LinkedIn can be a lawyer’s best friend or foe, depending on how they use the fastest-growing professional social networking platform. A constantly evolving online presence is paramount in this digital age to increase visibility and foster meaningful business relationships.
The platform’s significance in legal marketing cannot be overstated. In fact, a 2023 Sprout Social study found that “LinkedIn is rated as the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads by 40% of B2B marketers.” Additionally, statistics from the same study showed that “89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation, and 62% say it produces leads for them.”
In addition to its well-known professional networking capabilities, LinkedIn can be used for brand building, client acquisition, content distribution, thought leadership, client relationship management, and market research.
However, most users must learn to harness this powerful tool to maximize its benefits and potential. By implementing five actionable strategies, decision-makers can tenfold their legal marketing efforts.
(1) Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is the first and arguably most important step. It might feel monotonous, but it is necessary to establish credibility and make a positive, strong first impression.
The critical components in creating a compelling profile include a clear, professional headline, a summary including expertise and experience, highlighted relevant qualifications and achievements, and skills and endorsements from others in the field. When those elements of the profile are perfected, it is critical to add contact information, including a phone number or email address, in a profile that will not take more than a minute to add. Still, it can double the chances of successfully attracting new clients.
Legal professionals must also update their profiles regularly so that the information is relevant and reflects their current work.
(2) Once you have enhanced your profile, the next step is building a targeted network. Creating a community begins with identifying and connecting with relevant professionals, including other attorneys, potential clients, and industry influencers.
One easy way to start this process is by using LinkedIn’s search filters to target specific industries, locations, and job titles.
Additionally, joining relevant groups and associations will allow users to organically engage with like-minded individuals and expand their business’s reach. After that, showcasing unique thought leadership through frequent and valuable content posted for your LinkedIn community is critical. Maintaining a regular posting schedule and encouraging engagement with content by asking questions and responding to comments will work to ensure that your account is top-of-mind among your network for legal marketing.
(3) Once an account has amassed a following with consistent, engaging content, it is time to leverage LinkedIn features for marketing purposes. Utilizing the platform to publish and share articles about the legal world can help showcase expertise and attract potential clients to your page and business.
Behind the filters and hashtags, social media is a tool for connection, so posts need to be personable and as relevant as possible. Since legal marketing is heavily based on building customer trust and credibility, sharing success stories is another example of impactful advertising.
Examples include client testimony, case studies, and business achievements. Adding value-added services to an account, like free resources, webinars, or consultations, can take a basic, boring profile to the next level.
LinkedIn ads remain a viable option for business promotion, primarily because they can target specific demographics. For instance, an international law firm in Israel can use the platform to encourage graduating law students in the United States to consider making Aliyah and advancing their careers. Simultaneously, the firm can roll out advertisements to connect with local Israeli high-tech businesses that need legal advice. These strategies are beneficial and relatively simple to produce through the easy-to-use interface.
(4) The fourth actionable strategy is routinely engaging with your network on your page and with accounts related to the law field. Users should actively participate in conversations about recent developments, burning issues, and predictions for the future.
Liking, commenting, and sharing valuable information with peers and industry leaders will work to ensure your brand comes to mind when a potential client needs a legal service. Responding to messages and inquiries promptly is essential to nurture and build solid relationships.
(5) LinkedIn’s most notable feature is its ability to monitor and analyze a page’s performance heavily. Once the other strategies have been implemented, it is relatively simple to see what is working and what is not regarding legal marketing efforts.
Tracking key metrics like profile views, connection requests, and engagement rates allows users to make data-driven decisions to optimize their success on the platform. Thus, it is necessary to identify top-performing content and adjust accordingly.
With over 900 million registered profiles worldwide, LinkedIn has revolutionized how businesses communicate internally and externally. Now, firms can work to correct missteps and rapidly adapt to new information like never before. When users implement the five actionable strategies above, the possibilities for legal marketing growth on LinkedIn are endless.
