The need for paper is slowly starting to diminish, however business cards are still in, and they are important for law firm marketing. Business cards can enhance your networking strategies and allow you to connect with new clients.
Creating a business card for the legal services you offer is more than picking a color, design, and layout. Law firm business cards also communicate important messages to your legal clients such as lawyer ethical responsibility, brand, and reputation. Continue to read this article if you are an attorney or lawyer who is interested in incorporating business cards into your legal business. We will discuss how beneficial business cards can be for your law firm, ethical concerns, and brand.
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Do Lawyers Use Business Cards?
It is common for lawyers to use business cards because they are a great marketing strategy. Law firm business cards leave lasting impressions and leave a mark on clients who may need to contact you in the future. How many times have you cleaned out your room or car and found a business card and thought “I actually need this right now.” or “I might need this in the future” while stuffing it back into where you found it. That is why business cards are beneficial for your law firm.
Why Lawyers Need Business Cards
With the major technological advancements, and online legal marketing, do lawyers really need a business card? Lawyers don’t need business cards, but they are a simple, yet effective marketing strategy.
Though there are other effective legal marketing strategies such as lawyer websites and social media marketing, legal business cards provide potential, new, and current clients with a physical copy of important information regarding your law firm. Additionally, it allows clients to connect with you in a different way.
When carefully designed, law firm business cards can do the following:
Inform clients about you and your law firm:
Law firm business cards contain a lot of information on such a small piece of paper. Besides providing clients with your name, number, address, and practice area, you can include a small note regarding your beliefs as a lawyer. This not only introduces you in a spontaneous way but also reinforces your brand and business.
Provide clients with a resource on how they can contact you:
Clients will often find themselves referring back to your law firm business card for several different reasons, all of which allow them to quickly get in touch with you when in need of legal services. Law firm business cards can direct clients to your location, phoneline, and website. If a client visits your website because they noticed it was on your law firm’s business card, many new doors are opened and your marketing strategies are put to use.
The Ethics of Business Cards
Before designing law firm business cards, you should learn about the ethics of lawyer business cards. Rules may vary depending on where you practice so make sure you check with the rules of your area.
In general, you should consider the following ethical factors when creating a lawyer business card:
Honesty: All of the information on your law firm business card needs to be honest, true, and accurate. You can’t mislead clients or claim services they don’t offer.
What you call yourself: You need to be certified if you state that you are a legal professional, or point out a specialty on your law firm business card. Additionally, you need to be permitted to communicate these on your law firm business card by your Jurisdiction.
Name and practice: Your name and practice should match your licenses and personal identification card.
Don’t exaggerate: You can write quotes as long as it is clear to the reader this it is a quote. However, you must avoid any words that can be used to describe you or your legal business, such as “Best” and “Top-rated.”
Check state requirements: Depending on the state you practice in, you may be required to include disclaimers or a language translation on your lawyer business card.
Location: Only include an address if you legally have a location for your legal business. If you work remotely or have a virtual law firm, you can not include an address. Some lawyers may want to include their office location, however, this is only permissible if they have been licensed to practice law there.
Staff: If you are going to include the names of staff, ensure their role is clearly stated. If you are including a paralegal, this needs to be stated under their name.
These are general guidelines to follow when creating a law firm business card, however, you must follow the rules of your state, Furthermore, you should discuss it with your jurisdiction.
As a Lawyer, Can I Leave My Business Card Anywhere?
As it is important to check with your jurisdiction and review state rules prior to creating business cards, it is also important to check with your jurisdiction and review state rules regarding who you can give your business card to, and where you can give your lawyer business card out. As it may be permissible to give out your law firm business cards at social events or to a potential client, it isn’t permissible to give your business card to strangers who have not expressed interest.
Designing Business Cards for Lawyers
When designing business cards for your law firm, you want to make sure you are creating an eye-capturing design while including important details that will convey who you are as a lawyer, what you do, and how clients can contact you.
Below is a list of information to include on your lawyer business cards:
Law Firm Logo:
Staying consistent with your brand is a powerful way to create trust with clients. Including your law firm’s logo will accurately and professionally represent your law firm’s business.
Tagline or Slogan:
If you have a tagline or slogan, include it on your law firm business card. This raises brand awareness and creates a sense of urgency for potential clients. It leaves clients feeling motivated to take the next step and contact your legal business. If you decide to include a tagline or slogan, consider the following:
Make sure it’s concise
The point of your law firm business card is to provide clients with ways they can contact you. Make sure your law firm slogan or tagline does not take up the entire space of your business card.
Be professional and considerate:
Your law firm business card is a small object that largely represents your legal business. Remember to keep your brand consistent and do not use insulting or unprofessional language.
Don’t use descriptive words:
Again, it’s important to avoid using description words throughout your business card, even for taglines and slogans. This would break the ethical rules.
Contact Information:
We all know lawyer business cards are created to provide clients with the law firm’s contact information. Let’s review what this entails.
- Your legal name and the name you were licensed as a lawyer under
- Profession
- Law firm business phone number
- Law firm office address
- Professional email
- Law firm website
- Practice area
Law firm name:
Many lawyers exclude their law firm’s name on their business card because they think their name is enough and they don’t want to take up too much space. However, including your law firm name gives you the opportunity to spread brand awareness. Furthermore, it allows you to professionally credit yourself as a lawyer in the legal industry.
Call to action:
While it is uncommon, including a call to action can inspire potential clients to further their lawyer-client relationship and make the call to your law firm business. A call to action could be a QR code that takes clients to your website, or “Contact ABC for your legal needs.”
Law Firm Business Card Design
Your law firm’s business card design matters as it conveys many messages in a quick manner. Follow these simple tips when designing a business card for your law firm:
Match your brand
As previously mentioned, it’s important to stay consistent with your brand. The colors, letter font, and designs should match your law firm.
Include a logo
Include your logo on your law firm business card, but do not make it the center of attention. It should be small enough to leave room for the important details regarding your legal business. Including your law firm’s logo creates a professional tone and gives your legal business credibility.
Keep it simple
Your business card does not need to be flashy or full of irrelevant graphics or text. The purpose of a business card is to provide clients with your contact information in the shortest way possible. State the details about you and your legal business, include your logo, and a short quote, or slogan if you would like. Ensure the design and colors are clean, simple, and sleek.
Recap
Creating a business card for your law firm business is an effective marketing tool that can spread brand awareness and create important, professional connections that can grow your law firm business.
Business cards are small pieces of paper that contain valuable information. They allow you to market your practice in creative ways and allow you to provide clients with important resources regarding your law firm.
Begin by learning about the rules of law firm business cards in your state and jurisdiction and create a creative law firm business card you are content with and one that will allow you to convey important information, increase clientele, and network productively.
