Who is Responsible for Social in Your Law Firm?

Who owns social in your law firm? If your firm is like most, social is probably owned by the marketing department. Other law firms may assign the responsibility for social to the IT department or Corporate Communications. However, if one looks at social in a truly holistic way, the responsibility for social media should be shared by everyone in the firm. If a law firm wants to engage with prospects and clients through social media then it makes no sense to merely have one department in charge.

I have written before that social begins at the top but needs to be a cohesive strategy that extends throughout the firm. Firms that understand this will ensure that the responsibility for everything social is shared amongst the marketing department, business development professionals and lawyers. Social media should be a part of every facet of your law firm. Marketing needs to listen, monitor and engage with your clients. Partners needs to be aware of issues and complaints and route them to the correct internal resource for resolution or awareness. The firm’s general counsel needs to develop social media policies so that lawyers and other professionals working at law firms know how to participate on social media and the risk and benefits associated with their participation. Finally, the professional development team at a law firm should be in charge of making sure everyone is properly trained on how to use social media to benefit the firm.

HR should also be in charge of monitoring social media and enforcing social media policies to educate and guide behavior from all employees in public social networks. Business development also requires a close connection with marketing to make sure the firm messaging is in synch.

As described in the previous examples, social is everyone’s responsibility. In order to thrive as a truly social law firm, partners must ensure that everyone in the firm aligns with their social mission. Smart law firms design strategies to leverage social technologies and processes to create a competitive advantage and ensure success in this new world of digital marketing. Law firms that get social are the most innovative firms in the market today.

One last point to consider. This is important. We are entering the age of the client service. Client service focuses on the relationship and needs of their clients first and foremost. Use social media as a listening device and as a way to respond to client or prospect’s questions and complaints. Without clients there would be no cases. As a result, every lawyer must essentially play a part in social listening. 

To learn more about using social media to enhance your law firm’s client service and see how your law firm is currently performing on social media, contact our experts at Good2bSocial for a free social media audit!