Law firms throughout the world are beginning to understand the importance of social media in this day and age, and one question I’m asked on a regular basis is if marketing via social channels is worth the money. My answer: Not only is it worth the money, but failing to jump on the social media bandwagon can actually cost firms more than it saves them. Let me explain.

Before social media marketing was all about forming mutually beneficial relationships and sharing content, which is perfect for building brand awareness. Many businesses found that social media didn’t lead directly to sales, but it was still good overall. Nowadays, social media isn’t just social media.

In the past year search engines, namely Google, have strayed away from old school algorithms that primarily looked at backlinks and on-site SEO. Now social engagements directly influence search engine ranking, especially retweets.

As a method of sparking social engagements, blogs have become more important than ever because they allow a steady flow of information and help websites become recognized as an “authority.” Once blog posts are published they’re shared on social networks and connections serve as little ants going to work (sharing). Without content they’ll have nothing to share, and without connections content will go unseen.

Since social media is now intimately tied to search engine optimization (SEO), lawyers must utilize social media if they want their SEO campaigns to succeed. The problem they’ll run into is most SEO companies have no social media experience, and vice versa. They won’t necessarily admit it, but that’s the truth of the matter. Finding a marketing company that’s familiar with SEO, social media, and online public relations is key.

When you take a step back and look at the big picture, spending $2,000 to $15,000+ per month on SEO but failing to successfully leverage all social media has to offer is a mistake of grand proportions. That’s like having a 700hp v12 Lamborghini but only running on 6 cylinders. Simply said, social media will boost ROI for SEO.

The moral of the story is that yes, social media is worth the money. However, lawyers must ensure they’re working with a marketing company that can get the job done. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before cutting a check.