Mediaboss Marketing

Clyde & Co and Eversheds have both launched sector-focused social networking programmes aimed at increasing business development activities, particularly among the firms associates.

Eversheds

The firms have separately hired social media consultancy eSocialMedia to advise them on how best to raise the profile of specific practices and sector groups.

Clydes began working with the consultancy last November, with London marine and energy insurance team head Nigel Chapman taking the lead on the project internally for the firm.

I cant say weve won work off the back of it yet, but it hasnt cost a lot either, confirmed Chapman. Im a bit of an old dinosaur so its a bit of a joke that Im the one thats leading it. Initially one of my concerns was that it might end up taking a lot of time away from associates but theyve really taken to it. Its easy enough for partners to get profile but much harder for associates. And whats really important is to make sure your young people are connecting with your clients young people. Hopefully thatll create relationships that will last for years.

eSocialMedia is understood to have charged 15,000 for its advice to Chapmans team. If Clydes decides to roll out the project across other departments that fee may increase in line with take up.

Chapman said the social media push was effectively a continuation of business development activities the firm was already doing.

We like to talk to clients and listen to their concerns and what theyre concentrating on so we can understand their business better, added Chapman. Social media enables us to have those conversations in potentially a more effective way. Whats changed is that we can reach so many more people via things like Twitter. Also we havent done this before in a sector-oriented way thats whats different. We do have a firmwide Twitter feed but that puts news out about Clyde & Co. So this was a new approach.

Eversheds project is understood to be targeted at the clean energy sector. The firm, which last week announced a redundancy consultation putting 166 jobs at risk (24 January 2013), declined to comment.

The rest is here:
Clydes and Eversheds embrace sector-led social networking