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A recent survey by the American Bar Association's Legal Technology Resource Center found that 56% of attorneys are already using a social network. Of those networks, LinkedIn is the most popular at 83% and Facebook is second with 68%.
Depending on the demographics of your target market, you may have more success with one social media platform compared to another -- but it is important that you have a presence on them all.
What many people fail to understand is how people are using social media today. Social networks are more and more being used as personal search engines. Google and Bing are wise to this trend, and have integrated social media into their search results – and given social search more weight since they believe what your social media connections think and have to say about what you are searching has more value to you.
Tens of thousands of searches are conducted every day on Facebook for resources and reviews of products, services, and service providers. When you think about it, this is common sense. When you are looking for a recommendation, what do you trust more -- a Google search or one of your friends who personally vouches for a specific service provider?
This long-time phenomenon of asking your friends and colleagues for a referral has simply moved online. Social networks have quickly multiplied the number of people someone can ask when seeking a referral to a trusted advisor.
Connecting with referral sources on social media can also help attorneys increase referral rates. Social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn help you keep tabs on your referral sources, so you can interact with them more frequently. Look for reasons to shoot someone an email or share some of their insights on your own page; this acts as a timely reminder to them that you’re still engaged and keeps you top-of-mind.
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