Washington, DC law and lobbying firms maintain practices which are so specialist in nature, that they are extremely well suited to use Twitter as a platform to attract and retain clients. Below I outline which of the top 20 DC law and lobbying firms are using Twitter, which are not, and why all of them should be.
The Center for Responsive Politics lists the 20 highest grossing law and lobbying firms in Washington for 2011 on its’ website here.
Of this group, 12 of the top 20 firms have Twitter accounts. Below is a list of those firms, with links to each firms Twitter account, where one exits:
1. Patton Boggs LLP – does
2. Akin Gump – does
3. Podesta Group – does not
4. Van Scoyoc Associates – does not
5. Brownstein, Hyatt – does
6. Cassidy & Associates – does
7. Ogilvy Government Relations – does
8. K&L Gates – does
9. Holland & Knight – does
10. Williams & Jensen – does not
11. Hogan Lovells – does
12. BGR Group – does not
13. Alston & Bird – does
14. Ernst & Young – does (multiple accounts)
15. Cornerstone Government Affairs – does not
16. McBee Strategic Consulting – does not
17. Peck, Madigan – does not
18. Dutko/Grayling Global – does
19. Breaux Lott Leadership Group – does not/but they are part of: 1. Patton Boggs
20. Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc. – does
Given the opportunity Twitter presents for speciality service providers to connect and engage with prospective clients, as well as a new redesign of the Twitter platform afoot now – I believe those specialist advocacy firms should be re-examining their current Twitter usage — and if not yet involved, now actively begin to engage at the firm, practice group and individual practitioner level.
- Why Twitter is a great fit for Washington, DC law and lobbying firms
As Jordan Furlong writes in a January 25, 2011 StemLegal.com Law Firm Web Strategy Blog blogpost entitled: Can a full-service law firm use Twitter?: “Full-service firms struggle with Twitter precisely because they are full-service — their mandate is to be all things to everyone, or at least many things to many clients. Successful Twitter accounts are always about something in particular, whereas full-service firms are about legal services in general.”
However, Jordan continues: “Boutiques and smaller firms produce many of the best law firm Twitter feeds — not because they’re more “personal” and “engaging,” I believe, but because they necessarily pursue a narrow focus: they’re restricted in the type of work they offer and/or the marketplaces in which they offer it. That restrictiveness used to be a marketing drawback; nowadays, in a billion-channel long-tail market in which people can find precisely what they’re looking for, that focus and restriction has become a marketing advantage. [emphasis added]
Washington public policy law firms and public affairs advocacy firms, I believe, possess the same advantages that Jordan points out boutique law firms do: a narrow focus. DC-focused public policy law firms and advocacy organizations represent those who are seeking or are in need of speciality assistance in navigating the intersection of government and business. Because of this narrow focus, those 20 highest grossing law and lobby firms I listed above have a substantial amount to gain by using Twitter as a firm, among their various practice groups and as individual practitioners.
In the previously cited blogpost, Jordan further states that: “Full-service firms can use Twitter effectively by harnessing the power of their practice groups to dive deep into a subject, engage readers on the specific issues that concern them, and demonstrate a mastery of the subject area at hand. Firms with many such niche Twitter feeds, in turn, will realize that they’ve found a way to explain to a 21st-century marketplace what “full-service” now really means.”
- Jordan also provides an excellent overview of how law firms should use Twitter here
In a July 19, 2011 article in Law.com entitled How Am Law 100 Firms use Twitter, Adrian Dayton outlines not only why law firms, but also law firm practice groups and individual lawyers should be using Twitter. He states that a twitter account for a firm is a first step – with an ideal being numerous individual practitioners within a firm actively engaged on Twitter because: “As lawyers tweet out news and links to articles, they are personally engaging with their audience. This opens opportunities for the individual attorneys to speak at events, write articles and provide comments for major publications. Most importantly, this helps the lawyer build new relationships that she may not have encountered any other way.”
- Importantly, Twitter is now getting easier for lawyers to use
Kevin O’Keefe of LexBlog, in a December 9, 2011 blogpost entitled Major Twitter redesign will draw in more lawyer and law firms, underscores the increasing appeal for lawyers (and indeed non-lawyers) who may now consider joining and become active on what is broadly regarded as an excellent platform for professional service providers to attract and engage with potential clients. Kevin states: “Twitter is in the process of rolling out a major redesign of its Web and mobile platforms. Early adopters in the legal community are rightfully all over Twitter. But the majority of lawyers and law firms have been tentative at best when it comes to Twitter. Twitter is [now] likely to win over more lawyers and law firms who have found Twitter difficult to use and a bit unprofessional in their minds. Twitter is already mainstream among influencers (bloggers, reporters, association leaders) of a law firm’s clients and prospective clients as well as clients themselves. [emphasis added]. These changes will get lawyers [off] the fence as to Twitter [and now] engaged in using it.”
Dave Levinthal, in an October 17, 2011 article entitled K Street Suffers from Twitter Jitters in Politico, reports that: “While just about every politico in the nation’s capital now amplifies message and mantra through social media, professional lobbying firms, which have long ranked among D.C.’s most social and media-savvy power brokers, have largely opted out:” Glen Gilmore, a lawyer and expert in social media usage in the legal sector states in the article that: “I would think, though, that lobbying firms would want to have contacts with all people possible wherever they are to serve their clients best.” Levinthal reports, however, that: “American League of Lobbyists President Howard Marlowe expects lobbying firms will begin institutionally embracing social media en masse during the next year or two.”
- Conclusion
I believe the opportunity for Washington, DC law and public affairs advocacy firms is clear: You operate in a market niche where use of Twitter will serve as a superb platform for you to attract new potential clients. I know from experience that in overseas markets in particular, many prospective clients are unfamiliar with the services K Street firms can provide them with – and Twitter’s global reach can do a great deal to bridge that gap.
Those on K Street should, therefore, now be actively establishing or increasing their Twitter activity, and encouraging their practice groups and individual practitioners to use Twitter on a daily basis. Should they do this, I believe they’ll see increased awareness of their services by prospective clients globally, and therefore increase their ability to attract and be retained by an increased number of prospective clients, some of whom may never have known of the benefits they offer were it not for Twitter.
Legal Business Development Updates 