Best bios: A newsworthy narrative
I encourage my clients to create online bios that are more than simple lists of credentials -- bios and profiles that can stand alone as marketing documents. These generally include three categories: a narrative, case studies and personal quotes. This post talks about the narrative section.
Each narrative should begin with the law firm marketing statement. It continues by placing an individual lawyer withing the context of that statement. In other words, how does this particular lawyer fit into the big picture and contribute to the "whole" that is the firm? It is important to include this information on each page of a Web site so that, once a bio or other item is printed out from the Web site, it can function as a free-standing marketing document for the firm.
In the next sentence, state the lawyer's practice area and unique focus within that area. Then, proceed like a news story. A news story always starts with a news peg -- what is currently most interesting about this lawyer and his or her practice? The news peg is what gets a readers's attention and makes the reader want to learn more.
Think like a potential client who has printed out three bios of lawyers for a potential representation -- and is looking at these bios spread out on his or her desk. How can you make yours stand out from the others -- and get the call? Is your bio a routine list of credentials -- or is it recent and compelling. Does it place you at the cutting edge of your selected practice area?
Most Web site bios today pull certain categories of routine information from a database -- items like "education," "publications" and "admitted to practice." Because of this, there is rarely a need to repeat this information (which makes most readers' eyes glaze over) within the narrative -- unless it is particularly recent, unusual and newsworthy. Don't distract readers from your message with these mind-numbing credentials that mean little to the average reader.
The only time I might duplicate database info in the narrative, for example, is if a lawyer not only graduated from law school, but graduated first in his or her class. That means something. (I will sometimes discuss law school info and awards in the narrative section of the bio of a young associate -- who has not practiced long enough to accumulate newsworthy professional accomplishments.) I might include a publication in the narrative if a lawyer who focuses on employment law recently spoke or published on the new amendments to the ADA, which took effect in January 2009 (with a link to the full text). it has to amplify, not dilute the message.
Keep the narrative section focused on relatively recent accomplishments. A narrative that is packed with old accomplishments (unless these remain truly newsworthy) leaves the reader with the impression that the lawyer has become complacent and is not at the cutting edge of his or her area of practice. Clients want a lawyer whose skills are up-to-date. This is valuable online real estate. Once you have made partner, it is assumed you have many more interesting things to talk about than where and when you went to law school and the fact that you once wrote an article on environmental law (when you now practice professional liability). That's old news.
Finally, use graphic cues to make the narrative section of your online biography easy to read. All too often, Web site bios are one big chunk of text. Online readers (and print readers, too, for that matter) want to skim -- not read. If you don't make it easy, they will not read. I can hardly plow through some of these bios -- and I am being paid to do it! What will a client do? The client will pick up and read the bio that doesn't look like hard work.
Use short paragraphs (no more than three sentences) with generous white space in between. Use column widths that are not too narrow and not too wide -- but just right. Use keywords to attract search engines to your narrative. Keep the narrative section of your bio to 300 words or less (use internal links to other parts of your site when you want to amplify something). Ideally, this first section will fit on one screen of text. Never, never, never -- no matter what a graphic designer tells you -- put your bio text reversed in white on a dark background. It is very hard to read. Remember -- many senior executives in a position to hire you are older and may have bad eyesight!
