When stumbling upon your legal website, does your bio separate you from your competitors? Many lawyers and attorneys have mundane bios. To stand out, you must consider how website visitors view your bio, and how your bio will stand out from the rest of the legal websites they have browsed. If your bio is similar to “Mr/s Gomez is a lawyer at 123 Law Firm. S/he earned their degree at XYZ,” then it is likely you do not have a bio that separates you from your competitors.
When creating a website for your legal business, I’m sure the last thing you think about is — how am I going to write my lawyer bio? Although many lawyers don’t pay very much attention to it, lawyer bios are very important, along with the rest of the content that is displayed throughout their legal website. In fact, according to LinkedIn, 80% of website traffic purposefully navigates its way to the bio page of the site to learn more about the lawyer behind the website. Potential clients are interested in who they are trusting with their legal cases and why they should trust them. Continue to read this article if you are interested in how to write a powerful bio that will attract clients.
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How to Write an Effective Lawyer Bio
Your lawyer bio allows potential clients to better understand who you are as a lawyer and begin their lawyer-client relationship with you. Follow these tips and tricks when creating or revising your lawyer or attorney bio.
Ensure your name and title are obvious in your lawyer bio
When clients are looking for more information regarding the lawyer they are interested in for their legal services, they don’t want to search endlessly for their name or read paragraphs before finding out more information. Your name and title should be clear and quick to discover. Introduce yourself strongly and quickly by providing clients with your name and expertise.
Begin your bio by introducing yourself and your role at the law firm. There are many sites that leave web users digging to find names. Make sure clients can easily find your name and learn about your role.
Your name and the title don’t have to be within the bio. Your name can be the title of the bio page, and your role can be tagged right under your name. This way, clients quickly discover your name and role, leaving them curious to find out more about you. Additionally, you can add your law degree so clients are aware of your certifications as a legal professional.
Include a professional photograph
When searching for a nice restaurant to dine at, are you going to choose the restaurant that has pictures or the one that does not? The same goes for legal services and lawyer bios. Potential clients want to see the lawyer they will be working with and will choose a lawyer that they can visually see over one they cannot. Pictures are a great way to introduce yourself and for clients to feel they can trust you.
Taking a professional picture for your attorney website does not mean you need to hire a professional photographer. A photograph taken on an iPhone can do the trick. If you already have a photograph on the bio page of your lawyer website, ensure it is updated.
A brief summary of your role as a lawyer
You don’t need to completely exclude your role as a legal professional in your lawyer bio. However, don’t drag on this part of the bio. Use terms that potential clients will understand and briefly explain your role at the law firm, and how you best serve clients.
If potential clients have made it to your lawyer bio, chances are they are aware of your professional qualifications and practice area. Mention your practice area, law degree, and the law firm you work at if it has not yet been communicated. Elaborate on your approach as a lawyer, and the method you use that separates you from your competitors. This is where you can also include a call to action.
A brief summary explaining your purpose
The reason why you have become a lawyer and your purpose of serving clients is ultimately what clients are interested in. Keep in mind, that potential clients read lawyer bios because they are concerned with if they should trust you as a legal professional and why they should trust you.
Quick overview of relevant accomplishments
You may have an impressive history of accomplishments, however, so do your lawyer competitors. It’s important to set yourself apart from your competitors, and it’s likely they also have a long list of accomplishments, rewards, and credentials. Additionally, clients aren’t familiar with legal awards and recognitions. Pointing out your accomplishments as a student and professional will not hold any value to clients because they do not know what they mean, or what you did to earn them.
Include only 1-3 major accomplishments that do set you apart from the others. For example, if you have written a book, if you have spoken on a major news outlet, or if you volunteer at colleges and speak at lectures. These are accomplishments that are worth pointing out, and ones that clients would be more familiar with
A bit about yourself and your life outside of work
Clients feel their lawyer is more trustworthy when they can relate to them, or connect with them on a personal level. Additionally, it makes your lawyer bio more interesting. Provide clients with insight into life outside of work. Explain what you do outside of work.
For example, if you play tennis on your time off, include this. Mention your family, children, and pets. Providing personal, interesting information allows potential clients to feel more connected with you, and establishes a friendly lawyer-client relationship.
Direction on how clients can contact you
Now that you have a solid, interesting lawyer bio, clients are going to want to contact you. Although they are already on your website and can easily find your contact information on the homepage, make it easier for them by providing your contact information right under your lawyer bio. Include your phone number, address, and a message center for clients to send an email to you directly. To take it a step further, include your social media accounts so potential clients can further their interaction with you.
Be authentic
It’s important to be authentic in your lawyer bio. Clients work with lawyers for months and years, and your lawyer bio and website are the best way to sell yourself to them. However, this doesn’t mean misleading clients and making yourself out to be someone you are not. Be genuine and honest in your bio and offer a personality that is true to your own. If you are what clients expected you to be and you own up to your attorney bio, the legal services and honesty you provide them with will come full circle and they will spread awareness about your legal business.
Short and concise
Your lawyer bio should not be pages long. Short and concise bios provide clients with a good user experience. Include relevant, important information in your bio that will make clients feel confident in choosing you as your lawyer or attorney. Keep it between 200-300 words if you aren’t sure about the length of your bio.
Frequent updates
Frequently updating your lawyer bio and its picture is important for the business of your law firm. It’s very off-putting if clients are presented with a picture that displays a 30-year-old and then meets a 50-year-old during their first in-person interaction with your legal business. Furthermore, you can change up your experiences, hobbies, and qualifications as the years go on. Don’t neglect the remaining pages on your lawyer website by focusing on your lawyer bio. Frequently updating your legal website is just as important as updating your lawyer bio.
