Every week, more law firms and lawyers use social media to develop their business. For those solicitors looking to learn more about the benefits and best practices of social media, Sweet and Maxwell (Thomson Reuters) interviewed Stephen, I and a few other lawyers and social media enthusiasts for their LegalPD.com website (see the screenshots in this post and visit the links below to watch the video).
Among those interviewed include legal blogging ('blawging') champions Adam Wagner (barrister) and Brian Inkster (solicitor), IP lawyer Shireen Smith, employment lawyer and blogger/blawger Michael Scutt, corporate lawyer and social media expert Jonathan Lea and various others.
Each of the participants, including Stephen and I, gave an overview of some of the main benefits of social media for law firms and lawyers - 
particularly what we have got out of it through our own experience.
This included discussion of the following:
- marketing yourself and your practice online through the best (and free!) social media networks including LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and blogs;
- finding and retaining clients;
- staying up-to-date with the latest industry news and developments by listening to the most relevant people, posts and feeds;
networking and developing relationships with relevant people; and- improving your online visibility.
The discussions also took a look at the 'how to' guides of effective social media use including the following:
- the best social media platforms for lawyers and tips for getting started and getting into them more effectively and efficiently;
- how to create and implement a social media strategy for your law firm;
- common pitfalls and how to avoid them; and
- how to maximise the time you spend and thoughts on how much time should be invested.
The video is now published at legalpd.com (includes CPD hours following a small payment) - full video here and free snapshot preview here. 
We'd like to thank Ben Clayton and the LegalPD team at Sweet and Maxwell and Thomson Reuters again for the chance to share our thoughts on this subject.
To speak to us about any of the topics mentioned in the video further please don't hesitate to contact us here.
