blog home Ask SLS Social Media Marketing Ask SLS: How Should Lawyers Use LinkedIn?

LinkedIn for LawyersIn this new blog segment from SLS, our staff members have scoured their email archives to find informative explanations for some of the more commonly asked questions we receive from our clients. We’re calling this new feature “Ask SLS” so be sure to check back monthly for answers to some of the more frequently asked questions we get from current clients, lawyers just looking for some quick advice, and former clients who still reach out to us for help from time to time.

In today’s article, we discuss one possible way lawyers can approach using their LinkedIn profile to positively impact their marketing efforts. Remember though, the advice we offer here isn’t the only way of handling a particular situation, especially when it’s related to marketing. Over the years, we’ve weighed risk and reward when it comes to certain tactics and strategies, so we’re providing insight on approaches that we have experience with. So, without further ado, let’s check out today’s question…

Q: Do I need frequent postings on LinkedIn?
And should I be connecting with people in my target markets?

A: When it comes to LinkedIn, you should definitely connect with people in your area, but we at SLS view it primarily as a networking tool to help generate potential leads from other attorneys. The more attorneys you’re connected with, the higher the odds are that one of them may think of you and refer cases your way. Trying to connect with potential clients would be a little more problematic, so don’t approach it that way. LinkedIn prefers that you connect with people you know, but when you connect with other attorneys whom you may not know, you’re at the very least connecting with someone in your profession, and that connection is entirely justified.

As far as frequent postings are concerned, interacting with other people’s posts is the more valuable strategy. Like Facebook and other social media sites, LinkedIn wants people to interact with each other while using its platform. If the conversation is one-sided, meaning you’re solely posting and not interacting with posts from others, then the odds that other people are going to interact with you, or that LinkedIn is even going to display your posts on their newsfeeds, are very slim. So, instead of frequent postings, we would instead focus on interacting with the posts currently being displayed in your newsfeed, and even sharing some of those posts if you find them interesting enough.

Self-promotion isn’t as big on LinkedIn as it is on a site like Facebook primarily because LinkedIn is geared towards individuals who are looking to widen their professional circle of contacts, or even look for a new job. When people are logged into LinkedIn and navigating around the site, their concern is less on connecting with a brand and more on interacting with individuals who may help them further their career in one capacity or another.

In summary, we would think of LinkedIn more as a networking tool that could lead to future business, and less as a marketing tool that can be actively used to promote that business, if that makes sense. The networking aspect is where the true value is, at least for attorneys.

So there you have it! If you have any questions about LinkedIn or any other social media site, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the marketing team here at SLS Consulting. Who knows? Maybe your question will be featured in a future “Ask SLS” blog segment!

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