59% of Lawyers Have Joined Online Social Networks
In a significant new trend, almost 2 out of 3 lawyers in private practice are now using online networks for professional and business development purposes.
In-house counsel have joined the trend too, with 48% of in-house counsel becoming a member of an online social network.
The 2008 Networks for Counsel Survey, conducted by Leader Networks – a consultancy that helps businesses foster online social networks – and commissioned by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell – an online directory with law firm marketing features – is the first survey of its scope to examine the social networking practices of legal professionals.
To get your free copy of the report, click here (registration required).
Predictably, it's the lawyers aged 25-35 who have adapted most quickly. 67 percent of 25-35 year olds, 49 percent of 36-45 year olds, and 36 percent of 46-55+ year olds reported membership in an online social network.
Use of online networking for professional purposes (as opposed personal uses like staying in touch with friends) increase with age. Interestingly, corporate counsel are more than three times more likely to use their network for professional reasons.
But what lawyers really want is an online social network for lawyers only, like the members of the State Bar of Texas have. 41% of lawyers in private practice, and 48% of in-house lawyers are interested in joining a lawyers-only network.
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Larry,
Thank you for highlighting our Networks for Counsel Survey. As more and more professionals recognize the value in social networking, we look forward to seeing how it will continue to gain traction among attorneys and shape to meet their needs.
Thank you,
Laxmi Wordham
Martindale-Hubbell
Hi Larry:
We spoke recently and you gave me some good advice, thank you. Anyway, on to the issue of social networks and some questions; aren't most of these, global networks or communities?, Does lack of geographic closeness hinder the global community's effectiveness? Are social networks in fact an effective means of building a referal or knowledge network? Does participation in these online communities actually generate revenue and/or enhance ones credibility or position? These questions are of interest to me and hopefully others. I ask you, as you had all the right answers to my previous concerns.
Sincerely,
Peter Bowen
The Question Guy
As for the "lawyers only" professional networking, as of July 1, 2008 Martindale-Hubbell announced a partnership with LinkedIn. This will expand the lawyers only social networking aspect of Martindale.com and make accessing information on both sites that much easier.
For more information on the social networking aspect of Martindale.com, please sign up for a free MH account at Martindale.com.
Excellent points -- The move from the Information Age to the "Communications Age" is actively progressing - even to include lawyers and firms. Along these lines, I have moved into the "Social Networking Era" with an active profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
These tools have become mainstream in current times - consider their use in the recent election campaigns. An interesting comment on the use of Twitter as a communications tool can be found at http://www.lawtechtv.com/home/2008/11/twitter-as-a-ne.html. It is becoming a tool that will also impact mainstream media - if it hasn't already...