Why Lawyers Need Social Media

Social Media, by flickr user laura pasquini, licensed by Creative Commons.Social media. It’s familiar territory for some lawyers, and a foreign world for others. Whether you are a social media veteran or have yet to test the waters, having a social media presence can benefit your firm in many ways. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like help you connect with people, keep up with current events, build a name and reputation for you and/or your firm, and reach an audience beyond your geographical range. Read more

5 Ways for Lawyers to Get the Most from LinkedIn

Tie, Tie Knot, Shirt, Suit, Knot by pixabay user Hans, licensed by Creative Commons

Be Professional & Stand Out

As a legal marketing expert, I receive a lot of questions about the importance of social media, especially LinkedIn. Many lawyers are already up and running on this business-centric platform, featuring a detailed profile and professional headshot. LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for your law firm and is a great tool to add instant credibility. If potential clients can see that you have a strong LinkedIn presence, you may generate new business as people feel more comfortable working with a vetted, authoritative brand. Below are some tips on how legal professionals and practicing lawyers can benefit from being active on LinkedIn. Read more

Google My Business: What It Means For Your Law Firm

Google My Business Logo

Have you Googled your Business recently?

One of the most exciting things about Google is they are always changing and evolving. This goes beyond the infamous updates to their search algorithm, and enters the realm of other offerings, including Google+, Google Local, and Google Maps. These constant “techie” announcements are enough to make your head spin. Staying at the forefront of these new products will often give you a distinct advantage when managing your law firm’s online presence, but there are only so many hours in the day. However, help is on the way! Google’s newest launch will solve a lot of problems and streamline the management process. Managing your online presence will be easier to fit in your busy schedule. It’s called Google My Business, and it’s essentially a brand new hub for you to access all of your firm’s Google applications. Read more

LinkedIn For Lawyers (Part 1)

With 200 million users and counting, LinkedIn is one of the most prolific social media networks. What makes LinkedIn so unique is its focus on career and professional development.  This feature makes a LinkedIn presence a key component of a Lawyer’s overall marketing campaign.

LinkedIn is primarily composed of professionals across all industries. These are all prospective clients with resources to support your practice. This is especially true for Business, Employment, & Corporate lawyers. The client likely has a presence on LinkedIn and having a comprehensive profile will increase the likelihood that relevant clients contact your practice.

Understanding the importance of LinkedIn, here are few tips for lawyers:

linkedin info

By default, LinkedIn users have a long URL for their profile. This is not very SEO Friendly. Follow the above steps to change your URL to something along the lines of LinkedIn.com/ln/johndoe. I recommend that the custom url be the same as your Twitter handle. In the case the lawyers Twitter handle should be @johndoe

Add As Much Content As Possible

Lawyers should enter as much information as they can on their profile. This includes their past employment and links to their website and other social media profiles.

Share Your LinkedIn Profile

At the same time, it’s important to share your LinkedIn profile on your website (along with your other social media profiles). One can even include these links in their email signature.

Signature

This establishes your brand as a market leader. Lawyers should look for as many ways as possible to remain connected to their clients and have a presence where new clients can be found.

Social media is still fairly new when it comes to its applications in business, especially for its use in the legal marketing space. As this technology becomes more mainstream, lawyers who embrace its benefits will be uniquely positioned to grow their practice.

Stay tuned next week for the conclusion of LinkedIn best practices for lawyers. We’ll discuss what to do on LinkedIn and how to create a firm profile for your practice.