Taking ownership of your firm’s LinkedIn company page

Last summer, we examined “The Business Opportunity You Never Knew You Lost,” and the reputation risks for attorneys who do not develop a supporting presence on relevant social media sites. Recent research pointed out that, more often than not, in-house legal counsel searched social media profiles and directories to identify, evaluate or validate outside counsel credentials. So, not having an additional information presence outside of your own website could cost you a potential client.

The same rule applies for law firms as well. While many firms apply significant resources to developing slick, branded, information-filled websites, many ignore an equally important credentialing resource that costs nothing to build. The unintended result is often a cluttered, inaccurate and amateurish impression of even the most respected firms.

Let’s illustrate. The General Counsel of BigCo, Inc. uses LinkedIn’s powerful search capabilities to find your law firm after viewing your firm’s website. What might this potential client find?

• No information at all.  This is the likely scenario for most law firms and the result is a disastrously bad first impression – a dead end.
• Incorrect information. If you haven’t claimed your business page, then the likelihood of multiple spellings and sloppy renditions of your company name will fill this void.
• No updates, RSS feeds, blogs or news.  Nothing to indicate or promote your firm’s industry knowledge, leadership or prominence.

Increasingly, lawyers are building personal LinkedIn pages to expand their professional visibility and provide potential clients a second look to validate their credentials and experience.  Read my tip of the week to learn more on how to take control of your law firm’s LinkedIn page.