Newsletters

How to write a newsletter in 15 minutes (without ai)

October 1, 2026 by David M. Ward

The problem with writing a newsletter is you’re writing a newsletter and that takes a lot of time. An hour or two every week, or every month, is more time than most attorneys have available or are willing to commit.

Time to re-define the definition of a newsletter.

Instead of thinking of a newsletter as something that requires hours of valuable, billable time, consider an alternative. Something that achieves the purpose of having a newsletter but can be done in a fraction of the time.

In other words, a few minutes instead of a few hours.

To do that, without hiring someone or delegating the task, or using ai to do the heavy lifting, think about the real purpose of writing a newsletter. It’s not (necessarily) to teach people all about the law, it is primarily a mechanism for staying in touch with clients and prospects in a way that reminds them that you are still available to help them and thus prompt them to contact you.

And you don’t need thousands of words or even hundreds of words to do that, nor do you need to spend hours crafting those words.

You can do the job in just 15 minutes, once a week or once a month or, if you must, once in awhile.

If that’s true, would you start or re-start a newsletter? At least give it a try?

Great. Here’s how to do it.

Instead of calling it a newsletter, with all the solemnity and scope this suggests, call it something lighter and simpler. Something along the lines of a “Tip-of-the-week”.

3 paragraphs. 100 words. A single idea, piece of advice, reminder, definition, or thought.

For a consumer oriented practice, you might explain the meaning of “Comparative negligence,” report why your city changed the speed limit on your main thoroughfare last month, or offer a few worsds about why a living trust instead of a will (or why both).

Yes, as simple as that.

Informal but interesting.Something that shows you know some things and want to share them.

Whatever your idea or topic, it should be quick and easy to write (so you’ll write it), and equally quick and easy for your readers to read, which means they’ll do it, appreciate it, and look forward to your next tip. Oh, and maybe share your tip with friends and family, customers or clients.

And, guess what? If you ever find yourself “tip-less” and can’t think of anything to share, that’s when you could use ai (if you want) to provide you with ideas for you to write about.

When you have a endless suppy of ideas and the writing can be done quickly and easily, you have a recipe for success. Now all you need are some email addresses.

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Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Newsletters

Put this at the end of your newsletter

September 17, 2026 by David M. Ward

Attorneys tend to be aggressive. We like telling people what to do,and clearly, that’s part of the job description, but it can backfire. Because nobody likes being pushed. Even if what they’re being pushed to do, or not do, is in their best interests.

If you must push, push. But instead of pushing, consider pulling.

Pushing means telling recipients of your newsletter (et. al.) to call and make an appointment, fill out a form on your website, read something or do something or pay attention to something you sent them, because they need to know it or do it.

Pulling means showing them what’s available, what you recommend or advise, describing the benefits, and reminding them why it’s important and/or time-sensitive.

It’s a kinder, gentler approach and can be just as effective.

One way to pull your clients, prospects, subscribers, and followers, is to put a statement, reminder, or offer in your newsletter, under your signature or in a P.S. Something simple and non-confrontational. Along the lines of, “Here’s something you might find useful” or “Here’s how I can help you…”.

One newsletter I follow (not a lawyer) puts this at the end of every newsletter, “P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s 3 ways I can help you [benefit]”. He lists 3 things his readers might want to do, e.g., buy [his course], watch one of his videos, sign up for an upcoming event.

Depending on the scope of your practice and what you have to offer, you might want to do something like that.

For example,

P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help you:

[One (or more) of the services you offer or types of cases you handle]
[Content: Articles, blog posts, your podcast, your next seminar, downloads]
[Consultation, second opinion, referra, recommendation]

You don’t have to give 3 options. One or two are better than zero.

On the other hand, if you’re shy, or too cool for school, you could simply link to your blog or latest article and/or invite them to call you with questions about a legal situation (of any kind).

You can add something at the end of every newsletter, as this marketer does, or attach it to any content you produce. You could do it every week, once a month, or once in awhile, but do it some time because when you do, you help your readers recieve the benefits they want or need, and you get more business, calls, downloads, appointments, subscribers, social sharing, or referrals.

Without being pushy.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing

Nobody wants to read your newsletter. Write it anyway.

September 15, 2026 by David M. Ward

One of the best decisions you can make for growing a law practice is to write a newsletter.

Even if nobody reads it.

The act of writing a newsletter will not only improve your overall client development skills and (eventually) bring you a lot more business, it will also make you a better lawyer.

Writing is the quintessential communication skill for a professional and there’s no better way to improve that skill than to put more words in the hands of more clients and prospects and professional contacts.

Yes, even if nobody reads what you write,

Think about it, every time you write something and send it to somebody, you are reminding them that you are still alive, still practicing law, still able to help them or someone they know.

Yes, they might remember you if you don’t send them a newsletter, but you’ll get more business if you do. People are busy. Many can’t remember your name, haven’t thought about you in years, and don’t care about what you do if they don’t presently have a problem or need legal advice.

A newsletter let’s you stay in their minds and their mailboxes, reminding them what you do and how you can help them. And gives them a link or phone number to make it easy to take the next step.

That’s the “no brainer” part of the equation.

But there’s more.

Writing a newsletter also provides you with content you can use in other aspects of your marketing. You can recycle your newsletter content into articles, white papers, handouts, presentations, videos, podcasts, social media posts, blogs, and books.

Easy, free content you write once and use over and over again.

Writing a newsletter also “forces” you to read and listen to content created by other lawyers or experts. I reguarly get ideas for this newsletter that way.

Okay, you are a good writer and have something to say that’s worth reading. What if you don’t have enough subscribers to justify the time it takes to write a newletter?

Your “small” list can be used to introduce your other services, put more butts in seats at your presentations, and solicit success stories from clients you can use on your website and other marketing content.

And, if you stay with it, your numbers will grow. And compound.

If you have 50 people on your newsletter list today, next year you might have 500. Two years from now, 5000.

Start, or start again, and give it time. Even if a newsletter is the only marketing you do, it might eventually be all you need.

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Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services, Newsletters

Content marketing: is it right for your practice?

July 14, 2026 by David M. Ward

Content marketing is a simple and effective way to market legal services. It helps prospects and the people who can refer them to find you, through search and sharing, shows them what you do and how you can help them, and shows them why they should choose you instead of other lawyers or firms who list their practice areas and services but provide little or no evidence of their knowledge and abilities.

It’s “education-based marketing” and has a long history of success in marketing professional services and other service businesses in a multitude of niches and markets.

But is it right for you?

Many attorneys say it won’t work for them because they don’t have enough time to do it, or they don’t have enough to write or talk about.

If that’s you, I urge you to try it, or, if you have tried it, try it again. Find a way to make it work because not only is it a simple way to bring in new clients, repeat business and referrals, it’s a great way to build your reputation as a leader in your practice area or market.

Even if you already have an effective marketing program in place and don’t “need” anything else, find a way to write or record something.

It doesn’t have to be brilliant. You don’t have to write journal-quality content, just a few words or thoughts or ideas relevant to the people in your target market or niche. A short message that lets you connect or re-connect with people you know and people you want to know is more powerful than you can imagine and takes less effort than you might fear.

Sending an email to 50 people is a lot easier than meeting with them in person, and nearly as effective.

You can write about subjects you’ve written about before (as I am doing right now); if it’s worth saying once, it’s worth saying again. And it doesn’t have to be original to you. Write about what other lawyers, experts, business leaders, authors, and others write or speak about. Tell why you agree with them or where you differ. What you liked about what they said and what you didn’t. Give your opinion, share your stories or thoughts, or just summarize theirs.

Or “steal” their ideas and write your own piece. Yes, you can. I do it all the time.

How often do you need to create or publish something? Once a week, or once a month, or even once in a while. Anything is better than “never”.

Hold on. Enough with all the questions. Instead of trying to figure it all out before you start, just start. Write something and send it to someone. Send it to one person. Someone you know or someone you want to know.

Can’t think of anyone? Send it to me.

Do it today. You’ll be glad you did.

Filed Under: Content creation, Marketing legal services, Newsletters

Don’t stop talking about the law

April 7, 2026 by David M. Ward

You have a newsletter, blog, podcast, or video channel. You create content for subscribers and followers, clients and prospects, and business contacts, and show them what you do and thus how you can help them or people they know.

And it works. It helps you build your practice.

Content about legal problems and solutions is a simple and effective way to educate your target market, drive traffic to your website, build your email list or social media following, attract leads and inquiries for your services, and otherwise get more cases and clients.

So, don’t stop doing it.

But there’s another way to use content to build your practice.

Besides “legal” content, you can also create content about subjects that interest your subscribers and followers:

Content about their industry, market, business, or local community, and/or
Content that could interest “anyone”.

Content about their industry or market is pretty straightforward. If you target small business owners, for example, you can create content that shows them how to get more customers or clients, improve their marketing or advertising, lower their expenses, or increase their productivity.

You can write this yourself, outsource it, or interview subject-matter experts or your clients.

What about content that might interest anyone? Here are some ideas:

Word-of-the day
Interesting quotes
Trivia
On-this-day in history
Quizes
Human interest stories
Product recommendations

Just about anything, really. But it’s probably a good idea to stay away from politics, religion, and inappropriate humor.

Either of these two types of “other” content gives your readers a break from your usual fare, which they might have stopped reading or watching if they haven’t recently had a legal issue. It might also make your content creation more enjoyable if you feel you’ve already said everything you need to say.

Of course, continue creating a preponderance of “legal” content, in the neighborhood of 80-90%, and a small percentage the other categories. You can also append “other” content to your regular legal content, adding a quote or interesting fact to the footer of your regular post.

But don’t be afraid to let go of legal-only content and do something different.

You might be surprised so see that your “other” content gets more comments, more suggestions and ideas, and more re-posting and sharing; that engagement is far greater than you now get with your “regular” legal content.

Would it be okay if your “other” content makes your numbers blow up?

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Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Newsletters

Marketing without the hype

October 9, 2025 by David M. Ward

Some attorneys resist using certain types of marketing, e.g., blogging, advertising, or email, because they don’t want clients or colleagues to see them as “needing” business and think less of them. Of course, some lawyers think this applies to most marketing and either don’t do it or do it reluctantly.

Whatever the cause of their resistance, one way to engage in marketing without the stigma attached to it, real or perceived, is to do it mindfully. In particular, this means paying attention to

Your content or message,
Your language and tone,
Your calls-to-action or offers, and
The frequency of your communication.

If you have testimonials or reviews you would like to use but don’t want to appear boastful, you could convert them into stories. Feature your best testimonials or reviews on your website, perhaps, but in your newsletter or article, speak about the case or matter that resulted in that testimonial to illustrate a point you’re making in your article.

For example, if you’re writing about tax strategies you recommend for high net worth individuals, after you describe the strategy, you might add that you recently used this strategy to reduce a client’s tax liability by 25%. You offer proof that your strategy works without sounding like an infomercial.

Which leads to something else you could and should do in your marketing—focus on strategies about solving problems, not selling your services.

“I’m a tax lawyer” might be an accurate statement but clients want to know what that means for them. If you say, “I help high net worth taxpayers minimize their tax exposure,” and reference your recent successful case to show what is possible, the focus is on the client more than on you.

Talk to clients and prospects about themselves, their business or industry, their wants and needs, more than about you and your services. But don’t take yourself completely out of the picture. After all, you are the one they will hire and rely on, and you should make the case for your ability to help them. Just don’t make it all about you.

To do that, use specific language and examples that show you understand them and have experience with clients like them. That means avoiding the generalities so common in lawyer marketing.

Don’t over-promise, but don’t hide your light under a bushel.

You want to be seen as a serious professional but friendly and relatable. The best way to do that is to talk “to” them, not “at” them, and to do it as plainly as possible.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Writing

A simple tool for attracting new clients

June 12, 2025 by David M. Ward

Your phone rings. A prospective client has a few questions or wants to make an appointment. He wasn’t a referral, didn’t see your ad or article, didn’t hear you interviewed, doesn’t follow you on social media, and hasn’t met you.

How does he know what you do and how you can help him?

He knows because he’s on your email list and, for weeks or months, or even years, has been hearing all about what you do and how you can help him.

He’s heard you discuss law and procedure and tell stories about cases you’ve handled. He’s heard what you do for your clients and believes you’re good at your job.

Whether you write a weekly or monthly newsletter or email your list from time to time, your list keeps you in touch with prospective clients, former clients, and business contacts. When they’re ready, they call.

You can’t do that effectively on social media. It’s out of your control. Algorithms change, policies change, and you never know who sees your information.

If you have an email list, however, you can contact your target market any time you want and know you’re addressing people who have actually chosen to hear from you.

They may not open every email, but they’re much more connected with you than they might be on social.

So, you need a list.

But you can’t (shouldn’t) just add names to a list and hit send. You want them to “opt in”.

You get them to do that by offering an incentive. Not just the information they get in your newsletter or blog or channel.

Something else.

It could be a report about a legal problem and solution you offer. It could be a guide to accomplishing something your target market wants to accomplish. It could be a form, a list of resources, or anything else a prospective client might want and be willing to sign up to get.

Offer them something they can download in exchange for their email address (also known as a lead magnet).

It has to be good. Don’t just throw something together. It should be valuable enough that people think, “Wow, I can’t believe they give this away for free.” That’s how you get more opt-ins and build trust with your audience.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have to be amazing. Solid information and a benefit-rich title can do the trick.

If you target small business owners, for example, a report or guide entitled, “22 Smart Strategies Business Owners Need To Stay Out Of Court” could be plenty.

Start with one lead magnet and use it to build your list. Over time, you can add more lead magnets, for different practice areas, different target markets, and different types of cases, to help you grow your list.

Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services, Newsletters Tagged With: Lead magnet

Email marketing (isn’t) dead

March 13, 2025 by David M. Ward

In fact, it’s better than ever. And better than just about any other type of marketing an attorney can do.

It’s better because it lets you communicate directly with past clients, prospective clients, and people who can refer, endorse and recommend you.

You can’t beat the price, the ease of use, or the speed with which email can produce results. A simple click and in a few minutes or a few hours, a new client could sit across from you, filling out paperwork and writing a check.

Why do some people say email marketing doesn’t work? Because they haven’t done it right, or done it at all.

Email doesn’t work when the emails are poorly written, uninteresting, or fail to tell readers what to do next.

Email doesn’t work when sent to people who haven’t heard from the sender in a long time and don’t remember them or never knew them, e.g., spam, and people who don’t need or want legal services or know people who might.

Email doesn’t work if the emails don’t get opened because they lack a compelling subject line.

Email doesn’t work when they don’t give readers a reason to respond or don’t carry a sense of urgency.

Email doesn’t work when emails are sent too frequently, or, more likely, not frequently enough.

And, for a lawyer, email doesn’t work when it lacks professionalism and trustworthiness, e.g., they make the lawyer look silly or desperate.

On the other hand, when done right, email marketing is one of the best kinds of marketing a lawyer can use.

Done right means building an opt-in list, staying in touch with the list, and providing value to your readers.

That’s good news because you can do that without breaking a sweat (or your bank account).

Your email may be brief. You don’t need to write every day. You just need to say enough, and often enough, to stay in the minds and mailboxes of people who can hire or refer you, and give them reasons to do that.

Here’s how to get started:

How to make your phone ring

Filed Under: Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters

How to never run out of ideas for your blog or newsletter

November 15, 2024 by David M. Ward

If you’re like me (and I’m sure you are), the writing is easy. The hard part is figuring out what to write about.

What do your readers want to know? What do they need to hear? What will they find interesting or useful?

If you create content, you need ideas. Lots of them. And you should start working on compiling a big list you can tap into when you need to write something and don’t have a topic.

A great way to get ideas is to steal them from other content creators. Or, if you prefer, “borrow” them because ideas don’t belong to anyone.

So, borrow ideas from other lawyers (in your field or in a complementary field). Borrow ideas from consultants, accountants, financial experts, business owners, and other smart or interesting people.

Borrow ideas from newsletters or blogs that target readers in your clients’ industries or local markets.

Borrow ideas from anything you see or hear that catches your attention and might be good to share with your clients and subscribers.

When you find a blog that has something you might use someday, bookmark it. If they have a newsletter, subscribe to it, so their posts wind up in your inbox.

A few good newsletters or blogs might give you enough ideas to last for months or years.

(NB: You might want to set up another email address for that purpose).

Then, use those ideas to create your own content when you need it and are late for court or need more sleep or can’t think of anything to say.

Grab someone’s article or post, summarize what they said and tell your readers why you agree or disagree. Or write about the same subject with your own examples or stories or reasoning.

Or just use their article or email as a prompt and write whatever comes to mind.

Because you don’t want to be late to court.

Filed Under: Blogging, Content creation, Newsletters

Nothing to write about?

October 1, 2024 by David M. Ward

You promised yourself you would write an article or blog post or newsletter, record a video, or prepare a talk for your networking group, but you don’t know what to write about.

Don’t panic. And don’t force it. Skip the day and try again tomorrow.

Tomorrow, you might

Republish something you wrote a year or two ago; yes, you can do that. Most of your readers won’t remember (or care). And you have new subscribers or audience who haven’t heard that story before.
Cut up that old 1200-word article and publish one of your points, perhaps 300 words, and call it a day.
Rewrite that older piece. Update the law, use different examples or arguments, add a new story, change the headline, and you’re good to go.

Great. Immediate problem solved. For the future, here are some options:

Consider allowing (or soliciting) guest posts from other lawyers or experts. Or asking a colleague to co-author an article with you.
Ask your readers to submit questions they would like you to answer.
Collect articles by other lawyers and experts that might interest your readers and use those articles to spark ideas for your next post. I do that all the time; can you tell?
Set up an idea file. Anything you think about, wonder about, hear about… throw it in this file and dig through that file when you’re looking for ideas.
Document your days: jot down a few lines about interesting or difficult clients or cases, opposing counsel, problems you solved, or people you meet, because it’s all fodder for your next post.

You can write about anything. And you should because it will make things a lot easier for you and more interesting for your readers.

Filed Under: Blogging, Content creation, Newsletters, Public Speaking