Marketing for Attorneys and Social Media Presence

Having a presence in social media has become a necessary component in marketing for attorneys.  In a September 25, 2008 press release from Cone, the Boston-based strategy and communications agency provided the results of the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study and noted that 60 percent of those in the United States use social media.  Of those 60 percent, 59% use social media Internet sites, and 25% use such sites more than one time per week.

The Study also reported that 93% of users of social media think that companies should be involved with social media, and 85% think that companies should actually interact with their customers or clients using social media.  56% of social media users believe they are more connected to, and better served by, companies with whom they interact via social media.

According to the Study, 43% of American social media users think that companies should use social media to solve users' problems.  One suprising result from the Study is that male users of social media are almost twice as likely as women to interact with companies one or more times per week through social media.  A third of social media users from ages 18-34, as well as households with incomes of $75,000 or more, think that companies should market to them in an active way through social networks.

The implications in the Internet marketing for attorneys world are significant.  Lawyers' clients and potential clients are generally more than 50% likely to be social media users.  Of those clients and potential clients who use social media, the vast majority believe that companies (which would include law firms) should have a presence on social media and should interact with clients and potential clients through social media.  For lawyers who may be targeting men, "younger" clients or companies, or the wealthy, social networking should be a promising way for lawyers to generate new cases and transactional work.  Internet marketing for lawyers is moving in the direction of social media and social networking.