Probably one of the most difficult tasks we face is convincing lawyers not to be so...how shall I put this?...”lawyerly” when it comes to marketing their law firms. 

The tendency toward formality is well ingrained in the legal profession, and it can take one whale of an effort to turn that ship around when it’s time to engage with prospects online.  But turn it you must, because you sell legal services to humans, you market to humans and talking to them like a textbook simply does not work.

Here’s what you can gain by being human online:

An emotional connection.  People buy emotionally and justify logically.  You will simply bond better with your prospects online if you expose your real self and present the human side of your legal brand.  By touching on emotions, you engender feelings of loyalty and empathy with your prospects – a path that leads to trust.

Thought leadership.  When you use social media, including blogs, in a way that fosters a back-and-forth conversation and truly engages your audience, you build your reputation as an expert in your legal niche and build trust with your target market.

A wider audience.  You want your good content to be shared so you can build a broader audience for your message.  Once your readers start to follow and know you, the shares, likes and retweets follow, building a broader audience for your marketing message.

Prospective clients value authenticity, so connecting with them in a way that truly “lets them in” while helping them solve their problems is a proven way to generate new business for your firm.