Recently a client showed me a comparison of two different law firm websites – one was written with emotional language such as ‘we understand’, ’empathy’ and ‘sensitivity’ woven into the content, and the other was composed in a more straightforward, direct style that lacked any emotional words. This got me thinking – is it a good idea to try and connect with clients via your firm’s communications with emotionally driven words, or should a law firm’s tone of voice portray confidence, authority and directness at all times?

Different Stokes for Different Folks

When it comes to writing the content for your firm’s website (and this includes blogs and white papers), the fundamental rule is;  write for the audience.  Prospective clients who want to read about your family law services are engaged and persuaded by a much more emotional, empathetic style of writing than company directors who are perusing your mergers & acquisitions page. Think about it, a marital breakup is one of the most stressful events a person can go through in their lifetime.  Most prospective clients want to know that the solicitor they engage to negotiate and implement their childcare and financial settlements is competent and experienced, but will also express empathy and understanding in the face them breaking down in tears in his or her office. On the other side of the legal services spectrum, attracting corporate clients in today’s competitive market requires your law firm’s content to showcase your organisation’s expertise, resourcefulness and commercial prowess.  A prospective corporate client is primarily interested in whether or not you can do your job better, faster and cheaper than your competitors in the legal market. The same applies to all segments of law; ie. the tone of voice in your employment services webpages needs to be differ, depending on whether you are writing for employees or empolyers.  Otherwise you risk sounding unimaginative and talking at the reader rather than to the reader (and there is a big difference between these two styles)

The Golden Rule

As with any form of content marketing, the golden rule is to think about your audience and who you are writing for.  People buy from people they like; therefore, providing an emotional connection through your firm’s copywriting does have a place.  But only with the right type of client. To find out more about creating the right tone of voice for your law firm’s communications, phone our office on 01 767 600544 to have a chat about your legal content marketing goals. If you have any thoughts about the role of emotional language in legal copywriting please feel free to jot your thoughts down in the comments section below.