Solicitors and Social Networking

(Posted on 02/09/11)

Why are so many solicitors in the UK not embracing social media? It's a golden opportunity with endless marketing avenues that cost nothing except a small time investment. From blogs to Twitter to Facebook, many firms simply aren't thriving when it comes to their digital presence.

Once you begin to scratch the surface, it becomes apparent that one of the reasons social networking continues to get a lukewarm response is because it makes little sense for firms to hire a social media person to do nothing but post status updates on Facebook or tweet on Twitter. The lawyers - if the firm is good and turning a profit - are busy billing hours. The support teams are busy, well...supporting the solicitors. A receptionist has his or her hands full with greeting clients and covering the phones. Where and who would be able to focus, even for a couple of hours a day, on these types of electronic marketing?

Here's the twist, though, for those firms that have taken the bull by the horns, so to speak, they're ensuring their firm names, logos and business models are front and center. It's building momentum and it's reaping benefits they never considered - such as what Solicitor.info is doing.

Solicitor.info is a site that allows current and former clients of law firms around the UK to leave reviews of their experiences. They can rate using the star system, where they rank their satisfaction between 1 and 5, 1 being the lowest score and 5 stars meaning they were very satisfied. They leave comments, too, and often, mention a solicitor by name. Solicitor.info then takes those reviews, several times a day, and tweets them and posts them on Facebook. Clients and would-be clients see these tweets and posts and can then visit the site themselves to see what else is being said about a solicitor they're considering. It's an amazing process that's been proven; the site is growing by leaps and bounds and because solicitors can't "buy" their ratings and because clients don't have to leave their names, it fosters an open platform of honesty and integrity.

Want to see for yourself? Visit the Solicitor.info site and check out the reviews. If you're a solicitor, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook - it allows our team to tag your firm versus using hash tags. Encourage your clients to leave their feedback and then sit back and see for yourself how powerful the right combination can really be. We're growing fast and you have nothing to lose - but much to gain.