Will social media become more important than mainstream media for law firms?

Probably, but it may take a while.

Talking to an established PR professional and a communication professional with a top 5 law firm, the holy grail remains getting coverage in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other mainstream media.

Social, including publishing on niche law blogs, is growing in importance with law firms using Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for news dissemination, but it’s not reached the stature of mainstream media — for them.

But look what’s coming. A Sky News poll found that eight out of 10 young people, age 16 to 25, don’t trust the media to reflect their concerns and needs. They’re more apt to trust social media.

As Tom Cheshire (@tomcheshiresky) reporting on the poll for Sky News writes, social media adds another layer of trust, beyond a news organisation’s reputation.

When a friend shares a link on WhatsAapp, they put (a small part of) their reputation on the line, effectively saying: “This is something I think worth sharing.”

If you trust that person, you’ll follow the link.

The era of editors and executive producers alone determining the news agenda is over, which is a good thing.

Young people are not alone. Per a Pew Research Center Survey, over 65% of U.S. Adults get news from social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn).

Understandably, law firms are not going to jump to social media for dissemination of their news and information overnight. Most lawyers don’t even use social media.

It’s hard to understand how social media works for dissemination if you don’t even grasp how social works altogether.

Communications and PR professionals are also unlikely to push social. Many are not big social users and it’s easier to “sell what will sell.”

In time though social will become more important than the mainstream media for law firms — on at least two fronts.

One for niche subjects. The mainstream media cannot cover the niches that are covered and discussed on social, including blogs. The Internet and WordPress have democratized publishing and the dissemination of news. Even the most narrow of niches can now be covered, and covered well.

Two, stories are not going to spread and get discussed unless they are shared socially. People trust their friends, colleagues, and the growing number of authorities online more than the trust a traditional “news brand.”

Law firms love their mainstream media coverage today, but they’ll likely love social media coverage more in the future.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Sean MacEntee