Observed

Holly Brubach. Period.

“With no closing time — and no drinks (B.Y.O.B!) — the site hosts selected fashion photos, ad campaigns, music videos, commercials and documentaries spanning the past three decades of Weber’s career alongside paintings from a show by the artist Jeremy Everett (a friend of Weber’s), an appreciation of Simone de Beauvoir’s book about Brigitte Bardot and high praise for Danny DiMauro, a barber in  Montauk, N.Y.”

– Holly Brubach, temporarily forgetting the concept of the period in a 64-word sentence.  Ms. Brubach was writing recently in The New York Times about fashion photographer Bruce Weber’s new Web site.

Despite what some attorneys may believe, it helps to have something personal in your Web bio. You don’t have to tell your life story, but give your visitor a taste of what you’re like as a person—particularly if you hang-glide, cure tropical diseases or do anything else that demonstrates a passion for something other than the law.

Prospects, clients and referral sources come to lawyers’ Web sites for three principal reasons.  They’re looking for solutions to their problems and assurance that someone will make their lives easier.  They’re are also thinking about whether or not they might actually like working with you.

Personalization of attorney bios is a great way to set the lawyer apart and establish a personal connection right off the bat with a client.  Surveys of business people – lawyers and non-lawyers alike – confirm that given the choice (and evidence that points them in the right direction), they’ll pick someone they might possibly like over someone else.

How personal is too personal?  According to the folks at Great Jakes, while it’s important to let the reader know that they’re dealing with a real person, some lawyers make the mistake of downplaying their legal expertise or even skipping it all together. The strongest bios are the ones that use a personal tone without dumbing anything down.

Maybe it's never taken much to launch a concept. But snarky comments about interior decorating? A random post from The Unhappy Hipster reads, "The door, pushed to depression by neglect and an unwarranted preference for plush, sadly inched closer to the end of his track." Really?

I read a piece about The Unhappy Hipster blog in yesterday’s New York Times and got the sense that the story of the two funny, smart and talented women behind it unfolded over years.

Then, I went back to the top of the article. “It was early in 2010.” In other words, the whole damn thing BEGAN about a year, year and a half ago, right?  From boredom to blog to book to gray eminence in 12 months or so.

Maybe it’s my Boomer DNA. I tell myself, Things take time.

Not anymore. Things don’t take anything. Molly Jane Quinn, Jenna Talbott and their followers have proven it, yes?

I can't say for sure whether Telemachus ended up thanking Mentor for showing the young man how to write better Web content or edit a video clip and upload it to YouTube. Let me know (doug@doug-stern.com), however, if anything like that appeals to you.

My business employs interns from time to time. Here’s a brief description outlining what that generally looks like.

WHERE

Experience has proven that face-to-face interaction improves just about every aspect of what an intern does, how they do it and what they get out of it.  So, at least a few hours a week ought to be spent on site, in my office.  I have wi-fi and whatever else an intern might need.

WHEN

I’m flexible.  For the sake of productivity, however, I suggest that interns expect to spend 4 to 8 hours a week either in my office or telecommuting, perhaps split between a couple days each week for however long the internship lasts.  A lot depends on what (if anything) an intern’s professor or degree program requires or recommends.

WHAT (more…)

Want to know how to make your law firm Web content sing? Then take a half hour and listen to Lisa DiMonte and Doug Stern share some simple do's and don'ts that will do just that!

I spoke with Lisa DiMonte this week about how to write outstanding content for law firm Web sites.  She’s the free-range genius behind MyLegal.com.

Anyway, here’s a link to the 27-minute podcast Lisa produced as a result of our conversation.  For starters, she and I talked about the importance of being relevant to your typical visitor’s reasons for coming to your site in the first place.

We also covered several style-related topics that will make sites more engaging, readable and memorable.  For example.

FWIW, the interview will be syndicated internationally on BlogTalkRadio.

Enjoy!

Ovid got it. The young Narcissus and Echo, the mountain nymph, fell in love with, respectively, his own image and her own voice. As a consequence, both faded away, leaving only the aural effect and the flower we know. The same fate awaits the law firm with Web content that does not adequately create a sense of dialogue with the visitor and their needs.

Start with the simple stuff.  For example, begin Web site content with a phrase or a sentence or a something about the client. It might be as simple as writing “Clients seek our help navigating complex interstate commerce regulations.”

In other words, get the client out front.  Better yet, characterize them strategically.  For example, say “Leading regional manufacturers seek our help navigating complex interstate commerce regulations.”

The key is to make your content more about the client (“them”) and less about the firm (“us”).  Keep this in mind for whatever Web or other business development content you’re creating.

Plus, the more client-facing your Web content, the more readable.  It adds variety when you don’t over-rely on “our,” “the firm,” “we” and their repetitive variations.

In addition to the style of the content, make sure you document the firm’s record addressing the needs of the client…and do not merely enumerate the firm’s credentials.  That’s why it’s essential to incorporate client-facing summaries of representative matters into your bios, practice group descriptions and industry descriptions.

Such an approach is not only more responsive to the visitor’s needs, but it will also set you and your site apart from the vast majority of the law firms which appear to still be enamored with themselves.

I’ll be the main event Sept. 14, 2011, on a blogtalkradio program, Website Content for Law Firms.  The show is a production of MyLegal.com and Lisa DiMonte (who calls herself MyLegal’s Legal Vendor Aggregator).

Here’s a peek at some of what Lisa and I will be covering:

1. Law firms have always known that their sites were there to provide a sense of assurance to others.  The question has been, What’s the best way to do this?
2. People come to law firm Web sites for three reasons when they’re looking to hire or recommend a lawyer.  What do you think these are?
3. It’s essential to incorporate client-facing summaries of representative matters into bios, practice group descriptions and industry descriptions.  What’s the best way to do this?
4. I like to use the first person voice occasionally.  It not only adds a little more variety, but it also lets the reader know that they’re dealing with a real person.  Yes?

There’s more where these came from.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, let me know what you think, OK?

Law firm blogs are like gardens. When Boston established its Public Gardens in 1837, everyone knew that the grass, flowers and trees wouldn't take care of themselves. So, too, with law firm blogs...which, with a little of the right attention, will help build awareness for your brand and further your reputation as a thought leader.

Blogs are becoming more and more common with law firms of all sizes and types.  While launching a blog is relatively easy enough, what then???

Here are my Top 5 Law Firm, Sustainable Blogging Do’s and Don’ts:

1. Leverage. Not enough ideas for posts? Remember: Once is not enough.  Turn that client memo into an article. And then turn that article into a speech and a blog post…or, posts.  Three (or more) on a match is OK. (more…)

Toy first? Or, reach for the french fries instead? So, too, with the choices visitors make as they navigate Web sites. Paths tend to vary with the type of site and countless different objectives, whims and other variables. Acceptance of this understanding offers several valuable lessons for how we might write and deploy Web content.

Nutritional analogies aside, Web sites are like Happy Meals. Some people like to start with the french fries. Others go for the toy. And, so on.

Same with Web site user experience. While most of us land on the home page, after that, it varies. On law firm Web sites, studies show that visitors tend to head to the bios. If we’re on a merchant’s site to shop for pewter floor lamps, we’re liable to let the internal search function take us where it will do us the most good.

The lesson here is to realize that the average person is NOT linear when they visit a site. We graze.  Or, as some put it, (more…)

In order to relate better to the marketplace, a law firm Web site ought to do more than brag about the lawyers' credentials. So, instead of looking like a long resume, more and more new or re-written law firm sites now more accurately reflect the reason most people visit them in the first place. In short, they strive to be more relevant.

Law firms have always known that their Web sites were there to provide a sense of assurance to others.  The question has been, What’s the best way to do this?

Until recently, lawyers typically weren’t in the habit of asking clients or prospects what they think or want.  So, the default for content has been what worked for lawyers themselves.  Since they tend to be competitive and impressed with credentials, their sites – especially their bio pages – looked like scorecards.

People come to law firm Web sites for three reasons when they’re looking to hire a lawyer.  This list is based on growing evidence that pinpoints how firms and their lawyers can best instill a sense of confidence in others.

Visitors to law firm Web sites are asking themselves: (more…)