The ABA says 10 percent of those responding to a survey on social networking report that “far from being a time waster… they have had a client retain their legal services as a result of use of online communities/social networking.”

Our own survey of corporate transactional and defense firm is consistent with what the ABA learned.  Our recent survey results are that 10% percent of firms report they have lawyers who have obtained work from blogging, and 9% from social media such as LinkedIn.  Clearly, social media is an effective and essential element of your law firm marketing mix.   It should be a part of every lawyer’s personal business development plan.

The 2010 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report: Web and Communication Technology survey also says:

• When asked whether they personally maintain a presence in an online community/social network such as Facebook, LinkedIn, LawLink, or Legal OnRamp, 56% of respondents answered affirmatively, compared with 43% in the 2009 survey and 15% in the 2008 survey.
• The highest percentage of respondents report maintaining a presence in LinkedIn (83%), followed by Facebook (68%) and Plaxo (18%).
• Respondents in the 30- to 39-year-old age group are the most likely to report that they maintain a presence in an online community/social network (77%, compared with 72% in the 2009 survey), followed by 68% of 40- to 49-year-olds (compared with 58% in the 2009 survey), and 50% of 50- to 59-year-olds (compared with 35% in the 2009 survey).
• The most common reason respondents report for maintaining a presence in online communities/social networks is for professional networking (76%), followed by socializing (62%), client development (42%), career development (17%), and case investigation (6%).