It is and has become even more so post-Covid.
Despite initial push-back, law firms are now beginning to embrace LinkedIn with much greater gusto.
We’re not only seeing these firms creating more compelling and dare I say, digestible, content but we’re also seeing them actively encouraging their lawyers to roll up their sleeves and get involved.
They’re rapidly cottoning on to the fact that LinkedIn is vital to building visibility and connecting with clients but also to driving revenue and supporting the overall growth of the company.
And why LinkedIn you may ask?
For starters it is the world’s largest professional networking platform with a staggering 930 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. In Australia alone the platform has over 10 million registered users with just over half logging in each month.
And despite particular relevance to firms providing legal services to businesses, B2C firms are also discovering LinkedIn provides them valuable access to individuals likely to need their service at some point as well as to referral partners interested to learn more about their offerings.
So embracing LinkedIn as a strategic professional networking tool can provide lawyers and law firms with a competitive edge, enabling them to establish their expertise, enhance their professional reputation and drive success in the legal industry.
How to use LinkedIn for your law firm
So as CEO, you know that LinkedIn is important to your law firm but how do you go about ensuring you get maximum buck for your investment?
Optimise personal LinkedIn profiles.
Here I am talking about the profiles of you (the CEO or managing partner) and your lawyers. Remember, first impressions count.
Take a moment and review your team’s profiles on LinkedIn. Are they representative of your firm? Do they present your lawyers in the best possible light and do they reflect well on your organisation? Are they likely to persuade potential clients that you, your people and your firm are well placed to meet their needs or solve their problems.
To pass the profile ‘optimisation’ test, personal profiles should include a:
- Professional profile pic. This should be a head and shoulders pic, with your lawyer looking directly at the camera and ideally smiling at the camera or with the ghost of a smile.
- Banner image. This could be an image of your firm, your company logo or something that speaks powerfully to your lawyers’ expertise or practice areas.
- Compelling headline. This should be a brief statement that reflects your lawyer’s role, the industry they primarily serve and their specialisation. Partner at Doveton Legal | Helping major organisations satisfy their ACCC obligations | M&A | Joint Ventures | Transactional Matters
- Featured Section. This can include articles, webinars, videos or posts that reinforce your team member’s expertise or key offerings.
- A complete ABOUT summary. This should be written in the first person, should describe what your team member does and how they help their clients.
- Make sure team members complete other areas of their LinkedIn profile – the experience, key skills and recommendations sections.
- Include relevant keywords to make their profiles more discoverable in search results.
Create a Company Page.
Many businesses erroneously believe having a Company Page is surplus to requirements.
This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. Your company page enables you to showcase your brand and talk in much greater detail about your overall offerings than you and your team could cover in your personal profiles.
Having a company LinkedIn page enables your firm to provide much greater detail about your overall offering.
Additionally, your Company page provides the perfect place for your firm to post regular content which can be shared by your lawyers across their individual networks, ensuring it is seen by many more eyes than would ordinarily be the case.
The other big advantage of having a company LinkedIn page is that it not only provides your firm with a forum to discuss key legal trends and developments but also to talk about your company culture and your people. It is also a great place to create events and post videos.
Start connecting on LinkedIn.
Once all personal profiles and the Company Page are set up, it is time for you and your team to start building your connections and networks.
Depending on your company’s goals and the individual goals of your lawyers for being on LinkedIn, typically connections would include your:
- Ideal client (the person/s most likely to use your services).
- Existing and prospective referral partners – perhaps someone working in a related industry, complementary profession or even an established law firm with a busy caseload.
- The media and conference organisers
- High profile lawyers, business icons or leading experts in your field whose content would be worthy of reposting to personal LinkedIn pages.
When reaching out to a connection, make sure you and your team include a note providing some context and explaining why they would like to connect.
Start creating content.
Here’s a brief checklist, providing you with some ideas about what you can post to your Company page. It is not comprehensive, but it will certainly help you get your started on your journey. These story ideas are also relevant to lawyers looking to develop their own content.
- Insights on current legal trends and developments relevant to your business or practice area.
- Expert commentary or analysis on recent legal cases or regulatory changes.
- Updates from your firm – achievements, awards, new hires, promotions or office expansions, pro bono work or community involvement.
- Client success stories, highlighting successful case outcomes or client testimonials (with permission).
- Stories that educate your audiences or address their pain points.
- Articles or blog posts authored by your lawyers, showcasing their expertise and thought leadership.
- Stories about individual team members, showcasing their expertise, interests and contributions.
Creating relevant quality content is vital to building your company’s LinkedIn brand.
In addition to creating and sharing relevant content, it is important team members engage with clients and referral partners by commenting on, liking and sharing their content.
Make sure your team engages with the Company Page
Do encourage your lawyers to share content from your company page and actively become advocates and ambassadors for your business.
It is worth keeping in mind, when you post on your Company page around 30% of engagement will likely come from your employees!
So don’t be afraid to celebrate your people and their accomplishments. Also, remember to tag them in posts and feature them in your images and videos. It will make your brand more authentic, relatable, and interactive.
Remember, by posting quality content on your Company Page, you not only help your team raise their own profiles but also the profile of the overall firm.
To ensure you team roll up their sleeves and get involved, make sure you:
- Provide them with the necessary training to enable them to update their profiles and engage with insight and authority on LinkedIn.
- Invite all employees to attach the Company Page to their personal profiles.
- Ensure staff are notified whenever content goes live.
All sound a bit daunting?
At Parker Public Relations we partner with law firms teaching them how to manage what they do best while we step in and take care of the rest.
We will:
- Develop all personal LinkedIn profiles and the company LinkedIn profile.
- Teach CEOs, partners, associates and lawyers (and where relevant other members of staff) how to engage with authority and insight on LinkedIn. This can be managed via group workshops or one-to-one coaching.
- Develop content for your Company LinkedIn page. Ensure staff are notified whenever a post goes live.
- Teach lawyers how to create their own original content specific to their individual expertise or practice area.
- Provide staff with ongoing assistance and support.
