LinkedIn is one of the most leveraged digital platforms for growing a business. The professional network is accessed by more than 300 million active users, with nearly 40% accessing it daily. From making connections to generating leads, LinkedIn is now recognised as an invaluable business development tool for law firms. It’s integral law firm leaders and partners demonstrate their presence on the platform.
We’re now living in an environment where face-to-face meetings or opportunistic discussions are no longer readily available. LinkedIn bridges this temporary gap. Since lockdown, usage of the network has rocketed, with the number of conversations between members increasing by 55% from the same time last year. LinkedIn provides a platform for discussion, recruitment and thought leadership; a place to engage with peers and build up a strategic referral network.
According to a recent analysis, six partners at a leading regional law firm had a combined 154,800 impressions on their respective LinkedIn pages. This demonstrates the vast network an active social media presence can provide. Proactivity on LinkedIn allows you to engage in the conversations usually discussed over coffee, whilst at the same time opening the gateway to a considerable field of prospective peers who can discuss, challenge and debate topics whilst sat in their comfort of their homes.
A LinkedIn profile is an advertisement for your business. Written correctly, it will demonstrate expertise, position you as a leader in your field and encourage prospective clients to trust your firm. You can comment on articles that discuss the latest changes within your industry and bring your connections up to speed on everything they need to know.
Every law firm realises the importance of digital marketing to include writing blogs and email newsletters; but often, this is where it stops. For the content to generate leads, it must be shared across social media channels. LinkedIn provides legal firms with both a way to share content and connect with others in the industries you serve.
According to a recent analysis from Hootsuite, 62% of marketers say LinkedIn successfully generates twice as many leads as any other social platform. Promoting content on the platform creates an avenue to capture your firm’s target market through specific and thought-provoking insights directly to your target audience. Through posting content, it enables your firm to create referral opportunities and further sharing opportunities for discussion, driving leads to the business.
But it’s not all in the written world. Videos on LinkedIn are shared more often than any other type of content. An excellent tool for law firms and chambers, videos help engage potential clients and builds the all-important trust factor. You can also leverage the platform to host events. Hosting virtual events boosts a firm’s social media exposure by 60%. As we move into a second lockdown, leveraging social platforms to drive attendance to events is a way to continue promotion of your expertise.
When clients are seeking legal advice they do not typically seek out the firm first, instead the individual lawyer. Highlighting the people within your firm is as important as marketing the firm itself.
Knowing how to effectively use LinkedIn may not come naturally to many Partners or Associates- they may require training to ensure their profiles are active and relevant. Creating a ‘social media’ culture in a firm is a way to help all employees learn how best to share and engage with the content on their personal and the companies LinkedIn pages. Consider sending a firm wide reminder email, or a quick Teams message to remind them there is a new post to like, share and comment on.
LinkedIn is a highly trusted, professional network. But fundamentally, it is a social platform. Sharing and curating valuable information and promoting others will enable you to establish a reputation as an insightful, industry leader and the ‘go-to’ advisor in your practice area. So now you know how, why not get started?
