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.
Business, Not Personal
Contrary to popular belief, LinkedIn is not just for job searchers. Keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date allows you to showcase your talents by selecting from a list (or preset menu) of skills which can also be “endorsed” by colleagues. You can also showcase your law practice specifically using a Company page, which you can set up separately from your personal page. Here you can share relevant information about your business and connect with colleagues or partners in your industry. Demonstrating your knowledge of the industry can earn you respect amongst your peers and advance your law practice’s professionalism by being seen on a platform where many lawyers and legal professionals are already actively engaging each other.
Worth a Thousand Words
As a practice, we always remind our client’s how important a profile picture for their Lawyer.com profiles can be, and LinkedIn is very similar. A professional headshot is an absolute must-have for your LinkedIn profile. If you have not already, hire a photographer to take a new picture of yourself. Be sure to dress appropriately, including a suit and tie. Remember, people like to work with people, not faceless corporations or businesses. A quality headshot will polish your brand by putting a face to the name while conveying a strong, positive message to fellow lawyers and legal professionals in the industry.
Join the Conversation
Much like Google+, LinkedIn has active Groups featuring lawyers who are constantly engaged in discussion. You can do research on popular marketing trends and hear first-hand from other Lawyers on how they are improving their online presence. There are LinkedIn Groups for Lawyers across the board, including conversations based on practice areas or locations. If you have a question about legal marketing, there is a chance that someone would be happy to answer, as most LinkedIn users are very comfortable sharing their knowledge.
Start Your Search Engines
The fact of the matter is that search engines love social media, and LinkedIn is no exception. Remember, Google loves fresh and original content, which is what social media provides on a daily basis. As LinkedIn is the professional branch of all things social, do not be surprised if your own LinkedIn profile appears high up in organic search engine results for your name or your law firm. Any potential clients might see this as a nice stamp of approval, potentially increasing your chances of being retained.
Talk Yourself Up
LinkedIn is the perfect place to go into detail about your honors, awards, and experience. You can add various skills from a preset menu, then go the extra mile to ask for recommendations from clients and co-workers. Endorsements are one of the more social features of LinkedIn, where you can reciprocate positive feedback with other legal professionals. Selling yourself as a lawyer is something many are familiar with, and there are many prompts and reminders on LinkedIn to ensure that you are providing a complete, comprehensive description of your law practice.
For more legal marketing tips, or if you want to learn more about marketing your law Practice on LinkedIn, remember to add us to your Circle on Google+, where many Lawyer.com Premium Members are already looking to improve their online presence.
Kevin Maher
Lawyer.com Online Presence Manager
800-620-0900
