By leveraging data analysis, tailored content, and collaborative partnerships, the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) achieved a remarkable 31% growth in LinkedIn followers, welcomed 600 new members, and fortified its position as a valued partner among legal professionals. AIJA's achievements were honoured with the ESAE Association Digital Communication Award 2023.
The Project
In 2022, AIJA implemented a strategy to enhance its impact, visibility, and presence on LinkedIn. The results have been highly successful, with their follower count increasing from 13,490 in January 2022 to 17,750 in December 2022, reflecting a growth rate of +31%. This year, they are continuing to develop and implement this strategy.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for generating leads and connecting with potential members. By increasing their followers, their goal was to expand AIJA's reach and connect with a larger pool of potential members. As a result, they witnessed increased engagement, including more likes, comments, and shares. This boosted their visibility and drove more traffic to their recently renovated website.
Defining the Strategy
Their achievements have been solely organic, not including any paid promotions or advertisements. To craft an optimal strategy, they meticulously dissected the data from 2021, a process that enabled them to pinpoint the most engaging content genres and optimal timeframes for engaging with their community.
Their triumphs are a direct result of the robust backing from their community and the resonance of their LinkedIn posts spotlighting events, opportunities, and initiatives tailored for legal professionals. This concerted effort has facilitated the expansion of their global network, fostering connections with individuals around the globe. By crafting personalised banners for AIJA Officers, they actively involved their members, encouraging them to amplify their flagship events - the two Half-Year Conferences and the Annual Congress - across their social media platforms.
Furthermore, they fostered collaborative ties with other prominent international legal associations, reciprocating support in promoting each other's events and endeavours. This symbiotic approach has helped to bolster their outreach.
Given AIJA's unique status as the sole global association dedicated to young lawyers under 45, their target audience diverges substantially from that of other international legal associations. Consequently, benchmarking against similar stakeholders and partners wasn't directly applicable. Instead, they crafted social media guidelines attuned to their youthful audience and membership base, striving to engage an even larger demographic of young professionals. Their commitment to attentively scrutinising and listening to their audience's interests and requirements has been extremely important and rewarding. This approach has remained fundamental for their strategy, ensuring alignment with the evolving needs of their dynamic audience.
Results
This project had a significant impact on AIJA's membership numbers, with over 600 new members joining in 2022. This represents a remarkable achievement compared to previous years and further solidifies their association as a trusted partner for members and external stakeholders. They have observed a growing number of individuals and companies returning to collaborate with them, engaging in the life and activities of their community, interacting with the information and content they provide, and supporting their initiatives through partnerships.
Throughout the year, they collected concrete data that enabled them to evaluate the progress of their adopted strategy. Carefully tracking changes in monthly engagement rates, click-through rates, impressions, reactions, page views, and button clicks allowed them to make necessary adjustments based on the statistics. The strongest results from the year of implementing the new strategy are as follows:
· Over 4,000 new followers (31% growth)
· Average monthly click-through rate of 1.58%
· Average monthly engagement rate of 3.37%
· Over 600 new members joined the association
2023 and Beyond
In 2023, AIJA has been analysing this data to identify ways to further improve its results and sustain this high growth rate. As of June 2023, their LinkedIn follower count has surpassed 20,000 and continues to increase daily.
How did they achieve this? The main pillars of their communications strategy for this year are outlined in the attached picture.
Essentially, they are actively engaging with their community by highlighting the human aspect of their association. This includes showcasing their members, commissions, and initiatives, placing them at the heart of their communications.
Additionally, they are expanding their international exposure through partnerships and external collaborations, while closely collaborating with different management committees and interest groups.
About AIJA
AIJA is a global organisation dedicated to lawyers and in-house counsel aged 45 and under. Their mission is to provide exceptional international opportunities for young lawyers to network, learn, and grow.