ve grown up with it. Social media has even eased its way into every facet of our everyday lives. Nearly all the younger lawyers at your firm check their Facebook and Linkedin accounts daily. Some might already have their résumés on LinkedIn. But social media is not exclusive to the young. Networking sites are experiencing a rise in adult membership, even senior lawyers. I have seen such accounts, and believe me, they are active users as well.

Initially, though, law firms did not embrace it whole hardheartedly (which is quite understandable – It’s no secret: Lawyers don’t like change.). But this isn’t the case anymore. Social media is not approached with as much caution as before. The times have changed.

Engagement with social media has become a functional imperative for all law firms. Lawyers are beginning to realize the potential of social media to create subtle awareness about their services, build connections with other lawyers and potential clients, or gather and share information about the law and practice.

Thus the big question is HOW can a law firm engage with social media effectively? For this post, I’m not going to get into that (I’ll begin that in the next post). However, I will do a quick and brief overview of the 4 main social media tools you should be using.

So the question now is not whether law firms can engage with social media, but how? Creating a policy that gives law firms and staff clear direction on what they can and can’t do is essential.

Social media may seem bewildering— there are thousands of them—but with a bit of research and guidance you can sort out which ones have the potential to do something for you and your firm.

Here is a quick overview of some social media tools you should consider using: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (It is suspended for now in Nigeria though) and blogs. In the pages following this article, four lawyers that actively use these tools share their advice for making the most of them.

FACEBOOK

Facebook is the largest social hub for over a billion people. That’s enough reason for you to be there. It is a no-brainer because the possibilities are endless when you are somewhere with the potential to reach hundreds of millions of people. It is left for you to acquire the skill to use it to your advantage. (Watch out for my next post to see how)

LINKEDIN

People often refer to LinkedIn as the “Facebook for professionals.” This is true because the conscious or unconscious motive of LinkedIn user is business connections. This is what makes it such a powerful tool for the Legal Profession. (I’ll go deeper in my next post)

TWITTER

Twitter is another social media site that can be very useful for sending word out there that your practice exists. Twitter has a fun side to it because of the overriding condition that ‘tweets’ can have no more than 140 characters. It’s a fun way to engage with friends as well as business associates, colleagues within your firm or even total strangers. Interestingly, ‘tweeting’ what followers flock to hear is building reputations and bringing clients to some lawyers. (Just like the others above, I’ll go deeper in my next post)

 

One interesting thing I’ll leave with you is that the same way that a company would consider the listener demographics of a radio station before placing an ad, social networks have user demographics that can help narrow down which platform would reach a lawyer’s potential clients most effectively.

If you have avoided social media as a client development tool because it seemed like too much work, or you have abandoned your efforts due to lack of time, go back and pick it up. It could turn out to be a gold mine for your practice in no far future.

It is going to require hard work on your part. But with consistency, you will achieve the desired result.