Marketing legal services Archives - The Attorney Marketing Center

What are you working on?

March 10, 2026 by David M. Ward

What’s the best way to build a successful law practice? Great minds may differ but I say it is to build stronger relationships with your existing clients and professional contacts. When you do that,

You get more repeat business and referrals
You get bigger cases and better clients
You get more introductions to key people in your market
You get more testimonials and endorsements
You get invited to speak at prestigious events and and build your reputation
More people share your content, opt-in to your newsletter, and talk about you on social media

Marketing is easier. Growth happens more quickly. You spend less time and money building your practice.

Building a successful practice is a byproduct of those relationships.

Building stronger relationships starts with paying attention. Showing your clients and contacts that you’re interested in them and care about them personally, beyond your relationship as attorney and client or fellow professionals. And this is not difficult to do.

In his newsletter, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, put it this way:

“One easy way to show you care about others is to ask them questions about their life.

What are they excited about?

What are they working on?

What are they hoping for?

Simply asking the question and listening thoughtfully is an act of generosity. You’re giving them the gift of attention.”

You’re an attorney. Asking questions is your thing.

And so is listening.

I suggest you also take notes. When someone tells you what they’re working on, shares a problem or desire, put that information in a file and the next time you speak with them or write to them, ask for an update about what they told you.

Building relationships can take time and effort but it’s easy to get started. Just ask questions and pay attention.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Relationship marketing

You talk too much

March 5, 2026 by David M. Ward

If you’re not getting enough leads or inquiries from prospective clients about your services, if you’re not booking enough appointments for consultations, there might be a very simple reason. It might be because you’ve already told them everything (they think) they need to know.

Information is good. Educational marketing is highly recommended. But if you put too much information in your marketing materials and answer too many questions before a prospective client speaks to you, you might be shooting yourself in the foot.

In marketing, your job isn’t to tell people everything. It’s telling them enough to get their attention and prompt them to want to know more. You do that not by giving them more information but by withholding it.

Each question you answer in your article or email or ad risks making prospective clients less likely to contact you.

And that might be why you’re not getting all the leads you want.

But this doesn’t mean doing what a lot of attorneys do, giving no information. You can’t expect client inquiries if your marketing materials provide little more than a list of practice areas or services.

You need to strike a balance.

Give enough information—about the law, about what you do and how you help your clients—to intrigue prospective clients and motivate them to contact you about their specific situation.

Don’t tell them everything in advance. But don’t tell them nothing.

Make them curious enough to visit your website, download your report, sign up for your seminar or newsletter, or make an appointment.

Make them curious enough to take the next step.

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Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Copywriting, Marketing legal services

The truth, the whole truth, and (almost) nothing but the truth

February 10, 2026 by David M. Ward

You’re not good at everything. Sometimes you make mistakes. Sometimes you don’t do what you said you would do when you said you would do it.

You’re a lawyer. And pretty good at disguising your flaws, because why would you talk about them?

Why tell clients what you don’t do well or give them reasons to doubt you?

Because it might be the best thing you could do.

Transparency isn’t a common characteristic of most lawyers. We thrive on displaying strength and avoid revealing weakness. We say what must be said and avoid saying anything that doesn’t.

Of course we protect ourselves with disclaimers and disclosures in our retainer agreements, authorizations, invoices, and other documents, lest we later be accused of failing to disclose something.

We hide the negative in the fine print.

What if you shared some of that upfront? Better for clients to hear it from you instead of hearing it on social media or finding out after they’ve hired you.

What if, instead of downplaying some things that can go wrong with a case, you talk about them openly? What if you tell stories about problems you’ve seen in your practice and point out that not everything has a happy ending?

What if you tell clients what you do and what you don’t do? Tell them what you offer and what’s not included. Tell them you don’t handle “everything” and when you will refer them to someone you know and recommend.

How refreshing to hear some unvarnished truth from an attorney.

Transparency will let you differentiate yourself from most attorneys and give you a distinct marketing advantage by building trust and likeability.

You don’t have to walk around with a lie detector attached to your arm or take a truth serum before you meet with prospect clients.

Just don’t bury everything in 6-point type.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Image, Marketing legal services

The brutal truth about marketing

February 5, 2026 by David M. Ward

Many lawyers say they don’t have time for marketing, but the reality is, they “do” marketing every day.

Because everything a lawyer does in his or her practice is marketing.

The way you speak to a prospective client is marketing. Your words and how you say them make the client feel hopeful about their situation and confident about your ability to help them, and that’s the quintessence of marketing.

The way you do your work is also marketing. You do it efficiently, expeditiously, and effectively, and show your clients and market why they should hire you and refer you.

It’s all marketing.

From the way you greet a new client at their first appointment, to the way you describe the documents you ask them to sign, how you talk about your fees, the trinkets on your desktop, the clothes you wear—it’s all marketing.

And you do it well, or you don’t.

Take a look at your website the way a client might. Does it look clean and modern and inspire confidence in your practice? Does it provide answers to FAQs, explain the law and describe your services in enough detail that visitors understand what you do and convince them that you’re very good at what you do?

Marketing.

How often do you stay in touch with clients and prospects? What do you say to them and send them? Do you share success stories, warn them about changes in the law, and strenuously tell them what to do to protect their business or family?

It’s all marketing.

Some people look for you on social media to see what others say about you or ask you and how you respond. Do you say the right things? Do you “talk” too much or too little? What impression do you make?

When you turn down a case, do you make sure the client understands why and feels good about you even if you can’t help them? When you deliver bad news, do you do it with compassion and intelligence and help clients see that you did everything you could for them?

When something goes wrong, when there’s a delay, when you don’t get the results you expected, how do you handle that? How do you explain what happened? How do you respond when a client is angry?

What do you say about the other party or their counsel? What do you tell clients about your personal life? When you speak with another professional, do you show interest in their business or personal life, or are you all-business-all-the-time?

How about your staff? Are they friendly? Dedicated? Interesting? Do they treat clients with complete respect? Is it obvious that you hire good people, train them well and support them?

It makes a difference. Everything you do makes a difference. Everything you do is marketing.

And you’re doing it well or you aren’t.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Relationship marketing

Another type of content most lawyers don’t use (but should)

January 29, 2026 by David M. Ward

Most lawyers who create content for a blog or newsletter or podcast usually don’t include “guest posts” or other contributions from other content creators, especially other lawyers.

But they should for three good reasons.

The most obvious reason is that it saves time. Every post created by someone else is a post you don’t have to create yourself.

Yes, it does take time to work with others, to make sure they know their subject are and can write or speak intelligently about it, to make sure their content is appropriate for and of interest to your audience, and to possibly do some editing of the content they submit to you, but on balance, you’ll probably come out ahead because the other creator will do most of the heavy lifting.

The second reason for accepting (or soliciting) contributions from others is that your clients and audience will enjoy hearing from experts in other fields, on subjects you can’t or usually don’t address.

This content might take the form of

Guest posts from lawyers in other specialties or other markets
Articles by business experts who sell to or advise your target market
Interviews of subject matter experts or business professionals who work in your field or local area
Reprints and reposts of previously published content on others’ blogs or channels
You reviewing and/or commenting on the business, practice, or content created by other professionals or business experts who sell to or advise your target market

Which leads to the third and most important reason for sharing content created by or about others:

Each time you publish or re-publish an article or video, interview a professional or business expert, or share content created by other content creators in your market, you create the opportunity that said content creator will ask you to contribute content for them.

They might post (or repost) your article, agree to interview you, or repost something by or about you for their newsletter, blog, or channel.

And just like that, your name and services get exposure to a new audience, with the actual or implied endorsement of that attorney or business professional.

That’s marketing gold.

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Filed Under: Content creation, Marketing legal services

Most lawyers don’t create this type of content (but should)

January 27, 2026 by David M. Ward

Many lawyers use informational articles, blogs, newsletters, reports, videos, seminars, and other content for marketing their practice. They write or speak about the law and legal procedure, talk about the problems they see and the solutions they have delivered, and in this way, educate readers and listeners about what they do and how they can help them.

It’s a simple and effective way to bring in new clients, repeat clients, and referrals.

If you’re not doing this now, try it. Write a brief article about your field and post it on your website, share it on social media, or email it to people you know who can share it with people they know.

You can start by imagining you’re speaking to a prospective client who has a problem and wants to know his options. Explain the basics, tell him about a case or client you had with the same or similar issue, and tell him what you did to help that client, and encourage your reader to contact you if they have questions.

You’ll probably find that it’s easy to create educational content like that, and when you get calls or emails asking questions and scheduling appointments, how effective it is at generating business.

When you do, I’m sure you’ll want to create more content.

Educational content works because it allows you to “show, not tell”. Readers and listeners get to see you “in action,” helping people understand the law, their rights, their obligations, and what an attorney can do for them, and through the stories you use to illustrate your points, how you wisely and compassionately work with your clients.

It’s a great way to build trust and show the value you offer, and for many attorneys, this is all the marketing they need to do.

But here’s a tip.

Don’t limit yourself to content about the law and your work. That’s what most lawyers do. You should also create content about yourself.

You, the person, not you the lawyer.

Personal information helps people get to know you. Why is that important? Because it lets people connect with you and see a side of you they otherwise might not see, and they might like what they see.

And because most lawyers don’t do this, when you do, you’ll stand out in a crowded world of lawyer “options” available to clients and business contacts.

So, tell people what you do when you’re not working, what you like to read or do, about your family and background, and plans for the future.

What did you do before law school? What kind of music do you like? What’s your favorite genre of movie and why?

There are two ways to do this. One way to post an occasional story about yourself and update it when something interesting or good (or bad) happens in your life. Talk about your first child or grandchild and what parenthood or grandparenthood mean to you; describe how frustrated you were with your Windows computer and how you finally switched over to a Mac; describe your upcoming vacation plans and what you’re looking forward to seeing or doing.

You know, human stuff.

The other way is to weave into your blog posts and articles about your work parenthetical comments and asides about your personal life. For example, “I was trying out a new recipe for lasagna I was cooking for some friends my wife and I had over for dinner and it made me think about how…”.

They both work. Try them and see.

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Marketing legal services, Writing

Treating your competition

December 4, 2025 by David M. Ward

You read that right–”treating” your competition, not the conventional advice about “beating” them.

It’s a different philosophy.

Reach out to other lawyers in your niche or market and get to know them, or, if you already know them, get to know them better.

See them not as a threat but as a friend. Not someone to “beat” but someone to work with.

Treat them to lunch, share your presentation or article, find something positive to say about theirs.

Yes, even though they might target the same cases or clients you target. Even if they are literally your competition.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I’m suggesting this because if these other attorneys or firms see you as a friend, you might get some referrals from them when they have a conflict or a case or client that’s not right for them.

This is obviously true and how I started my practice. But the philosophy of reaching out to other attorneys in your niche goes beyond that. You can learn from them and be inspired by them, even if just by observing them.

What are they doing that’s working? Maybe you can do it, too. What mistakes have they made? Perhaps you can avoid doing what they did. Who do they know you should know, if not by name but by category?

Why would other lawyers be willing to embrace you this way? After all, you might look at them as a friend or business asset, but most attorneys, raised on a zero-sum “beat the competition” mindset, are unlikely to see you the same way.

Maybe. In which case, their reticence might become a self-sorting mechanism, showing you who might be worth knowing and who might be best kept at a distance.

On the other hand, maybe your openness will unlock something in them that could be mutually beneficial. Maybe they would love to get to know you (or know you better), learn from you and be inspired by you.

In the end, it’s not about them. It’s about you. Your habit of seeing everyone as a potential friend and a willingness to see where that could lead.

I know lawyers who are like that. Natural networkers, with lots of friends and contacts, and very successful practices as a result.

It’s not the only path to building a professional practice, not something I’m good at or enjoy. But it’s something I’ve been willing to do over the years, and it has almost always led to good things.

We don’t have competition, you and I. Just people we don’t yet know, or know well enough to call a friend.

Filed Under: Increase your income, Law office management, Legal industry, Marketing legal services, Networking, Relationship marketing

I feel your pain

December 2, 2025 by David M. Ward

I’m able to write about marketing and building a law practice, provide you with information and resources you want and need, answer your questions, inspire and entertain you, because I have been in your shoes.

I feel your pain (and desires) because I’ve had those pains and desires.

The question is, do your clients believe you can say the same thing about them? Do they believe you feel their pain?

For many attorneys, the answer is “no” because, frankly, they don’t feel their pain. They understand what their clients are going through, but understanding isn’t the same as feeling. And how you feel about your clients is key to how they feel about you.

You can build a practice with good marketing based on features and benefits, offers and outcomes, but business is about people, and how people feel about you is essential to long-term success.

And how they feel about you starts with how they believe you feel about them.

How they feel might not be the reason they hire you initially, but is a big part of the reason they hire you again, and recommend you. Logic and value and outcomes are clearly important, but ultimately, how people feel usually determines what they do.

But this doesn’t mean you have to build relationships with all of your clients, or any of them.

Many attorneys don’t. Their work is transactional. The client hires them; they do the work; they get paid. It’s fair and rational and pays the bills, but take note: building a practice is easier and more fruitful when there is a connection between you and the client that goes beyond the work.

That is the point of client relations, after all.

If you don’t have relationships with your clients (and business contacts), and you want to, start by paying attention. Watch and listen to what they say and do, talk to them about their life and business, and be willing to talk to them about yours.

You may come from different backgrounds, but if you can imagine what it feels like to be in their shoes, you will have a big head start on building a relationship.

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services

It’s worth more than you imagine

November 20, 2025 by David M. Ward

“How am I doing?” It’s a question we don’t ask enough, but we should. Ask your clients and prospects and business contacts what they like about your services, your staff, your website, you ads and your image. What do they like about what you’re doing and what do they think you could improve?

Their feedback could be invaluable.

Ah, but don’t limit yourself to what you’re currently doing. Also, ask for feedback about what you might do.

What other services would your clients and prospects be interested in? Would they like to get your newsletter more often, or less? Would they like to learn about a certain subject or get content in a different format?

This can also be valuable information for you. And yet, it could be worthless.

People don’t always know what they want. Or what they think.

People lie because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. Or can’t tell you what they like or don’t like because they haven’t worked with a lot of attorneys and don’t know what to expect.

They might be unhappy about something but have trouble putting it into words. They might be mistaken about something you did or didn’t do.

Ask anyway. You might learn something important. Or get an idea you haven’t thought about before.

Feedback might be flawed, it’s true, so look for patterns. One client might have unreasonable expectations or demands or have had an anomalous experience and you can safely dismiss their opinion, but if several clients complain about something or prefer something, that’s probably something you need to look at.

This is hardly the first time I’ve talked about the value of conducting surveys, asking for ratings or reviews, or encouraging clients to tell you how they think you’re doing. You’ve heard this before, from me and others, but do you do it?

If not, I’ll give you another reason. Arguably, the most important reason of all.

No matter what you learn when you ask for feedback, there is value just in the asking.

It shows clients you care about serving them and making them happy. You care about what they think and want.

Most lawyers care about their reputation, of course, but don’t (regularly) ask what people think or want.

And that’s the point.

Asking for feedback is an easy way for you to differentiate yourself from other lawyers. And that is worth more than you can imagine.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services

95% of marketing legal services is doing two simple things

November 18, 2025 by David M. Ward

You can do more, but if you do these two things consistenly, you won’t have to.

They aren’t complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. They don’t require you to be clever or do anything unique.

How’s that for simple?

Two things.

First, you need to “show up”. That means keeping your name in front of people you know and people you want to know.

Clients, former clients, prospective clients, business and professional ontacts, family and friends.

You don’t have to contact them, although that’s always helpful. Showing up means getting people to rebularly see or hear your name.

That could be in their email, on social, at a networking or social event, or by seeing ads you run in publications they read.

Anything.

Each time they see or hear your name, they think about you. If they need legal help, it might prompt them to contact you. If they know someone who needs your services, it might prompt them to give them your name.

For a professional, “showing up” is 80-90% of marketing. Keep your name in front of people and the rest usually takes care of itself.

What about the other 10-20% of your marketing?

That’s also simple. The rest of your marketing is creating and dissemenating “information”.

Information about the law, legal problems and solutions and the benefits of hiring you.

Write it or record it and invite people to read or watch it.

Invite them to sign up for your newsletter, download your report, watch your video, or read your book.

Your information shows people (or reminds them) that you help people like them and shows them the benefits you offer.

Two simple things. Stay visible. Share information.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan