For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 3 - 49

Government (11) and Banking (13), to name a few. Here
is a list of the industries based on the number of users.
And, second, your competitors are there. (Go ahead,
take a look!) In other words, if you're not actively using
LinkedIn, you're missing out on opportunities to get
referrals and to grow your practice.
But LinkedIn is complicated! It has so many bells
and whistles! How do I decide between a free and a
paid membership? And who has time for social media
anyway, when I have filing deadlines, court appearances
and work to complete.
The good news is that you don't need a paid account;
you can get a lot of marketing mileage out of your free
LinkedIn account with just few simple actions.
Step 1: Polish Your Profile
The legal industry is, at its core, based on personal
relationships (and criminal defense law is about as
personal as it gets). Whether the client is an individual,
company or other organization, legal services hiring is
referral-based.
Only now, referrals are technology-assisted.
In the past, potential clients would get referrals and
pick up the phone to vet the referral. Now clients go to
the internet first. If your digital presence doesn't match
up with what they've been told about you, they will
pass on you without ever making that phone call. Your
referral sources will also look at your digital presence
before they make a referral. Referrals are as much about
the professional reputation of the person making the
referral as they are about the lawyer being referred; no
one wants to make a bad referral.
These are missed opportunities you might never know
you had!
Like your website bio, your LinkedIn profile is a key
component of your digital presence-discoverable with
an internet search if your profile is set to public (which
it should be).
Follow these steps to polish your profile:
* Craft an engaging headline (go beyond
the LinkedIn default of the job title at
your current firm), a clear and concise
summary (only the first 200 characters or
so will appear before the " read more "
button) and meaningful descriptions of
your relevant legal experiences.
* Your " About " section is your chance to
tell readers what you can do for them.
Resist the urge to talk about your
credentials and awards (your profile has
space for those in other sections) or how
you " focus your practice. " Approach
this section from the perspective of your
clients and convey that you understand
and can help them solve their problems.
Skip the legalese and write to connect
with readers on a personal level.
* Curate the " Experience " section of
your profile to include relevant career
highlights-those that support and
burnish your practice today-and the
one you want to build in the future. If
you're trying to establish
yourself as
a leading criminal defense attorney,
discussing real estate matters you've
handled dilutes your message.
* Don't
current-professional
profile picture.
forget a professional-and
photo
as
your
* Make regular updates to your profile.
* If you have a hard time writing about
yourself, consider working with a
professional writer with bio and profile
experience.
Step 2: Maximize Your Network
I read this recently and it resonated with me:
" Opportunities come through people. "
Vol. 7, Issue 3 l For The Defense 49
https://www.sage.exchange/post/linkedin-industries-list-rankings-2022
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 3
