Using Actionable Language That Converts Users Into Leads

Tim Sherrill | September 29, 2020

Attorneys, Use Actionable Language That Converts users!

Actionable Language puts your clients at ease, safe in knowing that you’re going to help them successfully navigate the law.

It Starts by understanding you’re a guide through the legal system.

You’re experienced practicing the law, and when it comes to your practice areas, sharing that knowledge helps cement your authority, which doesn’t mean showering yourself in accolades.

You need to take things a step further and share how your authority will help, which sets you apart from other attorneys & this begins with removing “I” from the conversation.

It’s Your Client’s Journey. They Are the Hero Seeking Solutions.

As an attorney, you’re well practiced, handling countless matters similar to what your website user is going through. 

It’s important to know that the problems we face in our daily lives reflect

the oldest story ever told, “The Heroes Journey.”  

No, we aren’t entering a dungeon to slay a dragon, but if we’re in your clients’ shoes, their problem may as well be a dragon, and as their guide, it’s your job to help provide them the tools to slay it.

So How Do You Convey to Users on Your Website You Can Help Them?:

  • Begin with addressing what they may be going through – Having experience representing numerous clients in your practice area. You can safely speak to what they may be facing.
  • Explain their options and what qualifications they need in an attorney – Having identified trends with previous clients, you can now layout what your client needs in an attorney. At this point, please don’t call yourself out as the attorney they need; instead, ensure your users know exactly the qualifications they need in an attorney, no matter who they choose.
  • Remind users what they’ll continue to face without help – It’s not to be mean. Still, your users need reminding of the pain they’re going to continue to feel by representing themselves or procrastinating by shopping around for a bargain attorney.
  • Painting yourself as the guide toward their solutions – This is your chance to remind users that you meet every qualification you laid out for them in hiring an attorney and that you’re here to help them solve their problems.
  • Sharing your experience & authority – This is your chance for a humblebrag, making sure users know why you’re so experienced in your practice area, building upon that authority.
  • Ensure users hear from your satisfied clients – Sharing testimonials from clients on your practice area page provides someone else’s perspective for a user to gravitate. Associations with other people who are willing to speak of your qualities boost your “street cred.”
  • If you haven’t already, provide that call-to-action – In marketing, you always have to ask for the sale. Providing consistent & apparent calls to action are essential. It may seem tacky, even shameless, but you need clients to stay in business.

It’s Not just the words you use, but how they’re placed on the page.

Actionable Language is also about getting to the point and not burying the lead by ensuring essential content surfaces on the page.  

You are writing for skimmers. Your users are online researching, looking for clear answers, and probably looking at other attorneys too.

Writing dense paragraphs is far from appealing online. You might as well present a wall. Instead, break your page content into sections, allowing users to get a sense of your content quickly.

Below I’ve bulleted out five tips to help you in this endeavor.

5 Tips to Follow When Writing Content for Your Practice:

  • Use headings to Establish a hierarchy – Your H1 mirrors the page title and sets expectations. 
  • Don’t bury the lead – The H1, H2, H3, H4, etc., and bold text highlight main points, with your most important content living under the H1 and H2 headings.
  • If things can be bulleted, then do so – Lists are a perfect or when presenting related points in succession. The bulleted text provides emphasis and is easy for readers to ingest.
  • Be consistent with your calls-to-action – If your goals are email signups, ensure that all your contact options on the page are pointing towards email signups. 
  • Don’t forget internally linking to related content on your website – Linking to more in-depth content gives users an option to learn even more while still getting what they need from the page.

Now That You Have the Tools, Set Time Aside to Write Content.

Actionable content takes practice, and without practice, there is no progress.

Keeping to a schedule is crucial as well. Otherwise, you stop making time to write, and your goals of writing content evolve from a small task to a hill, and then suddenly, you’re confronted with a mountain.

I get it. Your days are filled with client work, and life doesn’t stop after hours.

You still need to focus on personal matters as well.

There is no sense in making gains in your professional life if your personal life is eroding underneath your feet. That may be a bit extreme, but you get my point.

No Time to Write Content For Your Practice? I Have a Solution. 

Find yourself a content writer. Preferably someone familiar with writing for the legal industry, understanding your client’s pain points and practiced in writing for the Web.

It’s crucial to delegate but to the right people. Otherwise, you’ll spend as much time editing as you would have writing the content yourself.

Our Seasoned Content Writers at Mockingbird Can Help You. 

At Mockingbird, we know how to write for the web, and don’t market to just any industry. We are specialists in marketing for attorneys.

We understand our client’s pain points and are more than comfortable writing for the legal industry, and creating actionable content is our staple.

Plus, our extensive practice writing for attorneys almost guarantees your need for edits will be minimal, saving you time.

What are you waiting for!? Reach out, and chat with Emily on our sales team and Conrad, our President and founder. 

They’d love to hear from you, and so would I. 

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