Want to Leverage LinkedIn for Business Development? Then Engage More.

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By Omnizant Team
Law Firm Marketing Agency

Most attorneys know they should have a LinkedIn profile—but there’s a major difference between having a profile and using it wisely! LinkedIn can be an extremely powerful tool for attorneys, and it’s easier than you may think to start having an impact.

Frequent engagement is a prerequisite for success on LinkedIn. But what does engagement look like? 

To help you create a plan for leveraging LinkedIn for business development, here’s a quick guide to the basics of LinkedIn, effective and easy ways to engage on LinkedIn, and a simple plan for getting started with LinkedIn for attorneys.

Basics about LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals to connect within and across industries. 

Users may create individual or company profiles, add people to their network, send messages, follow topics and companies of interest, post job listings, advertise, and write, share, or comment on articles and content. There are free and paid versions of LinkedIn. 

A 2020 study from the ABA revealed that 87% of law firms are using LinkedIn. 

Individual respondents to the ABA study said that they personally use social media for professional purposes. The vast majority (90%) of individuals use LinkedIn, followed by Facebook at 29%, Twitter at 17%, and Instagram at 13%.

Law firms and lawyers can use LinkedIn to build brand awareness, establish thought leader status, attract referrals, connect with potential clients, network with colleagues, or even hire new team members.

How to increase your visibility by being active on the platform

Like all other social media platforms, LinkedIn wants users to be active. It is not enough to set up a LinkedIn profile and then rarely log on or post anything. 

The more active you are, the more visible you will be. Here are several painless engagement opportunities on LinkedIn that can increase your visibility:

  • Like, comment, or share other people’s posts
  • Share external content produced by you or your law firm, like a new blog article
  • Publish original insights directly to LinkedIn (no link necessary)

Remember, you don’t need a full blog article to accompany your LinkedIn posts. For instance, you may have thoughts on a recent appellate decision. It may not warrant a full article but it works perfectly as a conversation starter with fellow attorneys as a native post on LinkedIn.

As you start sharing, Linkedin will provide analytics so you can see what content performs better with your network.

Getting started with LinkedIn: some tips for success

If you’re new to LinkedIn—or if you’ve been inactive for some time—be very clear about your overarching strategy before you dive in.

First, determine your goal in using LinkedIn. How does the platform fit into your larger business plan? Do you want more referrals from attorneys in your area? Are you looking to stay top of mind with business owners you’ve previously worked with who might refer you?

Next, make sure you have the right network. Great content pushed to the wrong audience will get you nowhere. Who is it that you really want to connect with on LinkedIn? Start sending connection requests, including a personalized message for people who may need some context.

Finally, create an engagement plan you can stick to. Set aside 15-30 minutes every day to scroll your feed and engage with others’ content. Aim to share content or an original post at least once per week. Encourage employees to engage with this content.

Remember, doing the work is just as important as stepping back to assess whether or not your engagement is actually making progress toward your business goals. A brief monthly review of LinkedIn’s analytics will help you stay on track,

Review and next steps

The most effective digital marketing strategy is a comprehensive one. Across every platform, your firm should speak with one voice to clients and colleagues.

LinkedIn is overlooked and underutilized by many attorneys. However, the rewards for engaging on LinkedIn are manifold—and it’s easy enough to incorporate LinkedIn into your existing digital marketing strategy.
We create impactful and effective digital assets for legal professionals and law firms. We also provide ongoing expert support with holistic digital marketing strategies such as SEO, PPC, video marketing, and more. Book a free consultation with Omnizant to learn more.

About the Author
Since 2006, Omnizant's team of digital marketing experts, designers, developers and writers has helped over 2,000 law firms develop powerful websites that drive business growth.