LinkedIn has become one of the best ways to market a practice online.

It’s a professional social networking site that business owners and the public use to research people they may want to hire or work with. If you’re a lawyer looking for a way to improve your online presence, optimize your LinkedIn profile for lawyers now without making these mistakes.

These are specific points that are especially relevant to lawyers. If you are a lawyer, I’d suggest you optimize your LinkedIn profile in a general sense first before going through these specifics.

Posting an Unprofessional Photo

People want to see your face. This is how they start to form an impression of you. A missing photo or one that is distracting will only turn people away. Use a photo that has been taken professionally with your business attire, you are representing your personal brand.

Including a professional photo is especially important for LinkedIn profiles for lawyers. This will show you have what it takes to represent someone in court.

Ask yourself, would you want an unprofessional looking lawyer to represent you? Or work at your firm?

Leaving a Profile Incomplete

Would anyone want you to leave a case incomplete? Of course not. That’s why you shouldn’t leave your profile on LinkedIn only half completed. You should be thorough in your profile, so people can see exactly what you know and what you can do for them.

Having a Boring Headline

The headline is what is going to make someone read your profile. If people don’t get passed your headline, you’ll end up missing out on clients. Think about what you stand for in your practice. Give people a reason to want to learn more about you.

Include more than just Associate, or Partner. These titles give no indication that you are a Lawyer. And this is important because in search results and group discussions your headline will appear right next to your name. A more specific headline is much better. What areas of law do you practice? What firm are you a part of?

It’s important to remember that your audience won’t be looking at your full profile all the time. Often times, people will first encounter you through your name and headline alone. Make the headline count.

Stop Being Professional

LinkedIn is a social network, but it isn’t like Facebook and Twitter. Lawyers should never post anything on LinkedIn that they wouldn’t include in marketing material or say in front of their clients and other lawyers. Remember your audience when you are working on LinkedIn. You don’t ever want to violate any ethical rules just because you’re online.

LinkedIn should be a glimpse into your professional life – at the office, in the courtroom, visiting clients, etc. This can be a great marketing device for your next client or a prospective employer.

Not Updating Your Profile

Over the years, many things might change about your practice. Make sure with every change, you visit your LinkedIn profile to update it. You don’t want to give false impressions of your professional capabilities because your profile suggests you are doing something that is irrelevant now.

Missing Out on Groups

Participating in groups can help people struggling with their business or personal matters. This can earn you a good reputation and possibly clients. You should also consider starting a group for either your clients or people seeking help from someone such as yourself. It’s a great way to increase visibility on LinkedIn.

Being Inactive

LinkedIn is a place to post about new content on your site, share information from other sites, provide assistance to people, and get help. You must be active on the social networking site to benefit from it.

Post regularly and find out when you receive the most engagement. This will help you understand your audience, so you can maximize the benefits of using the site.

Make sure you are only sharing high quality content though. This is especially true in a linkedin profile for lawyers. Higher quality content that converts is your goal.

Not Following Competitors

Your competitors are on LinkedIn as well. You need to follow them, so you can find out what works and what doesn’t work. This can save you a lot of time and effort as you are trying to use the site to boost your firm’s success.

Start using LinkedIn today avoiding these mistakes. You will soon realize how beneficial it can be to your firm.

What are some mistakes you’ve made with your LinkedIn profile for lawyers? Let us know in the comments below!