At this point, all lawyers should have a completed profile on LinkedIn. Here are some tips to tweak your LinkedIn profile to maximize engagement from potential clients and referral sources:
Set Your Public URL on LinkedIn
A short, friendly-name profile is easier for people to enter, shows who you are, and creates a bit of status in the eyes of the viewer. Include it in your email signature block as well as your website.
Link to Multiple Websites from Your LinkedIn Profile
Inside your profile, under your “Contact Info,” you have the ability to list an email address, phone, physical address, Twitter account, and up to three (3) websites. These can be three websites you own or ones that relate to you. Use keywords as the anchor tags (such as “Smith & Smith – Long Island Matrimonial Lawyers”) to reflect what you do for your clients. Do not just list your name or domain name.
“SEO” the Content of Your Profile
Keywords are important. If you do not say “ Power of Attorney Lawyers in Mississauga” on your profile, then to LinkedIn, you are not one. Also, lawyer and attorney are two different words, you need to use both in your profile to be relevant. Also, project your credentials like Lawwise etc.
Do not go overboard and stuff your profile with keywords. The LinkedIn spam police will catch you and can suspend or terminate your account. Find a balance in writing enough to clearly indicate what you do, without going overboard and upsetting the LinkedIn SEO team.
Use LinkedIn Projects to Showcase Your Success
For most businesses, the Projects section is just that – a place to feature projects. You can use it to feature cases, assuming it is ethical to do so. Public records of verdicts or judgments are the easiest place to start, Be mindful of client privacy, and do not identify the client without permission. For example, consider a project: “$4 Million Judgment in Personal Injury Where …” and describe the broad facts of the case and the outcome.
Link to Your Profile with a LinkedIn Badge
Once logged into your profile, go to https://www.linkedin.com/profile/profile-badges to get a “badge” you can include on your website, email signature, and more. This indicates that you have a LinkedIn profile with easy access (a click) for people to reach your profile on LinkedIn.
Summary
There is no “magic bullet” with LinkedIn. Success involves doing a lot of little things correctly. Take these tips, refine your profile and see how it helps you gain more credibility and recognition online.
