Presentation is ultimately about LinkedIn, but before we get to the What, I want to talk about the WhyThese TRUTHS apply across the board, but have particular importance in our online, digital age.
To understand the use of websites, social networks, and LinkedIn for business development and marketing, we should first talk about how people go about hiring an attorney.Takeaway – hiring an attorney for a personal matter involves a personal investigation to find things that click personally. And the investigation now takes place at least in part ONLINE.FACEBOOK, too.
For businesses, the process is largely the same. It’s about connecting on a personal level on the basis of skills, expertise, experience, background, and other key indicators.Legal OnRamp, and other social networks, too.Takeaway – websites and LinkedIn are vetting and selection tools, and attorneys have to optimize those tools accordingly. Consumer or business: they want learned counsel and trusted advisors, especially when the stakes are high.
If you believe that every one of these constituencies can bring you business, then it requires you to keep in regular contact with them to identify needs, remind them of your abilities, introduce new ideas, etc.Meetings, phone calls, email, mailings, etc. – still important in the mix, but what kind of time, energy, and expense does that take?ALL of these constituencies are represented online and probably on LinkedIn, and if they’re not, you can be a hero to them by getting them on LinkedIn. Leveraging LinkedIn is EFFICIENT.
Two ways that people find you…general subject matter research: search engines, publications, information portals, etc. that point to your contentfinding you by name: bios, profiles, directories, listings, etc. that point directly to youYour online strategy needs to capitalize on both of these avenues, converting eyeballs to engagement – SEO, linking, content marketing
Website attract and invite people in, rather than window-shoppingAttorney bios – 40%+ of time spent on law firm websitesFresh content – blogs, publications, news, SEO value, engagement value; NO MORE BILLBOARDSRegular care and feeding – AnalyticsMultilateral, but not good for managing relationshipsLinkedIn & Social MediaImproves search engine rankingEnhances website bio information and presenceMany business development and marketing usesDemonstrates tech- and web-savviness
Distinguish BD from MarketingMarketing is primarily institutional, unilateral, sometimes indirectBD is personal, bilateral, and can exist without marketingNew business origination AND retention and expansion of existing client relationships - 80/20 ruleKey to managing a network of relationships – stay VISIBLE, RELEVANT, and INFLUENTIAL in between direct personal interactions.