Article by Dr Ruth Page (BA, PhD, Birmingham) is a Lecturer in the School of English at the University of Leicester. Her research examines new forms of social media as effective tools for community building and communication.
In a culture where Google has become a primary search mechanism used to source information and recommendations from others, forms of social media like blogs and social networking sites can present effective e-marketing opportunities for law firms. In addition to institutional web pages, blogs and microblogging create dynamically evolving, quality content that increases a law firm’s reputation. But different kinds of social media are good for different purposes: no one tool in isolation will achieve the full range of possible networking effects to amplify your online presence and professional status.
Maintaining a professional blog and microblogging on the well known site, Twitter, are useful, complementary tools for law firms. Both tools allow firms to personalise their institutional identity, to share information in a timely fashion and to interact with potential clients and colleagues on an international scale. But the length of a blog post (typically no more than 300-400 words) allows more scope to develop rich, well-written content than the 140 character constraints of a tweet. Linking and commenting are key features which the writer can use to position their blog within the wider online world. Hyperlinks provide the reader with crucial information (to other web sites) and connection to others working in the legal field (via their blogs), whilst commenting on other blogs might demonstrate the law firm’s skill in answering questions.
Google’s mechanisms readily promote blog writing, as they prioritize both recency and relevance in responding to search enquiries. But gaining and maintaining an audience for your blog is not always easy. While Twitter might not be the environment for an extended piece of writing, it is an excellent tool for pointing fellow tweeters to other online resources, which might well include your own blog. Twitter is not all about self-promotion, though. Instead, the rapidly moving, frequently updated pace of Twitter is well-suited to share breaking news and events relevant to your own law firm and others in your field. Twitter has also been dubbed a form of ‘word of mouth’ recommendation, opens many opportunities to join in with the latest key debates, and thus is one of the great e-marketing tools for law firms. (Click to read more tips on using Twitter for law firms.)
Issues for a blog or Twitter include balancing the professional and personal aspects of your online voice. Are you writing on behalf of your law firm, or on your own behalf? While many believe that potential clients are more likely to respond to a person rather than an institutional name, tweeting about domestic matters is not likely to build a law firm’s professional reputation. Likewise, respecting matters of confidentiality and ethics are central to a law firm’s use of social media. Spending some time looking at existing law firm blogs and tweet streams will help you gain a sense of how these forms of social media can work well.
The complementary use of blogs and Twitter are an effective means of connecting with others. Both require investment in time and careful maintenance but enable a value-added interactive dimension to the online resources provided by your firm, and act as very effective tools for law firms.
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