That is literally a million dollar question.
There are copywriters out there who make millions every year writing for their clients. Not that many, but there are some. And the reason they make the big bucks is their ability to key into the mind of exactly the right person to buy their client’s products. And that means understanding the emotional needs of the person they’re selling to. Study after study has proven that people buy based on emotion, not logic. The talent and ability to tap into those emotions is worth it’s weight in gold. That talent and ability is exactly what makes good copywriting.
Now, I’ve worked with attorneys long enough to know that right now you’re thinking “I don’t need to be reading this. I’m not in sales.”
Well, you are in sales. If you own a business, and that includes a law practice, you’re in sales. If you don’t have clients, you don’t have a practice. If you’re not reaching your prospective clients (and that means selling to them), then your doors won’t be open very long. As a lawyer, you’re in sales. You’re just selling a very high end product – legal services and legal expertise.
In order to reach your clients and convince them that you’re the attorney they need for whatever their legal issue happens to be, you have to key into why they need you. That means that you have to show them how your practice benefits them.
Heads up. The two words in what I just wrote that should stand out for you are need and benefits because those are the two words that matter the most in your marketing message. Not the name of your law school, not the number of cases you’ve won in the last five years, and not the names of other clients you’ve served that you think will impress future clients. The two most important things you need to remember in marketing your law practice is what your client needs and how they will benefit from working with you.
So how do you do that in a way that doesn’t decrease the value of your services?
With legal copywriting, you walk a thin line between reaching out to your clients, tapping into their emotional needs and still presenting a professional image. You don’t want your law firm marketing to sound like you’re writing for law review but you don’t want it to sound too touchy feely either. What I’ve found works best (and what the best copywriting experts on the planet will tell you) is to write like you speak. Chances are that you don’t talk like you’re giving a law school lecture so don’t write like you’re giving one.
To recognize good copy, give it the bar stool test. If your copy reads like something you would say sitting on a bar stool with your best friend, chances are it’s going to appeal to your prospects and clients and they’ll understand exactly what you’re saying. It will hit them where they live and they’ll remember you as someone they would want to do business with. They won’t even realize they’re being marketed to.
So remember, think about what your clients need, how you can benefit them and write like you speak. If you do those things, you’ll know you’ve got good copy. You’ll be amazed at how fast your practice grows.