Five Statistics that Prove LinkedIn is for Lawyers and Three Ways to Maximize the World’s Largest Online Professional Network
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way we network, building strong relationships and networks remains an important component of any legal practice. With nearly 875 million users worldwide, LinkedIn has become an essential tool for professionals looking to stay informed about industry trends, build professional networks, and advance their careers, all from the comfort of their electronic devices.
Used strategically, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity for lawyers to develop relationships, position themselves as thought leaders, and generate referrals and business. These five statistics provide evidence that LinkedIn is a worthwhile investment of time and thoughtful effort for any lawyer looking to develop, maintain or grow a legal practice.
LinkedIn is available in over 200 countries and territories, and is available in 26 languages.
Even during pre-pandemic times, in-person networking was limited to those who attended events and conferences. As a platform, LinkedIn has a large user base that spans across many countries and cultures, and allows users to communicate and engage with each other in their preferred language. This creates an opportunity to foster international connections and promote cross-cultural communication, which is particularly important for lawyers with an international practice.
Over 70% of professionals on LinkedIn are decision-makers at their companies.
Decision-making users on LinkedIn comprise a wide range of professionals, including business owners, CEOs, C-level executives, managers, and other professionals who hold positions of authority and influence within their organizations. These professionals are typically responsible for making strategic and operational decisions that impact their companies at high levels. This creates opportunities for lawyers to showcase their experience, endorsements, and work in a way that makes it easy for decision makers to evaluate their qualifications and consider them for potential legal services. Additionally, LinkedIn users often share and engage with content that is relevant to their professional interests, which offers lawyers an opportunity to gain insights into the decision makers’ interests and potential needs.
96% of executives use LinkedIn as their preferred content source, and 53% of in-house counsel find it valuable as a content distribution platform.
When asked where the top places to find relevant, high-quality content was, executives overwhelmingly chose LinkedIn, compared to Twitter at 29%, Facebook at 27%, and others.
Since LinkedIn has established itself as a platform for professionals, users consider the content shared by others to be accurate and reliable. Sharing original and curated content is an opportunity for lawyers to position themselves as thought leaders. However, consistently sharing valuable information is the key for lawyers, as 59% of C-suite officers and 31% of in-house counsel access LinkedIn at least weekly.
LinkedIn makes up more than 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites & blogs.
Collectively, LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter drive 90% of social traffic to B2B sites & blogs, with more than half of that traffic coming straight from LinkedIn. While Facebook and Twitter may have more monthly active users, LinkedIn has many features specifically tailored for business-to-business (B2B) professionals. These features include the ability to join groups and discussions, share articles and updates, and message other professionals directly, making it the platform of choice for decision makers within organizations. This creates an opportunity for lawyers to include links and share content of interest that will drive LinkedIn users to a law firm’s website.
80% of social media driven B2B leads come from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn’s advanced targeting options make it an effective platform for B2B lead generation. Businesses can target their content, ads, and other marketing materials to specific industries, job titles, and geographic locations, which can increase the chances of the content being seen engaged with by the right audience. And, 63% of C-suites say LinkedIn targeting is effective. This creates an opportunity for lawyers to share content in a focused-way to reach specific target audiences.
Beyond the question of “why” LinkedIn is important, is also the import question of “how” to maximize use of the platform. The following three statistics provide valuable insight into how lawyers can make the algorithm work for them.
LinkedIn profiles with photos get 21x more views and 36x more messages.
The decision of whether to include a photo is not much of a decision at all. Profiles with photos receive significantly more views and messages than picture-less profiles because they are more visually appealing and make it easier for users to connect with and remember one another. Profiles with pictures are more likely to appear in LinkedIn’s search results, as the platform’s algorithm prioritizes accounts that are complete and updated with images. Including a headshot on your LinkedIn can make you appear more personal and relatable, as it allows users to see the face of the person behind the profile. This helps build trust and makes it easier for users to connect, as they can see whom they are communicating with.
Long-form content gets 72% more backlinks than short-form content.
Long-form content generates the most shares on LinkedIn because it provides a more in-depth look at a specific topic, giving readers more information and value than shorter content. Long-form content is typically defined as pieces that are more than 1,200 words in length. For lawyers, this means an opportunity to share their knowledge and insights on a particular topic, which can help establish them as thought leaders in their industry. This helps lawyers build their personal brand and gain visibility within their networks.
How-to & list posts receive 3 – 5x more engagement than standard posts.
How-to and list posts perform the best on LinkedIn because they provide practical, actionable information that is easy to understand and apply. These posts are written in a structured format that is easy to follow and understand. They provide clear, step-by-step instructions or a list of tips and tricks that readers can use to improve their work or solve a specific problem. Additionally, how-to and list posts are easy to scan and read, which makes them more attractive to LinkedIn users. They have a clear structure and use headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break up the text, making it easy for readers to find the information they need quickly. For lawyers, this is an opportunity to repurpose content, such as a CLEs, blog posts, and client alerts, in an efficient way.
Overall, LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for lawyers to build relationships, showcase experience, and gain valuable insights into their industry and potential clients. By leveraging the platform’s features and tools, lawyers can enhance their professional reputation, grow their network, and secure new business opportunities.
