Yet Another Reason to Understand Social Media for Attorneys

It's not just the Obama presidency that has gone YouTube.

So has Capitol Hill.

In a video message titled "Welcome to Congress, YouTube," congressional leaders from both chambers -- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), together with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- today announced the launch of two new YouTube pages: House Hub and Senate Hub.

"While we may not see eye to eye on everything, one thing we can agree on is the importance of utilizing technology to communicate with constituents," Pelosi said in the one-minute, 43-second announcement video.

Added Boehner: "Some of us have been posting original content there for years now."

Congressional members can create and control their videos on the hubs, which funnel YouTube users to them through a Google Map that makes it easy to find congressional channels by state. The hubs will be ad-free, to spare congressional members from potentially racy or controversial Web ads.

As of Sunday, about 130 House members and 46 senators already had YouTube channels, according to congressional staffers and YouTube officials. Pelosi, who maintains a blog called The Gavel and has participated in video iChats, was the first House member to open a YouTube channel, in May 2006.

"We aim to be wherever our constituents are getting their news -- from YouTube and blogs to Twitter and Facebook," Pelosi wrote in an e-mail to The Post.

If the ultimate "old-school" boy's club Congress is employing social media strategies to communicate their message shouldn't you? Do it for yourself, your practice area, your Firm, and your client! Click here to learn how to get started.