The biggest law firms in the US are increasingly posting videos on YouTube to promote their expertise, according to social media research published yesterday.

Research by Passle, a marketing platform for professional services firms, shows that 144 of the top 200 firms used the video platform. US personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan was the most popular, registering more than eight million views. Jones Day, which came second, registered 265,884 views. 

You tube

Youtube: US firm Morgan & Morgan has registered more than eight million views

Source: Thinkstock

However, LinkedIn remained the social media platform of choice, with a combined following totalling more than three million. Nine of the 10 firms with the most followers have UK offices: Baker McKenzie; DLA Piper; Hogan Lovells; White & Case; Norton Rose Fulbright; Latham & Watkins; Kirkland & Ellis; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Jones Day.

The top 200 had a combined 732,797 Twitter followers. The entire top 10 has a UK presence. White & Case had the most (63,862), followed by DLA Piper, Latham & Watkins, Hogan Lovells, Baker McKenzie, Kirkland & Ellis, Jones Day, Mayer Brown, Norton Rose Fulbright and Reed Smith.

According to the index, the average firm published 800 ‘thought leadership insights’ last year.

Adam Elgar, co-founder of Passle, said: 'People buy expertise but they also buy people. The savvy use of social media to share insights about both the law and the firm is a great way to sell yourself to potential clients, and it need not be a time-consuming exercise.'