Fewer than half of Scottish solicitors use social media for networking

Solicitors under 45 are most likely to use social media platforms in Scotland – but less than half currently use the three main social media platforms for professional purposes. The Law Society of Scotland research, conducted by Ipsos Scotland, showed that the most popular social networking tool was LinkedIn, with 24% using the platform on a daily or weekly basis and a further 18% using it less than weekly. Only 14% of solicitors posted comments on Facebook on a daily or weekly basis while just 7% tweeted at least once a week. Up to 85% of those interviewed had never used Twitter. The highest usage of social media was among trainees and newly qualified solicitors. Those at partner or senior partner level were the least likely to have used any social media channels. Those working in urban areas were also more likely to take to social media platforms, with 25% using LinkedIn on a daily or weekly basis. Ipsos interviewed over 500 solicitors practising at law firms and in-house organisations across Scotland. The survey also showed that most of those interviewed, at 91%, thought the Law Society should adopt electronic voting for Council member elections and for motions at its general meetings. More information is available on the Law Society of Scotland website.

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland said:

“Social media has revolutionised the way we can communicate, follow current events and keep in touch with one another on both a personal and professional level. It’s perhaps not too surprising to see that the profession like many others is only beginning to adopt these new communications tools as they consider how they can be used to benefit their businesses and advance their careers, but there are increasing numbers of solicitors who are using these forums very effectively to communicate with their peers and with clients. “It will be very interesting to monitor the changes in its use in the coming years as those coming into the profession and have grown up with the likes of Facebook and Twitter begin to use social media as a professional tool. “As someone who tweets fairly regularly, I’m all for using the exchange of ideas and the networking potential social media channels present.” Ms Jack added: “This is the third membership survey we have carried out since 2009 to allow us to gauge the views of our members and assess what they believe are priorities for their firms, the profession as a whole and for the Law Society as their membership body. The responses will help us help develop our strategic priorities as we plan for the future.”

Technical details: Ipsos interviewed 526 Law Society of Scotland members by telephone between 21 September - 11 October 2012.