Writing for their audience: where do law firms go wrong?
Lawyers often write articles and blogs as if their audience consists exclusively of other lawyers. As this is rarely the case, it’s a big mistake. But it can easily be avoided.
Blogs and insight pages are a great way to get potential clients interested in your firm. When spread on LinkedIn and other social media, they drive traffic to your website. They also bump up your firm’s website in search engine results pages. According to online research, websites that blog regularly get a 97% increase in visitors.
Blogs are a powerful tool for law firms. Potential clients can get a feel for what it’s like to work with the lawyers at that firm and their level of expertise. They can also read successful case studies that relate to their own legal predicament. Studies show that regular blog output can cause a two-thirds increase in leads per month.
However, for a blog to be effective, it must be well-written. It has to ‘click’ with the target audience and contribute to the next step in the prospective client's journey: them reaching out to you.
George Orwell said in 1946 that the purpose of good writing is “to get one's meaning as clear as one can”. To this end, the writer must consider their audience and whether they are familiar with the words, phrases or concepts being addressed. If not, then what you are saying is not clear. It will not resonate with them. There is less chance that they will reach out to you.
This problem is especially relevant to legal firms, given the complexity of the subject matter at hand. Remember, you studied law for years and practised it for many more. What seems simple to you probably makes little sense to an ordinary person. After all, your expertise is why they hire you in the first place.
Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that law firms can take to make their writing clearer and more effective. A lot of it comes down to this:
“Remember your audience.”
Write in English
They don’t teach Latin in most schools nowadays. So, unless your reader is over the age of 50 (and paid enough attention to his classics teacher), they probably don’t understand what the following phrases (and others like them) mean:
● ‘ad litem’
● ‘ex parte’
● ‘lex situs’
● ‘res ipsa loquitur’
A Google search might clear things up, but wouldn’t it be better if you just explained what each term meant? For some, you could put the meaning in a short bracket (like this). For others, you might have to commit a sentence or paragraph.
Yes, this takes longer for you to write, but it’s quicker and clear for the reader. Ultimately, this is all that matters.
This doesn’t just apply to Latin terminology but all legal phrases, principles, cases, etc. Remember, what is intuitive for you isn’t necessarily intuitive for your reader. Better yet, why not avoid these complicated terms altogether? Unless something is vital to mention, don’t mention it.
At the same time, don’t be condescending. Your readers aren’t morons, they just aren’t as versed in the legal professional field as you are. Read your writing back from their perspective. Consider what makes sense and what doesn’t, and scale your definitions accordingly.
In simple terms
Next time you write an article, think about how you would explain something to someone who isn’t a lawyer, in real life. You use as little legal jargon as possible, explain things in simple terms, and clarify definitions when asked. Think of all the questions they ask, anticipate them, and put the answers in your writing.
Simply put, two types of people will read your article. These are:
People who are lawyers (0.23% of the population).
People who aren’t lawyers (99.77% of the population).
If you write so that only lawyers can understand you, you’re effectively cutting out 99.77% of the population from engaging with your content marketing efforts.
You might be thinking along the lines of:
“Well, the law is too complicated to be put in simple terms.”
Well, consider this. Albert Einstein once said:
“If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.”