Law firm recruitment and retention are two huge challenges at present. Collaboration between recruitment, human resources, business development, and marketing roles is essential – but could fee earners be supporting recruitment and retention too?
Employer branding has never been so important. Attracting top legal talent and, equally importantly, keeping employees engaged and committed to the firm's long-term goals are pivotal concerns for law firms.
As the legal profession adapts to shifting dynamics, including increased competition, evolving client expectations, and changing workplace preferences, law firms must navigate these challenges to build robust, resilient, and successful teams that can thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
User-generated content and employee advocacy in law firms
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content that is created and shared by individuals, customers, or users of a product, service, or platform rather than by the brand or organisation itself. Flipping this on its head, UGC can also refer to employee experiences of workplaces that are not directly influenced by the firm itself.
This content can take various forms, including text, images, videos, reviews, comments, social media posts, and more. UGC is typically shared on social media platforms, websites, forums, or other online communities. It is a valuable resource for law firms as it can provide authentic and unbiased insights, reviews, and testimonials from real people. It with it brings risks, too. For example, if an employer does not look after its employees, they can take to social media and share negative experiences (Glassdoor anyone?).
Employee advocacy, however, involves encouraging employees to share positive, authentic messages about your company, its culture, and values on their social media profiles and beyond. This practice can significantly enhance your employer branding efforts, shaping how potential candidates perceive and assess your value as an employer and hopefully apply.
How can UGC by lawyers on LinkedIn support recruitment efforts?
Lawyers' own posts, testimonials and ‘freely given’ reviews are often more effective than law firm brand messaging in recruitment because they offer credibility, authenticity, and realistic insights into the workplace.
These posts, shared by current lawyers, resonate with potential recruits as they can relate to peer experiences, fostering a sense of connection. The firm can reshare them from a company page, but the integrity comes from these offerings being voluntary rather than part of a marketing drive that is orchestrated, heavily branded and shared on the website, social and other digital channels.
What tools can marketing teams provide for lawyers wanting to do more on LinkedIn?
Marketing teams can equip lawyers with the tools and guidelines they need to bolster both their presence on LinkedIn and the firm’s. Here are some things your law firm marketing team can do to support employees interested in getting stuck in on LinkedIn.
1. Profile optimisation
First of all, your firm should be utilising the features LinkedIn offers, from banner pictures to the ‘about us’ section, headline and more. Help lawyers craft a compelling headline and write a summary that highlights their key achievements and expertise.
This might be best delivered by providing examples of lawyers with great profiles and including them as referential examples.
2. Content strategy
Develop a strategy where lawyers share weekly legal tips, case studies, or industry insights, showcasing their knowledge and engaging their audience. By providing topics for lawyers to post about, they’re more likely to feel empowered to share and won’t spend time thinking up relevant topics. And by having a policy that details what types of posts are acceptable, fee earners might feel more confident in posting.
3. Content creation
Create visual and written content for employees to share, such as informative articles about recent legal changes, blog posts discussing common legal issues and FAQs, or videos explaining complex legal concepts in simple terms.
4. Hashtags
Hashtags are essential for getting content seen. But do the research for them! Provide a list of trending or popular hashtags like #LegalTech, #CorporateLaw, or #IntellectualProperty so that fee earners can insert them into posts related to those topics for broader exposure.
5. Networking
Encourage lawyers to connect with industry peers, past clients, and colleagues and to interact by congratulating connections on work anniversaries or new job positions.
6. Employee Advocacy
Promote the sharing of the firm's latest legal publications, such as whitepapers or research reports, among lawyers' connections.
7. Learning
Provide access to LinkedIn learning courses on topics like "Advanced LinkedIn Strategies for Professionals" to help lawyers enhance their LinkedIn skills. There are several free courses and webinars out there. Ensure these are shared internally with time in advance to plan their day so lawyers are more inclined to attend.
8. Brand guidelines/social media policy
Create a brand guidelines document if there isn’t one in circulation, specifically homing in on social media and what is appropriate to share in accordance with the firm’s social media policy. Creating one is advised if there isn’t a social media policy.
For advice on what should be included, contact Social Media Manager Laura Morris at laura@conscious.co.uk or call 0117 325 0200.
9. Thought Leadership
Encourage lawyers to share their perspectives on recent legal precedents, court decisions, or industry trends to establish themselves as thought leaders.
10. Competitor Analysis
Share the findings from a competitor analysis internally, i.e. what are rival firms’ employees currently posting? What is working? When are they posting?
Identify the type of content that garners high engagement and apply similar strategies while differentiating based on unique strengths.
Need help with your law firm employees' LinkedIn personal brand?
To succeed, it’s essential to showcase the benefits of creating a personal brand online for employees and arming them with the tools to feel confident in posting on LinkedIn.
If you need support empowering those at your firm to develop their brands on LinkedIn, watch this Conscious Conversation webinar, which provides insights and tips on how to get the ball rolling.
Alternatively, contact the Conscious team to find out how we can facilitate LinkedIn training within your firm at sales@conscious.co.uk or call 0117 325 0200.