A picture may paint a thousand words, but in the expert
witness field you still need to find the right words to
describe your practice. It may sound easy, but it is not!
Even a seasoned writer searches for appropriate language.
Why is word selection important?
Reason # 1: Attorneys and paralegals find you online
by searching on keywords.
Reason # 2: Search engines categorize your
website based on Metatags and keyword density.
Reason # 3: Prospects look for certain phrases
when they need an expert witness with very specific
experience.
Expert witness directories like
HG
Experts.com give an additional boost to your listing by
promoting your keywords with Google text ads and higher
search engine positioning.
Five sources for industry buzz words
Now is a good time to take an inventory of your website
and promotional material. If your copy is stale, here are
some good places to look for useful ideas to freshen up your
own service descriptions.
- Monitor competitor sites and maintain a file of “best
practices.” Personalize and incorporate the good ideas
into your own work to keep your website and printed
materials current.
- Review websites of law firms that specialize in your
area of practice. Read their newsletters, articles and
practice descriptions to gather ideas on important words
and phrases you can use.
- Take notice of the presentations being made at leading
industry conferences. You will discover newsworthy
subjects described with catchy titles and important
keywords.
- Visit industry association websites to look for fact
sheets, press releases or newsletters that outline current
events. Add appropriate keywords to your own website to
stay up-to-date.
- Explore federal, state and local government agency
websites. These can be an excellent reference source for
legislation, regulations and enforcement actions.
Read national newspapers, local dailies, state Bar
Journals, online legal news sources and trade publications
to see how emerging trends and key industry issues are
described.
The “Ins” and “Outs” of good copywriting
Lawyers frequently need to know about standards and
practices. Identify terms and protocols that are reasonable
and customary in your field and include the technical
terminology in your service descriptions.
Standards-setting organizations govern best practices in
many industries. If you are an expert witness in standards
issued by ANSI, JCAHO, IEEE, ISO, UL or the alphabet soup of
other organizations, spell out the organization name,
include the acronym and specify the standard when you
describe your pertinent experience.
Industry metrics frequently guide professionals when they
evaluate a situation and determine a recommended course of
action. Examples include the Richter earthquake scale, the
Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale or the Stanford-Binet IQ
scale. You will want to document every scale in your field
that you can address in a court of law.
How often have you visited a website that spouts so many
generalities that it sounds like “blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah”? BORING! Do not let this happen to you. You will
not distinguish yourself in a crowded field by relying on
general terms like “courteous professional services” or
“high quality litigation services.”
About that picture worth a thousand words
Make sure your photo is prominent on your website. If
you are the sole proprietor of a small consulting service,
you may want to place your photo on your home page. Larger
firms should include photos on the web page that introduces
the executive team members.
A professional photographer is your best choice for a
photo, which should be no more than one to two years old.
Dress for your photo like you would dress for the
courtroom. Be sure to place your full name, title and
credentials under your photo when it appears online or in
print.
Ask your webmaster to include an “ALT” HTML tag as part
of the coding for your online photo, which means that your
name will appear in a small box when a visitor moves their
mouse over your photo. Search engines read and remember ALT
tags, so this can help reinforce your Internet presence.
A word of caution
Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a straightforward business
document with a generally prescribed format. Present your
work history, publications and other accomplishments in a
very straightforward business manner. This is not the place
to indulge in extraneous descriptive text.
Keep in mind that we work in the legal field, which can
be a two-edged sword. Choose your words carefully. Do not
overstate your expertise. Do not imply that your
contribution will be the deciding factor in winning a case.
In summary
Stick to the facts, describe your services thoughtfully
and you will be well positioned for enhanced online
visibility.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Margaret Grisdela is President
of
Expert Law Marketing and
Legal Expert Connections, specializing in business
development in the legal market and expert witness
recruitment. She served as the 2005 President of the
Florida
Direct Marketing Association. You can reach her at
mg@legalexpertconnections.com.
More Information about the author at
Legal Expert Connections, Inc.
Copyright - (c) Legal Expert Connections, Inc.
