Employee Advocacy on LinkedIn: Elevate Your Firm’s Reach & Authenticity – Conscious Solutions
It should come as no surprise that LinkedIn is the go-to social media platform for legal professionals. Despite the platform’s many changes since its launch in 2003, its core principle still stands today: LinkedIn is a networking site for working professionals.
Even though LinkedIn launched Company Pages in 2018, audience growth and engagement have never been able to compete with individual profiles. LinkedIn expert Richard Van Der Blom says only 1.2% of your followers see your Company Page’s organic content.
This is where employee advocacy comes in. Having your employees engage with and share your company posts and their thoughts is essential to getting your brand seen far and wide.
Why employee advocacy matters for law firms
It may seem like LinkedIn is constantly messing with the algorithms and moving the goalposts, but the fact is, people want to hear from people. They want to hear authentic and inspiring stories. They don’t want to see another polished Company Page post full of legal jargon. In fact, individuals who share personal stories on LinkedIn see a 280% boost in reach and engagement.
For law firms, this difference matters. Clients and prospective hires are far more likely to engage with a solicitor, paralegal or trainee who shares insights in their own voice than with a faceless brand account.
Advocacy takes your message beyond the firm’s official audience, tapping into the professional circles of your lawyers and staff. That amplification can be game-changing in a sector built on trust, credibility and personal expertise.
Benefits of employee advocacy on LinkedIn
When law firms actively encourage employee advocacy on LinkedIn, the advantages extend well beyond boosting likes. Some of the most meaningful benefits include:
- Wider reach and visibility – Consider how many people work at your firm and how many connections they have on LinkedIn – each network is unique. By amplifying the content you share on your Company Page by sharing or engaging with it, your employees can help a much wider audience see your content.
- Authenticity and trust – We already know that personal storytelling on LinkedIn can increase engagement, but why? The key factor here is trust. Clients and prospects are more likely to engage when they see real people behind the brand.
- Employer brand – If people can see what your firm’s culture is like and your employees showcase their expertise, it can help with recruitment and retention.
- Thought leadership – When you allow your lawyers to be visible as experts and thought leaders in their area of law, it helps to build their credibility and that of the firm.
How to implement an employee advocacy programme at your law firm
Employee advocacy on LinkedIn doesn’t have to be complex. In fact, it’s essential to keep it simple so that as many employees as possible take part. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Offer training – Not everyone is confident using LinkedIn. A quick training session can help staff understand how to post and grow their networks.
- Make it easy – We know everyone, particularly lawyers, are extremely busy, so having regular content ready to share from the Company Page with some brief guidelines can help everyone participate while keeping their voices authentic.
- Set a clear strategy – Outline what kind of content you’d like to see your employees sharing and how it will help boost the reach and engagement with the law firm brand.
- Keep it voluntary – As much as you want every individual within the firm to participate, there should be no pressure to post on LinkedIn. While you can encourage and help employees, anything forced will be evident to your audience.
- Measure success – Use the native LinkedIn analytics tools or third-party tools to measure the impact of your employee advocacy scheme. Make sure to share any wins with your team for inspiration.
Best practices for successful advocacy
As mentioned, employee advocacy works best when it feels natural, not forced. To encourage your team to do this, ask them to consider:
- Adding a few thoughts to a Company Page post when resharing rather than just resharing. This allows them to add their own voice without having to come up with original content.
- Balancing firm news with personal reflections. The more people get to know your employees as individuals, the more their posts engage your audience.
- Sharing personal achievements and milestones. These posts will resonate more strongly with your audience than formal updates.
- Supporting each other by liking and commenting on colleagues’ posts to build momentum.
The key is to create a culture where employees feel confident, supported and proud to represent the firm online.
Unlocking the power of your people
LinkedIn employee advocacy is a simple but powerful way for law firms to boost reach and trust.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; just providing a little training and guidance can go a long way. It’s also essential to keep working on your law firm’s culture so that employees are proud and eager to represent you online. That way, no LinkedIn post ever feels forced.
Your employees’ voices are your most authentic marketing tool, so make sure you’re using them.
