Are you doing enough to be noticed? - The importance of social media for African Law Firms
It's often commented that African economies tend to be more dependent on “personalities” than Western economies are. In a 'developed market', the legal, economic and political systems are to a great extent impersonal. Everything is designed to operate according to standard criteria, rules and forms and as a result, developed markets enjoy a broad diffusion of wealth and skills, so that options and choices abound.
An emerging market, by contrast, tends to have a few large legal, economic and political players, who all know each other and in many cases are related. Take the Nigerian legal market for example - firms operating in partnership are small by international standards. Aluko & Oyebode, for example, is one of the country’s largest, but only has 100 fee-earners. The majority of Nigeria’s 70,000 practising lawyers are sole practitioners, and most commercial firms have fewer than six lawyers and specialise in only one or two areas of law.
So if you are in the majority of smaller commercial firms - how do you stand out from the rest of the crowd? What more can you do to be noticed? Just how do you get your firms "personality" across to potential clients?
This is where building relationships can play such an important role. Social media marketing is the easiest method for gaining attention and attracting new business (whether from potential new clients, or client referrals from international counsel). Social media profiles are created to attract attention and the visitors are encouraged to read your content, and many share it all across the several social networks.
African firms possess a wealth of information, but sometimes do not promote and share this effectively enough. By engaging with social media, you have the opportunity to interact with customers from all over the world when you are active on social media. Gone are the days where international referrals come through an intermediary, the internet is now the platform for new business development.
Social media has become a reliable and inexpensive platform for all. Social websites help firm and clients to interact with one another and but also helps in building professional relationships with international firms.
This is because, if used properly, social media can help African firms become more efficient at running their businesses and provide better customer experiences. One key challenge some firms have is getting rid of the view that technology will replace the personal experience they develop with clients and international firms. I would advise that incorporating technology in this way is not only innovative and entrepreneurial, but it will actually serve to enhance personal relationships.
Another challenge is perhaps the more pressing one for smaller commercial firms and is more resource based - having access to the right resources and expertise to effectively use social media to grow their firms.
I believe that most African law firms understand the value of social media, and are keen to utilise the platform better, but the question is how to you put the theory into practice?
This is where having access to the right advice and guidance on how to implement a social media strategy is a good place to start. I would often advise potential clients that the next step African firms need to think about is how IT in general is now used by clients to find information, search for lawyers or engage in various social media channels.
This will always be vital in helping to develop better customer experiences, but it does require a huge change in mindset in order to be done properly.
-------------------------------------
Stella Roland's Developing Africa consultancy is committed to developing African business brands and making them recognisable on a regional, national and global level. With years of experience working with senior professionals in law, accounting, finance, education and IT, we offer a range of flexible options to help organisations grow their business.