This is a guest post on social media by Rosetta, from LexisNexis Legal Marketing.

Social media is a rage.

Today, more than 900 million people worldwide are registered Facebook users. Facebook and other social media networks like Twitter have transformed the business world and the way businesses market their products and services.

The law industry is not far behind as it helps immensely by creating a powerful social media presence and marketing their services.

An online profile can result in increased business and greater recognition for law firms.

How Social Media helps Law Firms?

Here are few ways:

• Increase in Client Base

Social media networks provide a direct channel of communication for law firms to engage current or potential clients.

Simply by creating a profile page on sites like Facebook that links back to the firm’s website and also contains information about the firm, attorneys can promote their firm affordably and even submit daily informational posts about their services or articles that contain relevant legal content.

On sites like Facebook and Twitter, it is possible to build a large following of people that subscribe to the firm’s profile and posts.

• Maintaining Recognition for the Law Firm

Once a firm establishes a presence on these sites, it can begin a thoughtful marketing plan that doesn’t badger its readership with annoying ads; instead, posts should provide its readership with interesting information that may lead them to check out the firm’s profile and eventually its website.

Getting the firm’s brand marketed in a positive light is essential for a law firm’s ad campaign.

Aside from brand recognition, information about the firm’s services should also be included in the marketing plan, but be sure not to overdo these informational posts.

Instead, post interesting articles related to cases or legal information that relates in some way to the firm.

• Creating Viral Social Media Posts

A great organic post is one where people subscribe to a firm’s news feed like, comment, or repost the content.

A viral post, however, is when a firm’s follower reposts the firm’s content or video and their followers like, comment, or reposts the content.

It can extend the firm’s reach dramatically and is an excellent way to build an even greater following. Viral posts can keep the firm perpetually in the news feeds and help them market their brand to vast numbers of people—people who may become fans of the firm or even clients.

If there was a magic formula for going viral, everyone would be using it. The truth is, it takes some experimenting to find the types of posts that will meet with interest from a firm’s fan base and their fan bases as well. A viral post may be a news article, a cartoon or a video.

Posting the addition of a new partner in law firm is nice and may be of interest to many subscribers, but more people will probably chime in to articles that deal with legal news coverage like landmark court cases in process, notorious criminals brought to justice, major malpractice suits, or unusual cases that are likely to have human interest appeal.

Wrap-Up

As the major social media networks are free, there is little reason to avoid a presence on these incredibly useful sites.

Moreover, as powerful marketing tools, they are leaving many traditional forms of advertisement in the dust.

Failing to gain an online presence could be disastrous in the long run, especially for new or struggling law firms.

By using a social networking platform to meaningfully connect with people and prospective clients, a law firm can create brand recognition and increase their business in ways they could not do before there were social media platforms.