Law Firm Marketing on LinkedIn

Whether motivated by a passion to pursue more meaningful work, increased confidence in the economy, or plain old burnout, many people are ready to leave both pandemic restrictions and their current jobs behind in 2021, according to several surveys. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021 alone.

With so many people on the hunt for their next gig, it’s not surprising that LinkedIn is having a moment. With over 774 million users, LinkedIn has become the fastest growing social network out there. People have started interacting on LinkedIn in the same manner they do on Facebook, visiting the platform multiple times per day to network and to find valuable content to read. Savvy attorneys recognize the social media platform’s powerful potential as a marketing tool.

Networking & Prospecting on LinkedIn

First and foremost, LinkedIn is a networking behemoth that allows you to identify, connect with, and foster strategic partnerships with potential referral sources. Elder care attorneys can connect with local long term care providers, estate planning attorneys with funeral home directors and financial advisors, and real estate attorneys with accountants and CPAs.

LinkedIn is also a powerful tool for both finding clients in your target market and being found by them. Studies have shown that 71% of consumers are more likely to do with business with a firm they have a social media connection with. By creating a strong profile and being active in relevant LinkedIn Groups, you allow prospects to become familiar with you and your firm, making them more likely to retain you.

The platform’s advanced search feature can be used to search for prospects by keywords, relationships, groups, location, and industry.

Perfecting Your Profile

Establishing a strong presence on LinkedIn is fairly easy to do, but requires some commitment. Here are five quick steps you can take today to improve your LinkedIn presence

• Customize Your Link. Doing so will make you easier to find, plus visitors are more likely to click on a specific profile with a branded URL, rather than a generic link with random numbers (www.linkedin.com/in/ritachaires vs. www.linkedin.com/in/123456).
• Add a Header Image. The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words continues to hold true. Humans are wired to notice and respond to visuals, so an eye-catching image can add a lot to your profile. Recommended image size is 1400 x 425 pixels, with a maximum file size of 4MB.
• Add a Professional Profile Picture. According to LinkedIn, profiles with a quality headshot photo are 14 times more likely to be viewed on the platform. By displaying your actual picture, rather than LinkedIn’s default silhouette, you’re demonstrating your authenticity and inspiring trust. The image should be a color headshot and, if at all possible, should not resemble a mug shot.
• Include a Compelling Headline – In 120 characters or less, you have to capture prospects’ attention. This field is indexed by search engines, so be sure to include your title, practice area and any other important information.
• Enhance with Keywords. LinkedIn is a search engine unto itself, so placing keywords that are relevant to your practice area throughout your profile enables you to be found by the algorithm and ranked at the top of search results. That could be a huge advantage when prospects are searching LinkedIn for someone in your practice area. Keywords can easily be added to the Summary, Experience, Interests, and Skills sections of your profile.

LinkedIn Company Pages

In addition to your profile, your firm should create a LinkedIn Company Page.
These pages are a great way to build brand awareness, as well as educate and attract your target audience. A LinkedIn page can be followed without sending a request, so it’s easy for LinkedIn users to immediately share content from your page with others, increasing the potential for engagement.

Encourage employees of your firm to connect to your firm page as their current employer. Employees are automatically followers of their employer’s company page and will receive updates in their newsfeeds, so be sure they understand the importance of liking, sharing, and/or commenting on status updates that come from your company page. Your firm’s updates will then go to each employee’s network.

Making Quality Connections

There’s a great debate over whether it’s best to obtain a huge number of generic connections or to focus on quality connections that are more likely to lead to engagement. While LinkedIn doesn’t disclose the components of their ranking algorithm, some speculate that the more connections you have, the higher you rank.

Others dispute that and suggest that engagement is more important. What’s the sense in having 1,000 connections if you never interact with any of them?  Perhaps you’re better off having fewer connections with whom you have actual discussions and exchange information with. Those are the connections that are most likely to lead to a professional relationship.

I think the best course of action here is to focus on quality, but to strive to continuously growing your network. Commit to spending 30 minutes per month connecting with colleagues, clients, and potential referral sources.

LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups are forums for people with similar interests to connect and exchange insights, advice, and contact information.  Participating in Groups allows you to show off your expertise and affords the opportunity to build valuable relationships which could potentially lead to more business. Using the search bar at the top of the homepage to find groups that work for you, then make a point of participating regularly to grow your referral network.

Done right, you can leverage LinkedIn to establish yourself as an authority in your field, develop valuable professional relationships and turn your profile into a lead generating machine.

Rita Chaires

Director, Web and Online Marketing Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com