How law firm can effectively use social media is a topic open for debate. I have seen some very persuasive individuals tell audiences that a social media strategy is absolutely critical for law firms. I have heard from lawyers who say they invested significantly in social media and saw little to no return on investment. I have talked to lawyers who say their law practices focused on a narrow area survives because of Google AdWords™‎. Other lawyers say they get little business from the Internet.

My personal opinion remains that the immediate impact of social media marketing for law firms depends on many factors, including the focus of the practice, the effectiveness of the person handling communications, the target audience and the community in which the lawyers practice. But what there can be no doubt about is that use of social media continues to expand and there can be no doubt about the importance of some social media presence for almost any law practice.

I decided to go back to basics with my column in the September 2014 Oklahoma Bar Journal, What Is Your Law Firm’s Social Media Strategy? I even included a sidebar with links to four articles to read for lawyers who still do not have a website. I primarily relied on Twitter in the example, just because it is not as complicated as trying to deal with the continuing evolutions of Facebook. (By the way Facebook now hides certain posts from you. Here’s how to see them.)

My column is a very simple and basic article. But it does provide the small firm lawyer in particular with a way to get started on a sustainable social media law firm presence. Share the link with someone who needs to read it—maybe someone in your law firm.