One of the most important legal marketing tools a bankruptcy attorney needs is a professional online biography. Clients decide to hire bankruptcy attorneys based on a variety of factors that range from credibility to experience to, simply, a good feeling about the bankruptcy attorney. A well-crafted bankruptcy attorney bio helps clients decide who to hire, so it’s important that the bio is done right.
Fortunately, with a little strategy and thoughtfulness, it isn’t hard to get a bankruptcy attorney bio right! By using the approach outlined below, bankruptcy attorneys can build an online bio that attracts clients and leads to business.
Ask: Who Am I?
The first step is to identify your bankruptcy attorney personal brand. A bankruptcy attorney’s personal brand is, basically, a story. Think about what set you on this career path, what drives and interests you, and what you are trying to achieve. Recognize what makes you professionally and personally different from your competitors by uncovering your bankruptcy law value proposition. Lastly, to discover your target audience, pair your practice experience with the types of potential clients who need a bankruptcy attorney like you.
Knowing who you are and incorporating that information into your bankruptcy attorney bio will make it distinct and accurate. Most importantly, though, it will make you impressive to potential clients looking to connect with the person behind the experience.
Answer: What Can You Do for Me?
A major mistake that bankruptcy attorneys often make in their professional bios is to write about themselves without relating that information to the client. While the act of reading a bankruptcy attorney’s bio is seemingly to ascertain if they are qualified, the client is really reading to determine if and how this bankruptcy attorney can help them or their business specifically.
The information you uncovered in No. 1 above should be discussed in a way that answers this important “what can you do for me?” client question. Some examples of how this works:
“For more than 30 years, Jane Smith has helped individuals and families experiencing insurmountable debt from medical bills. With empathy and know-how, Jane guides clients through the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process to reach reasonable settlements with creditors so that they may begin to rebuild their financial well-being.”
“When Michael Jones was a child, his single father lost his job, and the debt collectors began calling. Having seen first-hand the stress and frustration this situation can cause, Michael decided to pursue a career as a bankruptcy attorney to help families like him navigate the confusing and complex bankruptcy process.”
Remember: Potential clients are people and they want to know that they can have a good attorney-client relationship with the bankruptcy attorney they are trusting at this difficult time. You can give them that peace of mind in your bankruptcy attorney bio.
Tell: Why You
When thinking about bankruptcy attorney bios, this is the information you would most expect to be included. You want to establish your credibility as a bankruptcy attorney by showing your qualifications and skills. Many bankruptcy attorneys struggle with this because they don’t want to look like they’re “bragging.” However, a bankruptcy attorney bio that tells potential clients how they can be helped, just as previous clients were helped, is not bragging — the bankruptcy attorney is giving them the information they need to make an informed decision.
Here are some of the items to include on your bankruptcy attorney bio to build credibility with potential clients:
- Awards and accolades
- Leadership positions within the firm
- Involvement in professional and community organizations
- Board memberships
- Links to thought leadership articles published either on the firm’s website or in external publications
- Client successes
- Client testimonials
Include: The Basics
There is certain information that every effective bankruptcy attorney bio must have. To not include these basics would be a disservice to potential clients and your business development and marketing goals. They include:
A professional photo that clearly shows your face, is high quality, and is an accurate representation of who you are. This includes ensuring the photo is not outdated. You don’t want your potential new client focusing on how different you look or how vain and deceitful you are when you meet for an initial consultation.
Contact information so that potential new clients, or referral sources or others, such as news reporters or conference organizers looking for expert speakers, can easily find you. This includes a phone number and an email address. Many attorneys who work with businesses use V-cards on bios that professionals can download right into their contact lists.
Where you went to school, both undergraduate and law school, and any other academic programs you attended, or degrees or certificates held. Whether you choose to weave this information into the narrative of the bio or set it apart in a list depends on your preferences and, likely, your firm’s website design.
Where you are admitted to practice law, including what states you are licensed in and what courts you are admitted to.
A discussion about your practice and the types of matters you handle. Some bankruptcy attorney bios may also list this information as bullet points, i.e., Chapter 13, Repossessions, Foreclosures, etc. If you list the practice areas, be sure to also describe your practice in the narrative — but keep in mind No. 2 above.
Many bankruptcy attorneys are incorporating videos into bios. These very short videos give potential clients a great way to get to know you better and can make them feel more connected.
Communicate: Presentation Matters
Another major mistake bankruptcy attorneys make is to reiterate their C.V. without thinking about how this information relates to their personal brand and makes them enticing to potential clients. Select a tone that is professional yet conversational. A bankruptcy attorney bio should be clear, concise, and consistent. This means it should not include legalese unless it is accompanied by a plain-language explanation. See 5 Tips for Writing an Attorney Bio for more guidance.
At its core, a bankruptcy attorney bio is a content marketing tactic in a bankruptcy law marketing strategy, plan, or campaign. Therefore, it should follow all the legal marketing communications best practices. This includes strategic use of keywords for search engine optimization (SEO) and compliance with rules governing attorney marketing and communications.
A bankruptcy attorney bio should be treated as a living document. Your experience is constantly changing, so your bankruptcy attorney bio should be updated regularly to reflect new client successes, professional involvements, awards, etc. Set a reminder to review your bankruptcy attorney bio every six months — the more often you make small changes the easier it is to maintain.
