The largest database of professionals on the planet, LinkedIn is the best medium for lawyers’ digital marketing. While social networks such as Facebook and Twitter focus primarily on friends, family and followers, LinkedIn’s algorithm is designed to optimize professional networking, and has the tools to achieve this goal.
If used properly, LinkedIn can reinforce a lawyer’s credibility and authority in the eyes of prospects, clients and colleagues. It’s an opportunity to position yourself as an opinion leader in your fields of expertise, by sharing relevant content that indirectly promotes your services.
Lawyer friends, Wilo has some practical tips for a successful personal LinkedIn profile.
Optimize the fundamentals of your Linkedin profile
In your LinkedIn settings, you can easily customize your URL. It should always show your full and exact name. A list of random letters or numbers gives the impression of a lack of activity and a scrambled profile.
2 – A high-quality profile photo
The tendency has long been to publish a professional photo for the profile. Today, many professionals also opt for relaxed, candid photos. Whether you choose to hire a photographer or take a photo with your phone, make sure the photo is recent, of good quality, and shows your personality (but avoid selfies).
3 – An interesting profile title
Like your name and photo, your title is one of the first visible elements, and one of the most important. This describes your services and your position, and is an excellent place to add keywords that describe your added value, and improve your profile’s ranking with the LinkedIn search engine.
Example: “Function” at “firm”, I accompany/advise “target” in “expertise”.
In addition to appearing in LinkedIn searches, your title also appears in your invitations to connect and your comments.
4 – A news section in elevator pitch mode
The info section may seem superfluous when you’re setting up your profile, but it allows you to highlight your expertise, personality and career.
In this section, only the first 200 characters appear. By clicking on “See more”, visitors tell the LinkedIn algorithm that they’re interested in your profile. These first words must be an intriguing, engaging and sincere elevator pitch.
5 – Optimized contact details
In your personal profile, you can include the URL of your website, your twitter account, your instant messaging… This gives potential customers several ways to contact and follow you, in addition to sending you messages via LinkedIn.
6 – Be proud of your achievements
Your LinkedIn profile is also an online CV. Describing your training and your achievements (rankings, contribution to a book, etc.) is an excellent way of demonstrating your expertise. It’s also a good idea to showcase your activities in associations or organizations outside the legal world.
Expand your LinkedIn network by being active
7 – Invite your target to join your LinkedIn network
Many lawyers are content to connect with friends and colleagues, as well as with contacts from their address books.
However, connecting with potential customers can ultimately generate leads more quickly. For example, if you specialize in business law, connect with decision-makers in the types of companies you want to target. They’re all on LinkedIn – all you have to do is find them and send them connection requests.
8 – Keep your LinkedIn network alive
Being active on Linkedin allows you to move up in search results. Your profile gains in value when you interact with your network. Connect regularly and like, comment and share other people’s posts. Interaction with your network often triggers feedback on your own publications.
9- Publish to position yourself
Don’t forget to add to your profile by sharing all your news, press releases, conferences and webinars with your network, and comment on current events by sharing press articles.
Don’t forget to write articles in the dedicated Linkedin tool. These are highly referenced and systematically highlighted in the network’s algorithm.
10 – Invest in digital marketing
Poorly written content or content that doesn’t use good SEO strategies can cause you to miss out on opportunities to develop your expert status, increase traffic to your profile and gain new connections and leads.
If your firm has a digital marketing strategy, it may be worthwhile to pool your efforts, so that your personal profile can serve as a lever for your firm, and vice versa.
Overall: Keep an eye on your SSI
The SSI, or Social Selling Index, is the rating given by LInkedin. Depending on this rating, your profile is more or less highlighted in search results.
This score is based on all the elements discussed above: optimizing your profile, developing your network, interacting and creating content.
You can find out your SSI score on this page.
The experts ateliott & markus would be delighted to provide you with further information, or to arrange a personal consultation.
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