To assist legal associates and other legal marketers, Maven Communications has released its list of the Ten (10) Essential Elements for an Associate’s Client Development Plan for complimentary download.

For instant access (no sign-in or contact information required) to Maven’s list of ten essential elements for an associate’s client development plan, please click here. To learn more about Maven and our services, please find more information on our website at www.mavenagency.com.

For more detailed information and counsel concerning client development plans or other legal marketing campaigns, please contact Jessica Sharp, principal of Maven Communications, at 215.434.7192 or jsharp@mavenagency.com.

According to the Wicker Park Group, 90 percent of general counsel claim the attorney bios are the most important part of a law firm’s website. Additionally, studies have shown that bios are the most viewed pages on law firm websites, generating over 50% of the page views. That’s right – more than practice areas, news, or about us.

So why is it then that nearly all attorney bios seem to answer the question “how great am I?” rather than “how can I help you?”
Here I offer a few simple suggestions that you might want to consider when writing your own bio if you’re an attorney, or using to rewrite a client’s bio if you do law firm marketing.

1) Identify your ideal client and write for them. You may have experience working with numerous types of companies or legal matters, but if there are one or two particular types of clients you want to land more business with, tailor your bio for them. Anticipate the type of information they may be looking for and be sure to include that in your bio. At the end of the day, if your bio speaks to everyone, you’re actually talking to no one.

2) Emphasize your strengths and how they help your clients. Instead of giving a laundry list of accomplishments, membership organizations and practice areas, differentiate yourself by identifying what your strengths are and, more importantly, how those strengths benefit clients. Ultimately, the board you sit on might be a good conversation starter, but it’s not going to bring in business. The unique value that you add to a legal matter will.

3) Be specific. If you can mention situational content, do. The idea is to give an idea of what you can do. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for a prospective client to determine whether you’re the right attorney for their situation.

4) Update frequently. Let prospects know you’re on top of trends in your practice area. Post links to articles that you’re written or have been quoted in, links to blog posts you’ve written, presentations that you’ve given or panels that you’ve participated in. A static or out of date website bio can be a death sentence in today’s 24/7 information age.

5) Make it easy to connect with you. Thanks to the world of social media, people don’t just want to read about you, they want to see firsthand what kind of attorney and person you are. Make it easy for them by including graphic links to your LinkedIn page, Martindale-Hubble Connected profile or even Twitter account. Not only will they learn more about you, but you’re allowing them the opportunity to begin a conversation before the professional relationship begins.

1)      Keep Attorney Bios Fresh – frequently update attorney bios with links to recent articles that have been written, quotes in the media, speaking engagements or CLE courses.  Keeping bios up-to-date not only keeps them from getting stale, but also gives additional credibility for anyone doing their own research online. In addition, including as many links as possible makes an information rich and easy to use web page.

2)      Record and Post – video on law firm websites not only increases search engine optimization, but also provides an additional, 3-dimensional perspective of the firm and its attorneys.  More than a stiff headshot, video conveys personality and expertise.  In addition, more and more media outlets are requesting to see video clips of attorneys before agreeing to an interview.  By posting video to your website you’re better positioning the firm’s attorneys for speaking and media opportunities.

3)      Make Your Firm’s Marketing Materials Downloadable – including a link to download the firm’s marketing materials on every page of the website is just one more way to put your message at the fingertips of those who may benefit.  Rather than having to dig around for print copies, pulling up the website and downloading a PDF takes less time, less cost and less trees (not to mention stress).  In addition, it drives increased traffic to your website.

4)      Create an Online Newsroom – more than just recent press releases, an online newsroom should include links or PDFs of recent media coverage, CLE course announcements, recent published article and anything else that may be of interest to clients or potential clients. An information rich newsroom may be the most useful page on your firm’s website when it comes to new business development.  

5)      Make Your Marketing Virtual – there are so many ways to make the leap from traditional marketing to web 2.0 and most cost little to nothing.  Every attorney should have a LinkedIn page that includes links to the firm’s website, links to recent coverage as well as links to the firm’s newsroom.  Post video on YouTube and link to it from the firm’s website.  E-blast clients, potential clients and anyone else who may care with client wins, firm news and links to recent media coverage.  Add a “tweet this” button to all firm news online and let your clients, friends and family do your marketing for you. 

6)      Blog – if you’ve got something to say, and most attorneys do, blog about it.  A blog doesn’t have to be filled with original thought or groundbreaking opinion, it simply needs to be interesting and if possible entertaining.  Personal thoughts about a recent legislation, comments about a news story, kudos on a job well done – as long as a blog is regularly updated, it can contain any number of things and can often serve as a great marketing tool for individual attorneys.

7)      Align Marketing and Business Goal – it’s vital that the goals of the marketing department and the overall business goals of the firm are aligned. Marketing and business development should always work together to create cohesive and consistent messaging for the firm.  Together marketing and business development should think holistically and only then can they part ways to execute specific tactics.

8)      Monitor Your Reputation Online – the proliferation of social media has provided an online focus group for anyone who knows where to look.  Regularly peruse areas on social media sites that commonly comment on the law and specific firms. Look at engagement levels on blogs, twitter feeds and facebook pages and read comment posted to online articles.  These often provide more insight than information in the article itself.  This will help you to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the industry as well as within your own firm.

9)      Ask “Why is This Important” First – before sitting down to write a press release on a recent client win or partner promotion, ask yourself “why should the media care.”  Sure, it’s great news for the firm, your client or new partner, but what’s really the news?  To make it important to a greater audience, including the media, figure out what the compelling story is.  Perhaps its part of a larger trend, or maybe it marks an important milestone for the firm; whatever it is, figure out why anyone would care to read it before you start writing.

10)   You Still Can’t Beat Face-to-Face – email, g-chat, IM, websites, YouTube, Twitter, facebook – there are so many ways to communicate with clients in an instant that we often forget the original form of communication: in-person.  Make time for more face-to-face meetings and you’ll find a connection that’s not possible with technology. It may be just the boost your client/attorney relationship needs.