.svg)
“LinkedIn is the place to be for lawyers” 🤥
LinkedIn is the No. 1 professional social network in the world. Many praise its merits for developing a law firm's client base but as always, it's not that easy.
This article will serve as a compass to demystify LinkedIn, understand if it's interesting for you, and finally know how to use it to develop your client base as lawyers.
LinkedIn is not an end in itself
Having 10,000 subscribers on LinkedIn is a great way to gain credibility but it is not the desired objective! Your objective is to get as many appointments as possible with qualified people to sell your services. Of these 10,000, how many of them actually made an appointment with you? If the answer is “not enough,” rethink your strategy. The aim is not to be a king on the web, but a lawyer in demand in reality.
So now that we've just screwed up the title of our article it's LinkedIn's turn...
Our LinkedIn Masterclass for lawyers
The dangers of being addicted to LinkedIn as lawyers
Take a moment to think about the web giants of yesteryear. Who still remembers MySpace? In their day, they were what LinkedIn is today: Must-sees. But like any empire, their reign has come to an end, leaving a lot of users in the lurch.
LinkedIn, despite its current enormous potential, is not immune to this reality. Digital technology is constantly evolving. New networks are emerging, Algorithms are changing, and what is relevant today may become obsolete tomorrow. Relying exclusively on LinkedIn to develop your customer base is a short-sighted strategy. It's like building a luxurious house on an unstable ground: everything can fall apart in an instant.
So how do you ensure its presence and relevance in this constantly changing world? The answer is diversification. While LinkedIn is a great tool for networking and prospecting, it shouldn't be your only anchor. Thinkz to a personal website, your own stronghold. It represents your identity, your services, and remains a stable platform that your customers can always rely on.
Now let's see how to do it in practice!
The basis of marketing: Positioning
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer. Let's say you're looking for a lawyer who specializes in environmental law because your business is facing environmental compliance issues. Who will you choose: a lawyer who deals with everything from business law to real estate law, with an occasional mention of environmental law, or a lawyer whose every publication, article, and testimony exudes the passion and expertise of environmental law? The answer seems obvious.
On LinkedIn, precise positioning allows you to filter out noise. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, which often dilutes your message, you can focus your energy on creating content that resonates deeply with your target audience. This means that when tech start-ups see your profile, they could pass their way, but that's not a problem. Because when businesses or individuals dealing with environmental issues come across your profile, they see an expert who knows exactly how to help them.
By positioning yourself accurately, you also avoid general and direct competition with all other lawyers on LinkedIn. Instead, you are positioning yourself in a category that is almost entirely your own. This specialization not only attracts specific customers looking for your expertise, but it also establishes trust and authority because you are seen as an expert in that particular field and not as a generalist.
LinkedIn & Avocats: Distinguish your reputation actions from your credibility actions
Once your positioning is clear, distinguish between actions to be seen and actions to be contacted: reputation & credibility.
To be known in your market:
It consists in the recognition of the general public. It's visibility, being on your audience's radar. This is what makes your posts about “morning coffee” or “inspiring sunrises” attract likes and comments. These posts remind us that behind the title of lawyer, there is a person with tastes, passions and a daily life. It humanizes your image and creates an emotional connection with your audience.
However, while fame is important, it shouldn't be your only goal. Why? Because if you rely solely on these posts for your strategy, you risk becoming another pretty face in the crowd, with no substance or added value for your potential customers.
Be credible on your market:
This is where true value is created. Each time you share an update on a new regulation, an insight into a recent legal case, or an in-depth analysis of a legal issue, you are strengthening your position as an expert. These actions establish you as an authority in your field. Potential customers who see these posts realize not only that you know what you're talking about, but also that you're staying up to date and relevant in your field.
Imagine if your previous position was that of an expert in environmental law. An article on a recent judgment concerning environmental regulations would be much more impacting for your target audience than your morning coffee photo, even if the latter may have more “likes”.
Do both!
Connect with as many people as possible who can be your customer and carry out these different actions. You are a lawyer, a few well-known actions can bring you a lot of visibility, then hammer this audience with your knowledge.
Optimizing your presence on LinkedIn
Even in a crowded room, some still manage to stand out. The LinkedIn network is no different from such a room. With millions of professionals, how can you ensure that your voice is heard and that your profile stands out? Optimization is the answer.
Creating an attractive profile
Above all, your profile is your window. It should reflect not only your professional expertise, but above all who you are talking to. A professional profile photo, a headline value proposition, and a detailed description of what you can do can already work wonders.
Engagement and interaction
LinkedIn is not a monologue, it's a conversation. Engage regularly by commenting, sharing, or liking posts from other professionals. And when someone interacts with your posts, take the time to respond. It shows that you are accessible and interested in a genuine exchange of ideas. Some lawyers do not post but comment on anything that moves, and this is a real way for them to make their profile visible & develop their clientele.
Editorial calendar
Be active in signifies not publish for the simple pleasure of publishing. Each post should have a specific purpose. To do this, there are not too many rules, everyone organizes themselves as they wish. At Ourama, we simply set a routine: 3 posts minimum per week for louis as a founder and a 2 post for Ourama (subscribe!)
Measurement and adjustment
Review your performance on LinkedIn regularly. What posts worked best? When is your audience most active? Use this data to refine your strategy and continuously improve your presence on the platform.
Building publications that will be read
Engaging your audience isn't just about posting regularly; it's about posting relevant content that encourages interaction. High engagement not only means better visibility for your posts, but it also means a clear indication that you are providing value to your network. Here are a few ways you can increase engagement with your content:
Understanding the AIDA method
Structure your publications using the AIDA method:
- Attention: Start with a catchy title or first sentence that immediately grabs attention.
- Interest: Develop your point in an intriguing way to retain the reader's interest.
- Desire: Show the value or importance of your message, create a desire in the reader to continue the interaction.
- Action: End with a clear call to action - whether to comment, share, or even contact.
By following this method, you increase your chances of engaging your readers! Add to that:
Captivating visuals
With information overload, good visuals can make a difference. Use tools like Canva to create infographics, quotes, or any other visual relevant to your post. You have dedicated templates for LinkedIn that you can simply modify. Add your logo and colors then share!
Ask questions
Encourage your followers to interact by launching surveys or asking questions at the end of your posts. Avoid the simple “What do you think?” at the risk of having no response! Take the time,
Tell a story
Personal stories or anecdotes related to your area of expertise are often welcomed because they humanize your content. It can also help put into context some of the information or opinions you want to share.
Share case studies
As a lawyer, sharing case studies (while maintaining confidentiality) can show concretely how you have helped your clients, adding social proof to your expertise.
Avoid excessive jargon
Make your content accessible. Avoid excessive legal jargon; judgement comments and legal lists will rarely be read.
Accelerate your production with AI
Personal stories or anecdotes related to your area of expertise are often welcomed because they humanize your content. It can also help put into context certain information or opinions that you want to share.
For lawyers, who juggle hearings, meetings, and legal research, AI can be that silent but effective assistant. For summarizing, writing in plain language and writing your content, use GPT chat. I am not teaching you anything, the tool has been seen and reviewed extensively, we are preparing an article on the subject soon!
To create ultra-realistic images in a few words, feel free to use Midjourney ! In a few words, you can illustrate one of your projects. For example here, a lawyer surfing a big wave!
Ourama is very present on LinkedIn! For more marketing content for law firms do not hesitate to follow our pages: Ourama / louis !
Finally, if you want to set up a marketing strategy for your law firm, let's discuss it!
