I view the social networking phenomenon with the jaundiced eye of someone over the age of 16, yet it seems to be increasingly making inroads into the professional world. While I can almost see the value of an attorney having personal web pages out there besides her/his firm bio page, it’s a lot harder to wrap my brain around the professional utility of Twitter.
Nonetheless, I was accosted a day or two ago, here in the sprawling metropolitan offices that hold Cal Law / The Recorder / Legal Pad, by a friendly marketing person (I suppose unfriendly marketing people don’t last long) who asked whether I knew anything about the viability of Twitter as a tool for lawyers.
If you’re interested, we can compare lacks of opinion, or surfeits of snark, on the topic after the jump.
Apparently legal-marketing folk were aflutter over Twitter, after Heather Milligan at Legal Watercooler posted about a Legal Marketing Association on the subject. The most relevant points she took away:
- Social media is here, growing and not going away.
- We need to get over our aversions and adapt. …
- And, most importantly, Damn. If I was only selling something I’d be rich today or at least have a lot more business leads.
Twitter, for those not in the know, is like the mutant stepchild of text messages and blogging. You get the 140-character limit and cr8tv abbreviations of text messaging genetically spliced to the sheer inanity of most personal blogs, meaning that at any moment of the day, any of the dozen or hundreds of Twitter-ers (twits?) you follow will tell you things like, “Leaving work to watch Series.” “I’m sleepy.” “Traffic sux.” “I want a ham sandwich.” “Puppies!”
These messages reach your computer, cell phone and/or BlackBerry by the dozen, at all hours. And the question at hand seems to be, is this a valid marketing or professional development tool for lawyers?
And here I thought the jury was still out on LinkedIn.
While I can’t imagine that, say, Quinn Emanuel is going to be landing any nine-figure, bet-the-company litigation because someone in their extended twit family “tweeted” out something like, “ne1 kno a gud atty 4 IP lit pls thx?” I do suppose that attorneys on the boutique and solo scale might find better uses for any convenient and inexpensive opportunity to network. Since the hallmark of the social-network adopter is the inability to keep a stray thought to himself, I hit Google for a quick education.
One lawyer lists some of the professional benefits he’s gotten from Twitter, including “easy to get feedback from random people on quick questions that I have.” All right, that explains how firms can try to get things done despite laying off librarians, research attorneys and other staff.
Two other attorneys counter that Twitter, like the listserv dinosaurs of the early yesterday epoch, just jam your inbox of choice with time-wasting clutter. [Well, not exactly. See comment No. 2, below] I’m kinda on that side, which you’d know if you were following my twitter feed thingy.*
A site that sells online-marketing services for lawyers says social networking is way cool, and offers some thoughts for those of you not deterred by common sense or my sarcastic tone. And if you really must dive into the fray, or the chaos, or whatever, there is apparently a list of absolute-must-follow lawyer-twitterers that caps out at a seemingly arbitrary 145. (How bad must the 146th-most-interesting-microblogging-lawyer feel?)
I figure it's not viable: Even if it's not a potential discovery nightmare, just the "This does not constitute legal advice" disclaimer on the email of every lawyer I know is more than 140 characters.
Legal Pad invites comment on the usefulness and/or entertainment value of social networks of all stripe for building business, getting work done or balancing the work-life equation from any lawyers, consultants or marketingfolk who have an opinion. Despite the obvious thematic symmetry, I won’t ask you to keep your thoughts to 140 characters.
— Brian McDonough
* I do not have a twitter feed thingy.
Always good to see the commentary about social media. Thanks for participating in the discussion. I'm the Director of Media Relations for Womble Carlyle. We're a pretty large law firm, which makes administering PR and Media Relations a challenge. I do use Twitter in several ways. 1) listening. I listen or follow the coversations of others around subjects or topics relative to my attorneys' practice areas. Trademarks, Bio-pharma, lawsuits, etc. I then engage in online discussions through Twitter with those having those discussions. 2) I build relationships with key media people and outlets. Many of both are on Twitter. Our firm pays for a media relations service, which is one tool that keeps me up to date on reporters and media opportunities. Twitter is simply another tool that I use alongside the many other tools we have.
Posted by: Russell Thomas | October 24, 2008 at 09:46 AM
Actually, I don't think I said Twitter clogs my inbox with time-wasting clutter. In fact, I use and love Twitter, and it has helped me forge very important connections.
There is no inbox to clog, just a Twitter homepage to check on every now and then.
There are, however, a lot of people posting time-wasting clutter on Twitter. I do not subscribe to those people's feeds.
Posted by: Sam Glover | October 24, 2008 at 09:57 AM
Ah, Sam, you're right, I apologize. I inserted a note above to point people to your comment, which clears it right up. Thanks for stopping by and setting me straight.
And Russell, thanks. Marketing and Media Relations people are definitely in the vanguard on this stuff, appropriately, and it'll be interesting to see how quickly it evolves.
Posted by: Brian McDonough | October 24, 2008 at 11:18 AM
It's okay Brian. Lot's of lawyers thought email and websites were counter-productive. And before that most all lawyers agreed that phones would never be used by lawyers in productive ways.
Just spoke in Wisconsin to Solo and small firm practitioners. Talked with one lawyer out of law school 9 months who works alone. Does business work in Milwaukee for small businesses. Picked up 4 of the 15 good clients he does work for through Twitter.
Call him and tell him to stop using Twitter and go to work for large law firm as an associate where management will certainly agree with you Twitter is not worthwhile. Life will be great then.
You can practice without Twitter. We've done it for decades. Question is why would innovative lawyer looking to enhance his/her reputation and grow business practice without Twitter today.
Posted by: Kevin OKeefe | October 24, 2008 at 03:33 PM
I was fairly skeptical, but I think it's a good place to be exposed to people and connect with people or ideas that you are drawn to. The majority of people are forward thinking in some respect. There are a ton of journalists, entrepreneurs, and CEOs, etc. I don't know that Quinn Emanuel is going to bag bet the company litigation solely by being on twitter, but lawyers from that firm (and any other firm) will be exposed to people and ideas on twitter and probably make connections. Those connections will likely lead to business down the road.
Posted by: Venkat | October 24, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Absolutely agree with previous comments - Twitter expands your reach, and the people who hear your voice. Cut through the clutter and learn how to use social media effectively, and you will end up with a significantly larger circle of influence.
I've met a number of high-profile fellow consumer lawyers, interact with former and current clients, and have learned a fair amount from the people I follow.
Like any other tool, you need to learn how to use it wisely. Same goes for instant messaging, email, Facebook, blogging, and the like.
Remember when "they" said blogging was a waste of time and energy, and that blogs were useful only for the idle ramblings of teenage angst?
Posted by: Jay Fleischman | October 24, 2008 at 05:34 PM
Geographic search capability and the ability to witness local business development are two of the primary benefits of twitter. I completely disagree with the apparent (and very false) perception that twitter is full of teeny-boppers. Entrepreneurs and growing companies hopped on twitter to share and learn, not to gossip and fritter away time - Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin get it and they represent the more visible end of the spectrum? Twitter = one more tool for the attorney devoted to growing a modern firm through modern tools to help modern clients; to think otherwise is reminiscent of "the internet is a fad" thinking.
Posted by: Chris Moander | October 24, 2008 at 06:56 PM
A bit of further clarification - people on twitter are looking for lawyers who "get them." As I said, many are professionals and business owners. It just makes sense to use twitter if folks of that stripe are your target market (which is the case for me).
Posted by: Chris Moander | October 24, 2008 at 06:58 PM
Innnnnteresting. I'm sold on the idea of the professional advantages of Twitter when you're aiming at "folks of that stripe," but what do y'all think of its future as a general business tool? I mean, every one of those people who scoffed at email is using it today, and most are BlackBerried to it 24/7. Whereas many people blog, and benefit professionally from it, but it's hardly a must-do thing.
How ubiquitous, how "must have," will Twitter be -- and how soon? Is it the ubiquitous email of tomorrow, or the useful-but-not-mandatory blogging of tomorrow?
Posted by: Brian McDonough | October 27, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Learned of this post by reading someone else's blog (which, by the way, was blasting the criticism of twitter). Here is what I wrote:
I gotta be honest Kevin, I think in the long run that Cal Law reporter will be proven right and vindicated. I have a twitter account that I use very actively. I do it because everyone in the social networking world has me paranoid about not using it! It sort of reminds me of the Kings New Clothes -- everyone is afraid to question it! I am also reminded of the old Yellow Pages days, when everyone felt compelled to throw tons of money into phone book advertising. That myth has been broken, and I suspect many will eventually jump off the twitter ship. For now though I continue to tweet away. Not sure why, because I have never referred business to anyone I have come across on twitter, and I have received absolutely no professional/marketing return from my time on twitter. I guess I tweet because it is better to praise the King's new clothes than to question why he is naked....
Posted by: John Harding | October 29, 2008 at 03:35 PM
Twitter is a waste of time? I hope that those who are saying that don't might trying to play catch up. Twitter can be a complete waste time if you allow it. Just like email and the telephone can be a complete waste of time if you allow it. Blogging can too. And twitter is no more silly now then blogging was 4 years ago.
Like any good useful tool, they have their limits. Twitter is a tool you should be using as part of your social media toolbox. Your blog is how you promote your business or practice. Twitter is a tool to be used along side the blog.
What I have found is that who consider twitter to be silly are the same as those who use to find blogging to be silly. Yes, you can get along without a blog, twitter, LinkedIn and other social media tools. Just as you can get along without email. But why would you. Consumers are looking for those service providers who are innovative and progressive in how they provide services to the consumer. Should we use such tools? Why would you not want to be innovative? Most like for the same reasons print ads would never work for lawyers. And for the same reasons telephones and now email don't work either.
Posted by: Grant Griffiths | October 30, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I'm a desperate soul left out in the Universe seeking an attorney who would be willing to devote some of his or her very expensive time for me and my issues, free of charge.I'm in this hated and criticized marketing business.As you can see by now both of our businesses are very similar and both of them can do us good and make us big bucks or go totally to waste and upset us or even make us go broke.It's all entirely up to you and me if at certain point we are willing to spend time on conversation without charging each other for services,that's all.That's were this Twitter comes along as a tool and you use it if you want to use it or toss it away if you choose to do it this way.I'm still waiting.
Posted by: Zijuzijazijana | October 31, 2008 at 03:37 AM
i'm a journalist about to do a story on the Twitter trio who invented twitter and typed in to see what professionals think of twitter.
i'm in the above 40+ category and like most above think most social networking is for the idle angst of young ones -but, that's just how most of it starts. never ends.
we live in the USA where any good idea gets quickly transposed from fun into business into making cash or how can i use this to help me make cash?
we'll see where the twitter winds blow...
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