Advanced LinkedIn Strategies for Law Firms

LinkedIn continues to advance its content ecosystem. You can use the various features available to better connect with decision-makers. When used effectively, LinkedIn can provide new avenues for business development, strengthen brand recognition, and raise one’s profile in the legal industry. In this post, we are exploring some advanced content tactics that will help you to stand out and better engage with your audience. 

Related: Law Firm Guide to LinkedIn Advertising

Without further ado, let’s dive into the steps involved with creating an impactful content plan on LinkedIn. 

Steps for Creating Powerful LinkedIn Content

1. Understand your audience. Before you begin creating content, it’s important to gather insights on your clients and prospects. Who will read your content? What do you know about them? Only by doing research in advance can you develop content that resonates. Think about what kind of problems your typical client is dealing with and what goals they have. You can use client personas as a starting place, and supplement with more in-depth research. If you have a Sales Navigator (paid) account on LinkedIn, you can create lists of leads and accounts and then set reminders to get notifications about their activity. You can also get alerts about hiring, headcount updates, and other trends. This will provide more context around what your audience is doing. 
2. Review your analytics. Do you know how your current LinkedIn content is performing? Are there optimizations or changes that need to be made before you produce more content? Use creator and company page analytics to benchmark performance and discover your best and worst-performing content. In your profile, you can see combined post analytics that reveal impressions and engagement for all of your personal content. You can also find demographic data. On your company page, you can view complete content analytics, including everything from impressions to engagement to clicks. Combine this information with what you can obtain on Google Analytics and you should have a pretty full picture of content performance.
3. Perform competitive research. It’s always a good idea to keep a pulse on what your competitors are doing. Check their posts regularly to see what LinkedIn content stands out or which topics seem to be trending. You can use LinkedIn’s updated Competitor Analytics tool to easily track your competition. You can get there from your company page, by opening the Analytics drop-down. Choose competitors and choose up to 9 that you’d like to measure your page’s performance against. When you are viewing your competitor’s organic metrics, look for the highest engagement. That will help you to see which posts are most popular. 
4. Use LinkedIn’s own publishing tools. LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards posts created on the platform. In order to boost engagement, LinkedIn prefers that content is developed internally rather than linking to an external site. Try using their native publishing tools in order to generate more engagement, which signals to LinkedIn that users like your content. 
5. Provide value first. Lead magnets are a powerful way to obtain contact information from potential prospects. The only problem is that people may not be ready to exchange their information if they haven’t come to trust your firm. A better strategy is to start out by sharing content that is just as valuable as a lead magnet but for free. Things like white papers, research studies, or ebooks can provide actionable advice that is truly helpful. If you use LinkedIn’s native document format, people can download items without having to visit a separate landing page. Sharing this type of content will build relationships and encourage people to exchange their contact information eventually.
6. Publish firm newsletters. Newsletters are ideal for sharing long-form content like industry happenings and new legal trends. You can pack a lot of expert insights into a single newsletter, and LinkedIn’s native newsletter format supports a high character count. LinkedIn newsletters allow free subscriptions with in-app notifications, so they’re great for staying on your target audience’s radar. Additionally, since they are published to your feed, you have more opportunities to provide valuable information and move people through the funnel. You can also embed links to lead magnets to generate even more interest. 
7. Make it a team effort. If your page is struggling to get views or engagement, develop a plan for your internal team to share content thoughtfully. Consider who exactly should share the content you publish. Getting the C-suite involved can really move the needle when it comes to your LinkedIn efforts. However, all of your colleagues can help to provide valuable reach by sharing updates. Create a list of firm employees who can have an impact based on their connections, and then document a plan for what to share, when, and how to position it. Make sure to keep an eye on performance metrics so you can understand the impact over time. 
8. Go live on LinkedIn. If your content is not getting the traction you’d like, consider changing up the format. By using LinkedIn Live, you can turn a wide variety of content into more interactive sessions that will boost engagement. For example, you can create panel discussions or webinars out of previous guides or reports. You can also use LinkedIn Live to obtain contact information when people register. When you set up an event, you can select the option to use a LinkedIn registration form. From there you can download contact information from registrants and use it for future marketing efforts. 
9. Host collaborative events. Another way to expand your reach is to partner with other organizations on events. Work with businesses who complement your services and may share an audience with you. Choose topics that will be relevant to both of your followers and set events up directly on LinkedIn using Live. You can also use external sites to set things up and then promote the event using LinkedIn’s tools. Using the LinkedIn registration function will streamline the process. 
10. Try audio events. LinkedIn’s new format is capitalizing on the popularity of audio content like podcasts. Audio events tend to be underutilized, so they present a great opportunity for getting new leads in a space that’s not already saturated. Since this feature isn’t widely used yet, you’ll need your own team to help promote your content. 
11.  Participate in relevant groups. You can meet prospects where they already are – in groups. Groups that are geared toward your industry or specialty are a great place to find potential leads. Use LinkedIn’s search tool and browse influencer profiles to find applicable groups to join. Start by republishing your best-performing content. Remember: you don’t want to simply promote your firm. You want to add value by participating in discussions and being a helpful resource. 

Takeaway: 

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal – if you take advantage of it. Spend some time implementing these content tactics, and you’ll reach new audiences and enhance the relationships you already have. If you need a little assistance generating leads through digital channels, talk to our experts. We help law firms to create omnichannel marketing strategies that meet their unique goals.