CorpComms Magazine

The legal sector lags on social media, even though more than three quarters of law firms have profiles on social media platforms, according to a recent study commissioned by technology solutions firm LexisNexis and conducted by Burson-Marsteller.

LinkedIn was the most popular social media platform by a large margin, with 85 of the 110 law firms surveyed using the network. However a large proportion of these firms have done no more than register their company to the site to prevent 'brandjacking', and do not actively use the channel for reputation management or client development opportunities.

Derek Benton, director of international operations at Martindale-Hubbell, the legal directory and resources division of LexisNexis, said: 'Registering a profile is a step in the right direction, but not doing anything with it is like renting a shop on the high street and never opening the doors.'

The survey found that North American legal firms are the most engaged on social media, while researchers found no recorded social media use at all amongst firms in Istanbul.

The UK and Amsterdam lead the way in Western Europe, while firms in Zurich, Paris, and Moscow are the least engaged in the region.

Social media use among law firms in the Middle East and some parts of Africa is notably low, according to the survey. In Dubai and Lagos, for example, the only channel used is LinkedIn. Low levels of engagement in China were put down to the bans it has in place against using sites such as Facebook.

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