Law blogs influence in-house counsel decisions on which law firm to hire : Survey reports

The 2012 In-House Counsel New Media Engagement Survey conducted by Greentarget, a strategic communications firm, InsideCounsel, a magazine serving general counsel, and the Zeughauser Group, legal industry consultants, includes powerful evidence on the impact of law blogs.

Blogs, Executed Well, Influence Hiring of Outside Counsel: Seventy-six percent of respondents say they attribute some level of importance to a lawyer’s blog when deciding which firms to retain. Additionally, the percentage of respondents who say a law firm’s blog can influence hiring decisions went up slightly, from 50 percent in 2010 to 55 percent in 2012.
Client-Side Counsel Prefer Firm-Branded Blogs: Survey respondents indicated they read blogs written by firms slightly more often than they read blogs penned by journalists. In-house counsel also perceive blogs as credible (84%).

This from the executive summary of the report released today.

In addition, the generational divide evident in the 2010 In-House Counsel New Media Engagement Survey is disappearing. In-house lawyers in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are now consuming information via blogs and other social media.

More on the report in upcoming blog posts. For now, know that a law firm’s investment in blogs – done well – is well spent.