Your Guide to LinkedIn

You may wonder why we’ve produced a guide to LinkedIn. You’re not a corporate firm, so why would you devote your time to the most corporate of social networks?

That’s because it – perhaps surprisingly – offers a number of benefits to even those firms with a B2C offering.

Work and home lives coming together

The pandemic changed so much. Work became a part of the home lives of many, with no physical distance between the two. This offers businesses huge opportunities.

As LinkedIn points out in its 2021 Meet the Member study: “With the boundaries between life and work disappearing, members are taking to LinkedIn today to consume content, create connections, and share their perspectives as they lean into their new lifestyles.

“LinkedIn offers a unique and timely opportunity for marketers to meet members directly at the intersection of life and work, positioning products and services as solutions to members’ evolving needs.”

As people are used to working from home, they may be more likely to peruse their corporate accounts while at home – when they may also be thinking about their personal legal needs.

You can probably picture it now: Jane Doe is waiting for the oven timer to go off, scrolling through Facebook, Twitter and then LinkedIn. She’s simultaneously thinking about the shed that needs painting, her dad mentioning that he needs a new Will and – maybe – the slip she had in the train station last year.

With this blurring of the boundaries expected to continue for many as the world embraces hybrid and remote working, LinkedIn could prove a valuable tool to target your audiences.

Be present where your consumers are

Consumers today do their homework. They want to know more about your firm and your team if you’re going to be representing them in legal matters. And where else can they find out about your team’s professional and educational background?

Not only that, your target audience for so many of your service areas – including conveyancing, intellectual property and, of course, employment law – will be present on LinkedIn. When they’re perusing the network, do you not want your firm to appear on their radar? If it’s not you, after all, it could well be a competitor.

In July 2021, LinkedIn had more than 31 million users in the UK. That’s a huge proportion of the population. It can therefore pay off to cast your net widely and maintain a presence in the majority of arenas where your potential clients are spending time.

LinkedIn’s Meet the Member report found that its members purchase more high-consideration products – such as property – than members of other social networks. If your target audience is there, is it not worth taking the time to meet them?

Using LinkedIn

So we’ve established its importance in a B2C context – now you want to know what to do to get the most benefit from it.

• Define your audiences

You can advertise on LinkedIn, so treat it like any other social network you might do this on. Define your audiences and set goals for who you want to reach with your adverts. The better your audiences are defined, the better results you’ll likely see.

• Gauge interest in a service

Are you offering something new? Are you unsure of its reception? LinkedIn could help. Delve into the topic on the platform and see what people are saying. What are their questions? Do they have reservations? Are they offering you any valuable insights into its prospects?

• Grow your networks

Your team members are the face of your firm. They’re the ones who provide the service, so encourage them to invest some time in growing their networks. LinkedIn members frequently use the platform to request recommendations for service providers. Seeing one could allow your solicitors to jump in and grab that opportunity.

• Optimise your profile

LinkedIn can help you enhance your firm’s online presence, as well as that of your team members. Make sure that your firm’s profile is complete and provides all the necessary information a prospective client could need. Make sure you’re including the appropriate keywords and link back to your firm’s website.

• Share your opinions

Being active on LinkedIn can help you grow your network. Use its Articles function to post longer form pieces, which demonstrate your expertise. You can also post polls, share links to your site or photos and videos to generate some engagement.

LinkedIn can be a valuable resource, so don’t neglect it in favour of more consumer-focused networking sites. If you’re still unconvinced of the benefits of LinkedIn, testing it would be the best course of action.

Once you have some data to analyse, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether it’s a network worth using.

And if you decide that it is, LinkedIn offers a comprehensive resource hub. There, you can find best practices, insights and further guidance. They want you to be successful on the site just as much as you do.