Upping your LinkedIn activity to build your reputation
Building an effective LinkedIn profile is vital for anyone working in legal services. Not only is it an important networking tool, it also gives you an opportunity to showcase your skills and expertise, building your reputation and attracting new clients.
Most of us have a decent LinkedIn profile detailing our experience and job roles but how many legal professionals are truly active on the platform? Whether it’s time pressures or not knowing what you should be posting, many are not making best use LinkedIn – if you are not active you won’t appear regularly or highly in searches when users type in the keywords you are targeting or on users’ news feed.
For those hesitating, here are some suggestions about what to post:
Successful cases or deals you have completed
Sharing examples of your work is the most effective way to demonstrate your expertise. Where client confidentiality allows, be sure to post examples of important case wins, impressive deals or high profile matters you have worked on, name-checking and tagging your team and clients.
Commentary on your area of the law
Perhaps there has been a landmark judgment in the courts, new legislation published or a topical news story with a legal element. Give your view on the implications, linking to articles in the press or a more in-depth blog on your own website. You may also want to share or comment on posts written by colleagues and other experts, interacting with the wider community of professionals working in your area.
Firm news
Potential clients will not just be buying into you, they will also want to know more about the firm you work for, whether it’s the other services it provides, its reputation in the industry or its commitment to equality and diversity or the environment. Use LinkedIn to share stories of your firm’s successes, growth or Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Personal news
Some people do share details of their personal lives on LinkedIn but it’s more usual to keep your posts work focused. Share news of any new qualifications you achieve, promotions and or job changes. You might also want to share any charity or pro bono work you are involved in as well as and work you are doing with professional associations.
News about your local community
Increased homeworking and the ability to work collaboratively with people all over the world can mean we forget about the importance of our local community in law firm marketing. Clients may have a preference for using legal services in their region, so share news about growing businesses, new developments, events or initiatives happening in your local area, particularly where you or your firm are involved.
Coordinating with other law firm marketing activity
LinkedIn shouldn’t be seen as a standalone activity, but as part of the wider law firm marketing mix, including legal PR, digital comms and events. You should be using the platform to publicise events such as seminars or conference activity, promoting press coverage featuring you or your firm and client briefings, reports or sector insights.
LinkedIn, like other social media platforms provides the most opportunities to those who are actively connecting with others, posting, liking, sharing and commenting on a regular basis. Once you get into the habit, this can take just 5-10 minutes of your time a few times a week and can see you reap significant rewards in terms of reputation building and new business leads.
