Recently I have been involved in several different seminars discussing the use of social media for attorneys and law offices. Most often, the reaction that I receive from other attorneys is, “why should I bother doing something that takes more of my time?” The answer is that social media is the future.
In the past you were able to reach potential clients by yellow pages, television advertising, radio programs, and targeting community groups that are relevant to your subject matter. However, increasingly we have experienced a shift to a digital world. What this means, is that your potential clientele is no longer available through the traditional means.
Where can I find clients?
Everyone from my grandparents to my nieces use the internet to access information daily. More of the younger generation has even eliminated landline telephones, cable subscriptions, and even classroom college courses and are turning to the computer to access information.
Google is currently the key to reaching most of the connected world. Embracing social media is important to improving your exposure on Google so that you can reach potential clientele. If you are not easily accessible from Google searches, your clients may be unable to locate you. By interacting and sharing information on social media websites, you increase your visibility on Google.
What is social media?
The most popular social media site is Facebook.com. Other examples of social media include LinkedIn.com, Twitter.com, MySpace.com, Google Buzz, and even YouTube.com. These websites all operate on the model of enticing users to register for free accounts and encouraging the sharing of information with individuals in their social network. The majority of social media websites provide you with options of exposing information to the public at large or simply with those within your defined network.
These are powerful tools because they are amongst the most visited websites on the Internet. These are sites that individuals use to find friends, family, and even follow celebrities. They are used for entertainment, education, and sharing of personal information. Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube all have options for creating pages that directly market the information that you are sharing. Facebook even provides you with weekly reports that contain details of the number of visits that your company page has received.
Why is social media valuable to me?
The value in these sites are that they are free to use. It is simple to create profiles and to share information with a wide audience. You are able to provide contact information for your office that is easy to find, and publicize important events that can draw attention to your firm. You can link to your company homepage and let your clients more freely interact with you.
Since I have been actively using social media, I have seen a 400% increase to my company website traffic. I have received national exposure for my firm, and I have had an opportunity to meet and learn from other experts in my field.
My website is now the number one referral source for new clientele for me. The quality of my clientele has improved since my social media efforts are targeted towards specific clientele that I seek. I also have noticed a huge increase in referrals from social acquaintances that have learned more about my professional life based on the information that I share on social media websites.
Embrace new technology.
The world is changing, and it is important that attorneys embrace the future and realize that they must find new ways to continue to develop their practice. As we move more to the virtual world, firms that do not have a virtual presence will be left behind. Social media is important because it is the future. It is okay to be intimidated as our business changes, but dismissing or ignoring the societal changes could be dangerous to your livelihood.
To learn more about attorney use of social media, please download Ethical Issues in Attorney Use of Technology. I created these materials for a recent presentation for the Delaware State Bar Association on the ethical implications of the use of new technologies for law firms.
