Award-winning Michigan personal injury lawyer and the managing partner and lead trial attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.
If you are a lawyer who is looking for an excellent marketing strategy to distinguish your firm from the competition, consider writing your own published materials. A well-written guide or handbook is not only an educational tool but a great resource for potential clients.
I began writing legal books 10 years ago after attending a legal marketing conference. At first, the task seemed overwhelming. It became more manageable once I narrowed down the main topics. My books are written in simple, plain English because they are intended for non-lawyers. If you’re planning to write a book, instead of writing legal treatises with case law and statutory citations, consider writing informational guides for consumers and small businesses. You can offer the books on your law firm website, distribute them at conferences, or even send them to your existing client base.
Self-publishing a book has never been easier. There are numerous self-publishing websites that make the process simple. We have used Word Association Publishers to print our books and create our book covers. Many publishers also offer editing and other services.
Writing a book helps to establish a lawyer as the expert in the field. A prospective client who leaves your office with a book in hand is more likely to hire your firm than an attorney who has not written one. For example, we have written nine books on the specific types of personal injury cases my firm handles. These include “The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook” and the “The Ultimate Michigan Medical Malpractice Handbook.” Other topics include nursing home neglect lawsuits, child injury accidents, and motorcycle accidents — all topics our clients want to understand better.
When you give away a book on your website or at a conference, you can also obtain the recipient’s mailing address, which will help you grow your marketing database for newsletters and future campaigns. Our firm has given away thousands of books since we added this strategy to our marketing campaigns. They have helped us generate a substantial number of new clients. They also save us a tremendous amount of time answering questions for prospective clients because the clients have a better understanding of the issues and the legal process before they even come into our office. Many times, the books serve to filter out clients who realize that they do not have a case after reading the book.
Unlike a business card or brochure that ends up at the bottom of a desk drawer or in the garbage can, many people keep our books for years in their library or with their other legal documents. It is not unusual for a book recipient to give our book to a family member or friend even years later when the need for legal services arises. This has been a great source of referral business for our firm.
Most lawyers have strong writing skills and great knowledge of their practice specialties, so writing a book is a natural way to market their practice. If you do not have the time to write a book, you can find a ghostwriter or have your legal interns help you put the first few drafts together under your guidance. A well-written book will help you attract new clients and establish you as an expert in your field.
The information provided here is not legal advice and does not purport to be a substitute for advice of counsel on any specific matter. For legal advice, you should consult with an attorney concerning your specific situation.
