Originally published on May 24, 2011 in our free BigLaw newsletter. Instead of reading BigLaw here after the fact, sign up now to receive future issues in realtime.
The prevailing wisdom among law firms regarding social media goes a little like this: "LinkedIn is a great professional network so we should have as many of our lawyers on there as possible. Twitter has only minor relevance, and Facebook we should avoid altogether." I hate these broad sweeping statements because they show little thought for how people — clients and prospective clients in particular — use these tools on a daily basis.
Facebook Is a Dinner Party, Not a Billboard
Facebook is extremely useful to help build existing relationships. Is it too personal? Absolutely. But that's the point. When you have worked with a client for years don't the relationships tend to get a little more personal? Don't you want to know when your biggest client's children graduate from high school or perform in the school play? These types of relationships are incredibly valuable and go beyond business. It is likely these people send work to you in part because they sincerely like you and you sincerely enjoy working with them.
Is Facebook the ideal place to link to your latest thought leadership blog post on the area of law in which you specialize? No. Facebook is like is a dinner party where we have invited only people we know, like, and trust. If a door-to-door salesperson rings the doorbell during a dinner party, we aren't just annoyed, we are completely turned off by his timing. Don't be that guy on Facebook — unless you want to be defriended, or worse, hidden from your friends' feed.
So What About Facebook Fan Pages?
Shouldn't your law firm have a Facebook presence? Ask yourself this: "What's the point?" Are your clients demanding to find information about you on Facebook versus your Web site or email newsletter (see my last BigLaw column)? When they are looking for their children's latest grand-baby pictures, do they also want to read about who just made partner at your law firm, or about the new office that your firm opened?
Context matters. People don't spend time on Facebook to learn about such information. Of course, exceptions to the rule always exist. Facebook has been shown to be effective in recruiting and to a lesser extent in areas of law that are more retail in nature like family law, personal injury law, trusts and estates, and workers compensation.
Marketing firms and public relations agencies promote Facebook fan pages because it is something they can do for you. However, the most valuable component of social media — sincere interaction — cannot be outsourced. It has to be performed by the lawyers themselves. Therein lies Facebook's usage case — personally connecting and interacting with people you know and like. It can help you and your colleagues stay top of mind with clients, not quite like in-person lunches or a phone call will, but in a way that is less time-consuming yet still be meaningful.
Think Friend, Not Fan
For now, most large law firms will keep using LinkedIn because it's safe, use Twitter as a purely self-promotional feed, and for the most part ignore Facebook because they aren't quite sure where it fits. Facebook makes sense for individual lawyers connecting with the people in legal departments with whom they have become real-life friends or at least acquaintances. I doubt I'll ever start "friending" the fan pages of law firms. Then again, maybe that's just me.
Written by Adrian Dayton of Marketing Strategy and the Law.
How to Receive BigLaw
Many large firms have good reputations for their work and bad reputations as places to work. Why? Answering this question requires digging up some dirt, but we do with the best of intentions. Published first via email newsletter and later here on our blog, BigLaw analyzes the business practices, marketing strategies, and technologies used by the country's biggest law firms in an effort to unearth best and worst practices. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.
