Social media is the hot topic on the web these days. Lots of companies and firms are jumping head over heals to get involved in each new wave and site that comes out. In my opinion, the first place lawyers should start building their presence is on LinkedIn. Utilizing LinkedIn gives you a valuable resource for networking. There are over 43 million professionals on LinkedIn and growing.

I will address 5 ways you can tweak your LinkedIn profile below:

1. You Only Get One Chance At A First Impression – It’s important that you put your best foot forward with your LinkedIn profile. First impressions are difficult to change, especially with the attention spans of online browsers. Pay close attention to the picture you use for your profile and the headline as well. Your picture should be professional and attractive. The headline you use should represent your legal position and needs such as if you are looking to join a firm, want help with a case, or even if you are hiring for your own practice.

2. Add Your Name To Your LinkedIn Url – LinkedIn allows you to customize your LinkedIn url with your name. You should take full advantage of this. This will help to brand you, allow users to find you in LinkedIn, make your profile easier to promote and remember, and help get you found for Google searches for your name.

3. Integrate Keywords In LinkedIn Profile – By adding keywords for you legal niche throughout your LinkedIn profile, you will be more likely to come up for “people searches”. This will help when employers, law firms, professionals, clients etc. search LinkedIn for a type of lawyer they are looking for.

4. Include Links To Your Firm’s Website – You are able to add up to 3 websites on your profile. I suggest that you add your law firm’s website, your blog, and perhaps your profile from another social media network such as Twitter. Be sure to customize the name of each link on the profile.

5. Get Involved In LinkedIn Groups – LinkedIn offers a ton of niche groups to get involved with. Do a search for LinkedIn groups using keywords for your legal niche. Join the relevant groups and post news article links, get involved in discussions, and just generally network.