The Social Media Guide for Lawyers v. 2.0

The Social Media Guide for Lawyers v. 2.0 is hot off the presses. The Guide serves as a practical resource for how lawyers and law firms can use social media to practically, ethically, and responsibly promote their practice. I had the pleasure of co-authoring the Guide with the esteemed members of the 2010-11 Meritas Leadership Institute.

The first edition of the Guide served as a “Social Media 101” for lawyers. It featured a “Best Practices Guide” on how law firms and individual lawyers can use social media to add value and generate business, provided step-by- step instructions for effectively using the “Big Three”—LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter—and included sample social media policies for law firms as they established parameters for social media use within their firms. We have incorporated the majority of that text within the second edition for those just diving into the social media pool.

Version 2.0 elevates lawyers and law firms to the second level of social media use: how to use social media to effectively promote their practice. It shows lawyers and law firms how to harness social media to their advantage by integrating “traditional” media with these new technologies to further expand visibility and exposure. As with the first edition, the goal is not to convince lawyers that social media is the only tool for business development, but rather to demonstrate how social media can serve as yet another tool in a lawyer’s marketing toolbox. Accordingly, version 2.0 of the Guide features:

• A list of Facebook’s new features, including Timeline and the new privacy settings,
• Step-by-step guides for creating and using LinkedIn Groups and Twitter Lists, and
• Tips for effectively using social media to share “traditional” marketing materials.

We hope lawyers and law firms find Version 2.0 of the Guide to be a helpful resource to navigate the sea of social media marketing. Many professionals outside the legal industry have also found the Guide applicable in their profession. We are always happy to receive feedback as we plan to update the Guide annually to address new innovations that can assist lawyers leverage their marketing on social media.