As every year: We took a look at the major Swiss law firms on LinkedIn in the summer of 2023. Are there any new trends? How do the law firms use the social media platform compared to previous years? In this article, you'll find the answers.
Note: The data collection took place at the beginning of August 2023. The figures given below therefore already no longer correspond to the current status. Where reference is made to the period of one year, the 12 months prior to August 2, 2023 are meant.
The LinkedIn company accounts of the following law firms are included in the analysis: Altenburger, Baker & McKenzie Switzerland, Bär & Karrer, Bratschi, CMS von Erlach Partners, Homburger, Kellerhals Carrard, Lalive, Lenz & Staehelin, MLL, MME, NKF, Pestalozzi, Schellenberg Wittmer, Vischer, Walder Wyss, Wenger Vieli and Wenger Plattner.
On August 2, 2023, we noted that the first three law firms had broken the barrier of 10,000 LinkedIn followers: Lalive, Schellenberg Wittmer and Lenz Staehelin. Since then, Bär & Karrer has also managed to do the same. So the Swiss law firm landscape now knows a club of four in this sphere. The next member is likely to be Walder Wyss. As last year, the law firm is in 5th place in terms of the number of LinkedIn followers.
While we have repeatedly noted shifts in the rankings in recent years, this year it was striking that there were hardly any changes. Only a few law firms were able to gain a place – to the disadvantage of their competitors. The ranking seems to be relatively consolidated for the moment.
Here are a few figures on the period considered:
In our opinion, the figures again clearly demonstrate the great importance of LinkedIn in law firm marketing. The large law firms have recognized this and are investing in LinkedIn.
Even though law firms have recognized the importance of LinkedIn, they differ in how they use the platform. As was the case last year, the 2023 analysis also shows different strategies.
Review: Swiss law firms on LinkedIn 2022
But first things first: Law firms published an average of 159 posts on LinkedIn in the 12 months prior to our measurement (2022: 144). That's a total of 2,862 posts (2022: 2,596). So LinkedIn activity continues to increase. Only 5 law firms posted less than a year ago.
As noted last summer: The fewest posts in 2023 again came from Lalive (36 posts in 12 months). At the other end of the scale is Walder Wyss (259 posts in 12 months). The different strategies are clearly visible here. Even beyond the 12-month period, our analysis in past years shows that law firms often remain true to their concepts.
Strategies should be reviewed from time to time, but must be pursued consistently. Whether a lot has been posted or little: There is no general "right" or "wrong". What is important is a functioning overall concept!
The term engagement includes all interactions generated by the law firms' posts. This therefore includes not only likes, but also comments, shares and re-posts.
Likes lead to more reach. We know this from social media platforms by now. Should we therefore do everything for more likes? We have a clear opinion on this:
Why Likes on LinkedIn aren't everything: The "double tap trap" for more reach
In the 12 months prior to August 2, 2023, the law firms included generated a whopping 121,940 reactions, comments, and shares. That's an average engagement of 6,774 per law firm. For three law firms, we noted an engagement of over 10,000:
What's interesting is the interplay of the overall engagement and frequency strategies followed. Of course, more posts result in more responses, i.e. more overall engagement. Law firms with higher LinkedIn frequency therefore tend to generate more engagement.
But if you put the engagement in relation to the number of posts, the following picture emerges:
How does the size of the law firm relate to activity on LinkedIn?
Large law firms with many employees have a slight advantage. They can already generate their own engagement and thus additional reach through their lawyers.
We have taken the number of employees registered with the company on LinkedIn as a reference figure here. It is clear to us that this figure on LinkedIn does not correspond to reality: not all employees have a LinkedIn account, for example, and not all former employees have already deleted their affiliation with the firm on LinkedIn. The following statements should therefore be read from this point of view.
It is noteworthy that the number of employees registered on LinkedIn with the law firms' company profiles has increased significantly. While in 2022 we recorded an average of 140 employees, as of August 2, 2023, the average was 213. On average, the headcounts registered on LinkedIn have grown by about 50%.
We also read from this that the importance of LinkedIn for the personal marketing of lawyers continues to increase. Law firms are also taking advantage of this potential and involving their employees in the firm's marketing.
If we now put the number of followers of the law firm in relation to the employees registered on the company account (followers/employees), the following picture emerges:
Where does your firm stand in these areas?
As we do every year, we hope these numbers from the legal industry will help you rank your own LinkedIn activity. HeadStarterz is happy to assist with analysis as well as the development of effective, actionable LinkedIn strategies.
You are interested? Well then go to: tobias@headstarterz.com
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