Professional Services Accounting ARTICLE -
Social networking for law firms

Target Audience: Legal Professionals, Professional Service Firms, Law Firm Partners, Law Firm Marketers

Nothing has changed — and enhanced — law firm marketing in the past decade like the Internet. But some firms approach each new technological development with caution and even fear. Social media, including blogs, networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and knowledge platforms like Legal OnRamp, are no exception.

If your firm is already connecting with clients and prospective clients via social networks, you likely know the benefits. If, however, you’ve yet to dip your toe in the water, don’t wait any longer. There’s really nothing to be afraid of.

The fear factor

The recently published 2009 American Bar Association Legal Technology Survey Report says that only one in eight firms use social networks. And an informal study published in Law Practice magazine found that 45% of law firms block their computers’ access to such sites.

So why are law firms so reluctant to jump into social media? Many firms are understandably concerned about privacy, worker productivity and misuse of social networking sites. But such fears are probably misplaced. In this age of smart phones, employees can circumvent blockage policies by using their own Web-enabled devices at work. And unless you provide social media policies, attorneys and staff are just as likely to make firm-damaging statements online from their home computers as they are from their office computers.

A social newtorking policy is essential

To protect your firm and safely harness the potential of social media, create a code of conduct that helps attorneys and nonattorney staff use online networking tools productively. Your code should prohibit:

• Violating client confidentiality, including doing anything prohibited by your firm’s existing confidentiality policy,
• Jeopardizing client relationships by, for example, making statements that could have adverse effects on specific clients or cases,
• Giving legal advice that might establish an attorney-client relationship, and
• Making statements that can be construed as violating law firm advertising rules.

Warn employees against communicating anonymously — making, for example, hostile or inflammatory comments on blogs or forums. Such comments can always be traced back to their source.

In general, staff who identify themselves online as employees of your firm should be polite and respectful and refrain from participating in work-related gossip. They also should make it clear that any views they express are their own, not those of the firm, and refrain from using firm logos or service marks that might imply that their opinions are “official.”

Social strategies

There are just as many social media “dos,” of course. For example, do choose to focus on particular networks, such as LinkedIn, which is used primarily for professional networking and can help attorneys reconnect with former colleagues, classmates and other potential clients or referral sources.

Plaxo’s Pulse platform, on the other hand, offers a mix of personal and professional networking capabilities and is a powerful tool for idea-sharing. Attorneys can provide clients with a central place to read their legal blogs and Twitter posts regarding developments in their practice areas, and even view their YouTube videos of conference presentations.

Other Social Networking sites you may want to consider include:

Legal OnRamp. Designed for lawyers, the site hosts forums, blogs, calendars and other features that enable private-practice attorneys, in-house counsel and law students to interact and share ideas. Your firm’s attorneys can use it to distribute conference agendas, white papers and other discussion-generating, reputation-building documents.

Facebook. Primarily a social network, the site can help members make and maintain relationships with friends and family. But law practices can set up firm accounts for professional networking purposes.

Twitter. Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters each — long enough to make firm announcements, report legal decisions relevant to your clients and provide “live” commentary at conferences and other events.

Don’t neglect the old

Although these new networking strategies may seem foreign at first, most are simple to master — and well worth the time of your attorneys and marketing department. Just remember that, as you adopt the new, don’t neglect the “old.” Ensure that your Web site remains user-friendly and well maintained, and that you’ve prominently posted links to your firm’s social media accounts on it.

Find out how our expertise in professional services accounting can add value to your business. Email us or call us at 1 (888) 875-9770.

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