LinkedIn is a business development tool for all lawyers : Representing consumers or businesses
Last week I shared on Facebook’s Real Lawyers Have Blogs word of a story that LinkedIn can be a huge source of traffic to your blog.
Per the story by Cyber Journalist:
[LinkedIn] is one of the fastest growing social networking sites with deep user loyalty and engagement, and is quickly becoming a big potential traffic source, especially to news and information sites.
On B2B sites, in fact, LinkedIn refers more traffic than Facebook and Twitter combined, according to a 2010 study by LeadForce.
A discussion between myself, Attorney Sam Glover, co-founder of Lawyerist, and Tm Baran, founder of BaranCLE, ensued in the comments on the RLHB Facebook page. A discussion not regarding the traffic from LinkedIn, but on the value of LinkedIn for lawyers other than business lawyers.
Sam rightfully pointed out that on business-to-business sites, LinkedIn refers more traffic than Facebook and Twitter combined. He continued:
…[L]awyers who are marketing to people (PI, criminal defense, consumer rights), LinkedIn doesn’t hold a lot of promise apart from whatever value it may have as a general-purpose networking tool.
My position was that LinkedIn works as a business development tool for all lawyers, whether your clients are consumers or businesses.
LinkedIn profile is going to show up near top of search results when anyone searches a lawyer’s name. Best lawyers get their best clients by word of mouth and in each case the lawyer will be Googled by prospective clients. Lawyers who are not building out their LinkedIn profile are missing out. A lawyer’s LI profile is one of the most important items in shaping the lawyer’s identity — no matter the traffic generated from links on LI to a lawyer’s blog or website.
People selecting a lawyer, whether as a consumer on a personal need or as business person or in-house legal counsel on behalf of a company, use multiple points of reference in deciding on lawyer. LinkedIn is a very important point of reference.
Take the example of someone seeking a divorce lawyer. If they are like most people, they turn to a trusted source for the name of lawyer. It may be a friend, co-employee, counselor, or business associate. It’ll be someone they trust.
When this person gets the name of lawyer, whether directly from the person they asked or from a subsequent contact they were referred to, what’s the first thing the person looking for a lawyer is going to do? They’re going to Google the lawyer’s name.
Why Google the lawyer’s name? To find out everything you can about the lawyer.
A lawyer’s website and blog will be points of reference found on a Google search. But so will the lawyer’s LinkedIn profile. A LinkedIn profile that is apt to be near the top of the Google search results on a search for the lawyer’s name. The LinkedIn profile will be at the top of the search results whether the lawyer likes it or not.
A lawyer who ignores their LinkedIn profile is missing the boat. They’re totally naive if they believe an incomplete profile absent of details of their accomplishments, professional network, what they share on Twitter or on a blog, and recommendations won’t be considered by a person looking for a lawyer.
Look at the LinkedIn profile of California Attorney John Harding, who does family law work in the Bay Area. John’s profile tells me what he does, what associations he belongs to, what he shares on Twitter and on his blog, and who recommends him and why they recommend him.
Does John’s LinkedIn profile make him a lay up to be hired? Hardly. But it’s a heck of a positive point of reference that’s going to be considered when a person looking for a divorce lawyer looks up John Harding after getting his name from someone they trust.
Add to the equation that LinkedIn is a widely known brand. LinkedIn is quickly becoming known by the American public as the profile of record for professionals. As such, LinkedIn is becoming a trusted resource.
Consumer lawyer or business lawyer, LinkedIn is a low cost (free for most lawyers) business development friend.