As the preferred social networking platform for businesses, you’d imagine that LinkedIn had a little more “oomph” in its software. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same analytics as Facebook nor the same convenience of Twitter. But what’s a business to do? Companies all over the world still use LinkedIn to connect with other businesses and customers. As lacking as LinkedIn may be, it’s still a common networking tool, especially for lawyers.
Luckily, you don’t have to give up on LinkedIn altogether. It might not be as robust as those other social media platforms out there, but it’s starting to come around. This article offers a few tips on how to optimize and promote your law firm’s LinkedIn company profile without all the added stress.
Make It Visual
Social media as a whole is becoming a much more visual medium. Not only are the platforms entirely dedicated to sharing pictures and images, like Instagram, but even Facebook and Twitter are revising their structure to accommodate for larger, higher-resolution photos. It only makes sense for LinkedIn to follow suit.
Check out your company profile and notice the large space at the top of the screen allocated for a cover photo. It’s not quite as big as Google+’s or Facebook’s cover photos, but it allows for a little extra branding pizazz. Talk to a graphic designer about getting an image sized and branded for your LinkedIn cover photo, include your law firm’s name and logo. Make it colorful, visually appealing, and clear.
Furthermore, LinkedIn also allows you to share an image preview whenever posting a link. If you’re linking a post from your own blog, make sure there’s an image in the blog post to feature on LinkedIn (and other social media sites). Studies have shown that people are more likely to click on content that has an image prominently displayed with it. Our eyes are naturally drawn to photos and graphics, so catch more attention with a striking photo to accompany any blog posts.
Complete Your Profile
While LinkedIn might like in several features common among sites like Facebook and Google+, it has no shortage of the information you can provide. By completely filling out your LinkedIn profile, you can ensure visitors from all those visual posts are getting as informed as possible about your law firm. And the more information you provide to potential clients, the better.
Start with editing the Products section of your company profile. You’ll be able to write in any and all services your law firm offers. Highlighting these services not only makes your profile more appealing, but it can help potential clients find you through LinkedIn as well. You can also add extra descriptions, key features, link to relevant pages on your law firm’s website, create promotions, and provide contact information for the right employees for the service. Filling out as much of the fields as possible will boost your profile’s visibility and deliver a better experience to any visitors.
You can also list any products your law firm might sell. For instance, you can list an eBook or even a branded coffee bug on your company page. You’ll be able to provide just as much information for your products as you can for services, giving potential clients a comprehensive overview of what your law firm does.
Furthermore, your company profile also has a Careers sections where you can list job openings at your firm and even allow people to apply online. Job hunters can find you through searches and you also have the option of marketing your Careers section directly to qualified candidates through LinkedIn.
Ask For Recommendations
Recommendations are important for employees, but they’re also important for companies. Really, they act just like testimonials and endorsements. And the more you have, the more potential clients see how trusted and reliable your law firm is.
After you’ve filled out the Products section of your profile, ask clients, business partners, and anyone else your law firm does business with to endorse the products and services you’ve listed. They can write reviews, talk about your customer service, and recommend your profile to their connections. These endorsements will show up in searches, can be featured on your company profile, and you might even be able to use them on your law firm’s website with permission.
Facebook and Twitter might be the most popular social media networks out there, but LinkedIn is still the only business-focused platform out there. Even though it doesn’t have as many features or the same quality of user experience as the more prominent social sites, your law firm can still utilize the features it does have to connect, network, and promote. In this digital age, passing up on a social media profile can hurt your reputation, and that includes LinkedIn. Optimize your profile to make the most of this key business tool.
About the Author
Pete Wise is the SEO Manager for Network Affiliates; which has been an ad agency for lawyers and doctors since the dawn of the internet. We were the first full-service Denver legal marketing in Colorado. Check me out on Facebook