Finding innovative ways to stand out in the crowded legal market is more critical than ever. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has introduced a groundbreaking tool poised to transform legal marketing strategies: Sponsored Articles. This feature offers law firms a unique opportunity to amplify their content, enhance brand visibility, and drive meaningful engagement. Below, we dive into why LinkedIn Sponsored Articles are a game-changer for law firms and legal marketers.

Why LinkedIn Sponsored Articles Matter

For law firms, the ability to showcase expertise and thought leadership directly correlates with attracting new clients and retaining existing ones. LinkedIn Sponsored Articles facilitate this by:

• Increasing Brand Awareness: Position your firm in front of a targeted, professional audience actively seeking legal insights.
• Boosting Engagement: With content hosted directly on LinkedIn, users engage more freely and extensively, without the disruption of being directed away from the platform.
• Lead Generation: The addition of call-to-action (CTA) buttons to articles incentivizes user interaction, driving leads by encouraging sign-ups to access the full content.

How LinkedIn Sponsored Articles Work

Sponsored LinkedIn Articles are a strategic offering within LinkedIn’s suite of marketing tools, designed to allow firms and brands to extend their reach beyond traditional boundaries. These are essentially articles created and hosted on LinkedIn, identifiable by a unique LinkedIn URL, which embody the thought leadership and insights of a company. Once a company publishes an article organically on its LinkedIn company Page, it can then opt to amplify this content as a Sponsored Article.

The process to sponsor these articles is seamless within the LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Here, articles can be transformed into single-image ads aimed at achieving objectives such as brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation. The methodology for sponsoring content involves selecting an already published company Page post and sponsoring it through the creation or editing of a campaign specifically tailored for brand awareness, engagement, or lead generation.

Important Notes:

• The rollout of Sponsored Articles on LinkedIn is being conducted gradually. This means access might not be immediate for all users at this time.
• Only articles that are initially posted as an organic company Page post qualify for sponsorship.
• Current support for Sponsored Articles is limited to campaigns focused on brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Sponsored Articles:

1. Navigate to the Set up Ads page within the LinkedIn Campaign Manager. This can be for either a new campaign or an addition to an existing one.
2. For a new campaign, follow the setup flow until you reach the Set up Ads page. For an existing campaign, edit the campaign to access this page.
3. Use the Browse Existing Content button to locate your article through the opened Content Library page. Here, select your company Page and find the post you wish to sponsor.
4. After selecting the necessary post, click Add to Campaign. If the campaign’s objective is lead generation, you will also have the option to associate a Lead Gen Form with the ad.
5. Finishing touches include confirming your ad creative and reviewing the destination preview.
6. After configuring specifics, such as Lead Gen Forms if applicable, proceed to Launch campaign or opt to Save and Exit to draft the campaign for later finalization.

Through this method, LinkedIn offers a sophisticated platform for law firms and legal marketers to enhance their visibility, engage their targeted audience directly on the platform, and ultimately drive valuable leads without disrupting the user experience.

Insights from LinkedIn

Highlighting the benefits of this new feature, Baptiste Beauvisage, Lead Client Solutions Manager at LinkedIn, emphasizes:

• Enhanced popularity and user experience compared to traditional blog hosting.
• A streamlined direct-lead generation process without diverting users off LinkedIn.
• The increased engagement and comment interaction within the LinkedIn ecosystem.

Tips for Law Firms and Legal Marketers

Leveraging LinkedIn Sponsored Articles effectively involves:

• Quality Content Creation: Focus on developing insightful, relevant content that resonates with your target audience.
• Strategic Targeting: Utilize LinkedIn’s robust targeting tools to ensure your articles reach the right professionals.
• Engagement and Follow-Up: Monitor interactions and follow up on leads promptly to maximize conversion opportunities.

Conclusion

LinkedIn Sponsored Articles offer law firms an innovative avenue to heighten visibility, engage directly with their target audience, and streamline lead generation processes. By integrating this tool into your overall marketing strategy, your firm can leverage the power of LinkedIn to foster connections, showcase expertise, and drive business growth. Consider exploring LinkedIn Sponsored Articles as a vital component of your digital marketing portfolio.