Q2 2024 Q&A
What difference has your use of LinkedIn made to the firm? Have you had any breakthrough results as a result of using the platform?
It has certainly raised our profile.
I am not sure that any amount of spending on SEO or traditional advertising could have given us the exposure that LinkedIn has - with the only cost being the team here spending time drafting the content themselves to post.
Do you envisage others picking up the mantle soon?
I hope not as it works well when it is just us!
I expect others will follow suit because it is a great thing to do and there is nothing more flattering than folks seeking to emulate you.
Who should we keep an eye out for in future? Do you have any future social media stars in the making?
I named Nathalie Harris and Angela Lechner the last time but a couple of our litigators deserve a special mention.
Jayna Patel has some really interesting content about her niche practice area and some really amusing stories about her children's take on life.
Alice Toop has some fascinating content about her specialist area of law and the stories she has from being a notary public.
They are both worth following as they create some very relatable posts.
What would you say to other managing partners who are thinking of getting going
Give it a go, but write it yourself.
I am sure they have great marketing resources like we have at Dutton Gregory but it is much more relatable if you create the content yourself.
Don't be something you are not or people will see straight through it.
What would your next brave move on the platform be?
Well, I try to keep my ugly unsmiling picture off the platform but posting pictures of me waiting to get on a train seems to get a lot of attention. So, I will avoid that.
I think more video content though is something that personally I will go to next. I hear that new AI can make me look like the likes of Bradley Cooper (it is very, very good software clearly) so will perhaps give that a whirl.
The main thing for me is to keep showing up and to keep flying the flag for the team here at Dutton Gregory as we have ambitious plans together to grow.
Q1 2024 Q&A
Why do you think it is that the firm has done so well in the rankings this time? Have you had a push on individuals using LinkedIn?
In short, our culture. We encourage people to be their best selves, true to who they are, and trust them to represent themselves and the firm positively.
We find this translates into an authentic online presence for those who choose to explore it. We have offered internal training for people interested in using Linkedin, but don't 'push' anyone.
We have never brought in external help, or paid for posts to be promoted, because we want both our content and audience to grow organically.
You can see the diversity of our three people who feature in the top 100 and how different we all are. The one thing that brings us together (and everyone else here) is how much we care about the firm and it shows.
Have you had any breakthrough results as a result of using the platform? Hires? Client wins? Introductions?
This year I have won more work for the firm from Linkedin than perhaps all of the years I have been on the platform.
Jon has certainly raised his profile from highlighting the work and charity events he has run.
Alex has used her profile to promote the Liverpool office making sure the people in the city she loves knows we are there.
It has been a good tool for recruitment as it is our "shop window", showing who and what we have to offer.
The key is being genuine. Whereas some firms want staff to sign them over, every individual at Dutton Gregory has full control over their own social media accounts, so you know what they say is genuine.
Was the training run in-house? What have you focused on when it comes to training your people?
All training has been run in house by more confident users of the platform.
Everyone is encouraged to have a go, whilst engaging, reacting and supporting the posts of others.
Who should we keep an eye out for in future? Do you have any future social media stars in the making?
We have so many people here we are bursting with talent, but I think that Angela Lechner has a great way of getting her message across and Nathalie Harris has a lovely life story to convey through her posts on Linkedin.
What would you say to firms/leaders that are hesitant about getting going on LinkedIn?
People buy from people, so if you are able to raise the profile of both yourself and your firm for free, why not?
The 21st century is the first time in human history that you can raise your profile quickly and cheaply. In an ever-competitive marketplace being before any audience is no bad thing.
Decide upon the message you want to convey and the tone you want to convey it. Some people go for a negative angle which, like the news, might get more clicks, but I would rather remain upbeat and positive.
Published as given at the time. More Q&As · Something to update?