LinkedIn – Making the best use of the world’s most powerful networking tool

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LinkedIn – Making the best use of the world’s most powerful networking tool

I’m sure the subject in question does not require any introduction – LinkedIn is almost impossible to ignore in today’s workplace and for better or worse it is here to stay.

I want to give you a quick overview on how legal professionals can best utilise this tool and give you an idea on how to make your profile look professional and provide a strong showcase for you and your firm.

1. Your Profile

This is an area that is often neglected. Some profiles I have come across may as well not exist due to the lack of detail and information! The fact is the differences between a weak profile and one that could win you a client are relatively small. Some essential points are:

■ Keep it up to date. Nothing worse than being seen as working for one firm on LinkedIn and on The Law Society at another! (It happens a lot)

■ Professional headline. Remember to include area of law and location

■ Summary section – Informative but brief summary of experience and key skills. Remember, no one is going to read streams of information here (keep the detail for the experience section and your individual roles), instead focus on being succinct and include keywords. Keywords are words like ‘commercial lawyer’ or ‘contracts’ that you can pepper throughout your profile so that when recruiters or HR managers search for candidates, those keywords will be highlighted in your profile, and you’ll rank higher in search results.

■ Ensure your profile and CV match-up!

■ Most important areas are the Summary, Experience and Education sections.

■ Profile picture. This is crucial.

2. Your Profile Photo

Again, an area that is so often neglected and can make someone highly professional and experienced look like a first year university student! This isn’t an overreaction; I have seen so many profiles of respected and senior individuals that include profile photos of them at the local pub or wearing their best Tour de France gear. Again, there are some basic rules to follow that will help you give the right impression. They may seem simple, but you’d be surprised how often they are ignored:

■ NO SELFIES – if you absolutely have no other choice, then try not to make it obvious (for instance holding it above you in typical Instagram fashion)

■ Smile – always sets the right tone and again shouldn’t be too difficult to manage!

■ Should have a clear background – certainly not in a busy area with lots going on. Find a dedicated photo space

■ Show your head and shoulders

■ NO ONE else in the picture – this includes friends, colleagues, family, pets etc. Keep that to the Instagram account.

■ No sunglasses or hat

Insight: Profiles with pictures are 11 times more likely to be viewed than those with the silhouette.

Ideal pixel size is between 200x200 to 500x500 for your image.

Make your profile even more professional by including your firm’s logo in the background photo. Or even a photo/stock image of the location you’re located in – such as London lawyers showing off The Gherkin.

3. Content

LinkedIn revolves around content. Whether this be opinionated or factual posts, surveys, Q&A’s, promotional material, memes, articles, career moves, workplace initiatives, media campaigns, the list is endless. It can be a daunting task to work out how your own posts or content will get noticed, and it is OK not to be a thought leader or a keyboard warrior. However, if you are seeking to raise your profile and start generating some interest, here are some ideas:

■ The more you use it, the more you get back – like, comment, and share relevant posts. Particularly those authored by key industry figures, or posts that are very relevant/interesting within your niche area or sector.

■ Create or share interesting content – pick a consistent time to post, whether that is on a particular day or certain times of the day. This way people will start coming to expect your posts and this increases the chance of engagement.

■ Connect with people you don’t know – just make sure they are relevant to your field.

■ Follow individuals and companies and comment on their insights and posts.

■ Join groups within your niche and engage and comment on conversations on posts and articles.

■ The golden rule – despite what you may sometimes see on LinkedIn, keep personal opinions or feelings for Facebook. This platform should always be treated as an extension of your professional self.

4. Skills and Recommendations

Reviews and ratings are crucial in today’s world. It seems that many businesses’ entire fortunes depend on having a good rating on Google or TripAdvisor or Which? – anything from a restaurant to a car garage to even a law firm understands the value of a 5-star rating. As an individual looking to win business or build a solid LinkedIn network, a few good recommendations are incredibly valuable. Again, this isn’t rocket science, you simply must ensure that you do a good job for someone and follow-up with a recommendation request. You can personalise these to get the individual to mention your work on a particular project, or perhaps highlight a certain skillset you utilised.

Remember to include your skills in the Skills & Endorsements section. Keep these tailored so that individuals visiting your profile can quickly grasp what your key skills are and understand your specialisms. Getting the right set of skills is important as you’ll want your colleagues and more importantly business acquaintances to endorse your skills. So do ensure they are accurate.

Hopefully this was a useful overview on some basic tips and areas to pay attention to when utilising LinkedIn. Do follow me for weekly legal updates and the latest job opportunities, or even just to drop me a message for a chat. Enjoy this interesting social media platform. ■

Will Webster

Consultant – Thames Valley & South East team

Chadwick Nott Legal Recruitment