We recently read Adrian Dayton’s blog about law firms using social media. He explains that while in-house counsel have embraced channels like blogs and Facebook, law firms are still figuring out when to arrive to the social media party. The arguments against social media that law firms used a few years ago aren’t valid today. Lawyers may think that none of their clients are using these new media channels or that in-house counsel doesn’t really spend time reading blogs, but the truth is spreading like wildfire:

• 27 percent of in-house counsel surveyed by Greentarget said blogs  published by lawyers are among the “most important” factors in   their hiring decision
• 43 percent read blogs as a primary source of news
• 50 percent agree or somewhat agree that lawyer-authored blogs will influence the process by which clients hire law firms in the future

Dayton also points out that lawyers in the 30 – 39 age group are exploring social media more extensively than their older counterparts. These “power users” are likely the future General Counsels (GCs) of major corporations. In fact, 35 percent of the thirty-something lawyers surveyed said they’d used Facebook for professional reasons in the last 24 hours and 54 percent had visited a blog in the past week. The 40 to 49 and 50 to 59 age groups aren’t far behind, with 25- and 24 percent (respectively) citing social media channels as their leading source of news and information. These two keywords – “news” and “information” – are critical to determine the relevance of a social media site. If a firm’s blog or Twitter account displays only self-centered sales pitches, they can’t expect to hold the attention of in-house counsel or other clients. Sharing information and growing community are key aspects of building social media infrastructure.

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