The Law Society has released a new Practice Note to give advice on the use of social media websites. Social media is beneficial for everything from access to legal information and resources, to professional networking and receiving feedback on services. It may well be a good way to communicate with clients, and in the future more clients may expect to be able to contact you via a form of social media, many firms have already embraced the use of social media with great effect.
There are however risks to firms that they may blur the lines between personal and professional use and it should be clear that the usual ethical obligations still apply in a social media environment. The practice note offers advice to firms to help them understand social media and the risks and benefits.
One of the recommendations is that firms set up a social media policy in place so you can consider what social media activities you will engage in and the guidelines for engagement. Details are contained in the practice note with suggestions for what your social media policy should contain, and what should be considered when engaging in social media activities.
The practice note discusses all forms of social media and sets out guidelines which are helpful to practices and individuals who use social media, or who would like to start using this on a more professional basis. LinkedIn for example is a business orientated professional networking site where your business could be linked to other contacts as part of a massive online community. Other social media such as Facebook may have a seemingly more limited business use, but the use of sites such as YouTube can still be beneficial.
You can read the full Practice Note here.
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