LinkedIn Marketing: Four Types and Many Misunderstandings

Here’s precisely where uncertainty arises: should I even participate? And if so, how can I do that without compromising my credibility? Much of this tension plays out between reach and the substantive value of your activity. There’s a common misconception that if you want to achieve wide reach, you have to sell your soul, pander on LinkedIn and be extraordinarily loud. No wonder: if you scroll through your feed, that’s exactly the type of content you mostly encounter.

Viewed through a simple diagram with LinkedIn reach on the x-axis and Linkedin contribution value on the y-axis, four marketing types emerge in this space. You can see this not only on LinkedIn but across many other digital channels like newsletters and websites, too.

The Model: Reach Is Not the Same as Relevance

Visibility matters, but it isn’t an end in itself. Especially in a legal context: trust outweighs short-term attention. Trust does not come from reach alone.

Group 1: The Audience

The largest group of users sits at the bottom left. Many lawyers are here. They:

• rarely post anything
• consume content without engaging
• seldom like, never comment
• but they read frequently and attentively, making them extremely valuable

For these people, LinkedIn is simply a networking tool and a source of information. The platform’s potential for business development and personal branding is largely ignored. In law, this reluctance is understandable. Lawyers are trained to minimise risk, be precise and avoid publishing anything half-baked. The consequence? Those who remain spectators leave authority and visibility in the market to others, and often to those who work less rigorously but appear louder.

Group 2: The Impostors

This group isn’t very large, but it’s disproportionately visible. This is where things get tricky, especially for lawyers. These impostors:

• post very often
• exploit every algorithmic quirk
• use sensationalism, provocation and oversimplification
• promise quick results with simple tricks
• enjoy showing themselves off
• use clever jargon to conceal a lack of substance

No one benefits from these accounts except the showboater themselves. In legal marketing, this segment is problematic not just for professional-conduct reasons, but because it prevents the formation of sustainable trust. The target audiences here are clients seeking fast solutions and guaranteed results. Disappointment is inevitable.

How can you spot impostors? Quite simply: ask for long-term references. 

Where empty promises aren’t kept, business relationships rarely last. What you should take away: these accounts aren’t a threat to you. They mostly take the business you wouldn’t want anyway. If you find your clever approach, you’ll look even better beside them.

Group 3: The Talents

In the top left are many lawyers who actually have everything they need. They recognise the value of the platform and want to engage. They don’t post often yet, but when they do, it’s thoughtful, nuanced commentary, useful insights, or real experience.

Usually there are two reasons these motivated lawyers haven’t reached the fourth group yet. One, they lack a translation:

• for LinkedIn instead of an offline expert audience;
• for clients instead of peers; or
• for attention without losing substance

There’s huge potential here because these skills are relatively easy to learn. 

The other reason? They’re on the right path but haven’t had time yet to build meaningful visibility. 

Social media isn’t a shortcut to becoming an industry leader. A reputation still needs to be built and maintained.

Group 4: The Unicorns

At the top right are those accounts that use LinkedIn confidently without compromising themselves. They typically have:

• clear thematic positioning
• a recognisable stance
• content that clearly benefits followers
• posts that explain rather than just react
• targeted contributions rather than relentless noise
• engagement with other interesting posts

Unicorns are particularly interesting for lawyers because they show that you can be visible without being loud or ingratiating yourself. You can build reach without losing credibility.

What Matters For Lawyers, Too

The model explains a lot. but not everything. In legal marketing, additional factors come into play:

1. Time horizon:
   Legal mandates rarely arise on impulse. LinkedIn works with delay: content contributes to trust, not instant conversion.
2. Risk assessment:
   Not every trend fits the professional image. Often, less is more.
3. Clarity of purpose:
   It matters whether you are addressing peers, potential recruits, or clients. Many posts fail because they try to reach all of them at once.

Conclusion

The interesting question isn’t how loud you are, but where you stand. For lawyers, LinkedIn isn’t a sprint, but a long-term build-up of visibility and trust. This coordinate system helps you place yourself honestly, without comparing yourself to the wrong accounts. 

Good marketing in a legal context is rarely spectacular. But it is consistent, comprehensible and credible — and that’s what sticks.