How Law Firms Should Really Be Using Social Media

Everyone tends to have a Twitter or a Facebook, and some go as far as a YouTube channel and a LinkedIn, but where is the power in these tools if not in the creative and outward approach a firm puts into them? Below, Cleland Thom Principal at the College of Media and Publishing, explains.

Some legal firms are nervous about using social media, and rightly so. It can be a harsh medium. You cannot control it, and mistakes can be cruelly punished. And lawyers also run the risk of inadvertently breaching professional obligations.

But social media can bring significant benefits if it is used thoughtfully. The main attraction is that it’s free.

Many businesses just use social media for the sake of it. They have a Twitter feed and a Facebook page because everyone else does, and then waste time filling them with content no-one reads and that does not serve any purpose.

So, if you are considering using social media, you need to establish:

1. What you want to say.
2. Who you want to say it to.
3. When you want to say it.
4. What you want to achieve.

Your answers to these questions will help you focus your activities.

The main social media channels are: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Flickr (images), YouTube and Vimeo.

You need to decide:

1. Which one(s) to use.
2. What to use them for.

Social media has six main purposes for lawyers:

1. Increasing sales. You can attract clients from across the UK and beyond. For instance, although my college is in West Sussex, we use one firm of solicitors in London and another in Birmingham. We found them both through social media, after failing to find suitable firms locally.
2. Improving Google search positions.
3. Increasing engagement with potential clients.
4. Driving traffic to your website.
5. Networking with other professionals.
6. Starting or joining debates.

It’s best to use each channel for different purpose. Some businesses post the same content everywhere, but this is pointless. You should use channels for specific jobs, and never use a channel for the sake of it. For instance, your business might use:

• Twitter to promote services and engage with new customers
• A Facebook business page to commentate on current issues. See this example from JC Solicitors
• LinkedIn for networking and presenting authoritative articles and white papers
• YouTube for ‘how-to’ videos. Remember, YouTube is the second largest search engine.

This activity needs planning and takes time, and if you can’t use it well, it’s best not to use it at all - poor online presence can damage a firm’s overall reputation. So, either post regular, high quality content … or don’t bother.

Some business subcontract their social media to an agency, and this makes sense if they do not have the time or expertise to do it themselves.

Others identify a younger member of staff, and send them on a social media marketing course to give them the necessary skills.

If you run your own social media activities, only use the channels you can cope with. Introduce them one at a time – don’t use them one unless you need it, and can cope with it.

Coping doesn’t just mean updating the posts, but also responding quickly to messages and comments from users. Legal firms usually take their time to answer letters and emails, and may have to learn the meaning of the word ‘quickly’ if they want to do well in the social media world!

There are a number of risks associated with social media. Most readers will be aware of the legal dangers associated with copyright, defamation, privacy, data protection and other laws. If not, they should consider buying my book, Online Law!

However, it’s easy to make mistakes through ignorance. Here are some of the main points to remember:

1. Restrict the people who post, and make sure they are thoroughly trained.
2. Tell all other staff that they must not mention your business in their personal social media accounts and pages. Most firms have strict social media policies to ensure the business / personal lines are not blurred.
3. Do not reveal clients’ identities by accident. So:

1. Provide a drop box for you and your clients to use to send sensitive documents. Never send them by email.
2. Tell clients not to communicate with you via public social media pages.
3. Check your contacts on LinkedIn and similar sites. They might not want other people to know that they are connected to you.
4. Don’t mention previous clients in your online profiles or CV.
5. Never Tweet that you are meeting someone in a professional capacity.
6. Turn off location services when meeting contacts out of the office.
7. Choose your social media “friends” carefully. Delete anyone who crosses the personal / business divide.

The Law Society has other useful tips and guidelines here.