THE FACTS Personal Branding For Attorneys

Attorneys with a strong personal brand receive more referrals and clients who retain them than their invisible counterparts. Hiding behind the firm's brand simply isn't enough to stand out in this age when people seek to work with service providers they know and trust. But how can they "know" you before they actually meet you? In a word, content. The key building blocks of an attorney's personal brand include specializing in a practice area where you can be perceived as an expert. Add consistent visibility through your posts, articles, videos, and speaking events. Make it relatable by incorporating personal stories because, yes, your followers are interested to see that you played terribly at a charity golf tournament, but it didn't matter because the cause was worth it. They want to know that you and your best friends from high school just won the pig roast competition for the alum of your alma mater. Followers also want to see your thought leadership so they can be confident that you would represent them well. And they want to hear from your other clients about what a positive experience they had working with you and the results you obtained for them.

A personal brand for a legal professional is more than just a logo or a website. It is the impression you make on others, including your reputation, expertise, values, and the unique way you approach your work and interact with clients and your team. It's about intentionally shaping how you are perceived in the legal community and by potential clients. For attorneys, a strong personal brand can significantly impact their career trajectory, client acquisition, and overall influence within their practice area. It differentiates you from other legal practitioners and establishes you as a trusted authority.

Why Attorneys Should Focus on Personal Branding

These days, when information is readily available, and potential clients have many options, simply being a skilled attorney is often not enough. Building a personal brand provides a distinct advantage. Research consistently shows the tangible impact of a well-cultivated personal brand for legal professionals.

Trust is a fundamental element in the attorney-client relationship. According to a Nielsen Trust Report, over 88% of people state they would only retain a lawyer they personally trust and feel a connection with. Personal branding helps build this trust more quickly and effectively than relying solely on the firm's brand. It allows potential clients to see the individual behind the services, creating a sense of connection and reliability.

Clients often hire the individual attorney, not just the firm they represent. The Clio Legal Trends Report indicated that 62% of legal clients reported that the attorney's reputation influenced their decision more than the firm's name. This underscores the direct impact an attorney's individual standing has on attracting business. Your personal reputation, built through consistent professional conduct and visible expertise, directly contributes to client acquisition.

Increased brand visibility directly correlates with a higher volume of cases. The ABA Legal Technology Survey found that attorneys who actively build a personal brand on platforms like LinkedIn and other social media channels see up to 55% more inbound inquiries compared to those who do not. Being visible and active online helps you stay top-of-mind for potential clients seeking legal assistance.

A strong personal brand can also command premium pricing. Data from the Thomson Reuters “State of the Legal Market” suggests that lawyers with established personal brands can charge up to 20% higher hourly rates. The perceived authority and expertise associated with a strong personal brand justify premium fees in the eyes of clients.

Personal branding also provides a significant boost to SEO and organic search performance. A BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey indicated that attorney names, rather than firm names, account for 74% of "lawyer near me" search clicks on Google. This confirms that potential clients are often searching for individuals, making a strong online personal presence crucial for discoverability. Are they searching for you?

Furthermore, a robust personal brand provides crisis resilience. The Edelman Trust Barometer suggests that attorneys with strong personal brands recover twice as quickly from reputational challenges, such as negative reviews, lawsuits, or media crises, due to the goodwill they have built with their audience. This built-up trust acts as a buffer during difficult times. While your marketing team can certainly help remove negative reviews from your Google Profile that are at odds with Google's policies, sometimes the other side can go rogue and it certainly helps if you have a solid online reputation that is difficult to trash.

Finally, personal branding provides competitive differentiation, particularly in saturated legal markets. In areas with many legal professionals offering similar services, a personal brand creates an emotional distinction that legal skills alone may not provide. As emphasized by the Harvard Business Review in an article on trust in service industries, personal connection and trust are key differentiators in making buying decisions.

As our CEO Diane Moura puts it, "Being top-of-funnel for your practice is no longer optional for a law firm leader. It is your responsibility to use your personal brand to attract clients." There has been a shift in the legal industry, where proactive personal branding is now seen as a core responsibility for firm leaders.

The Building Blocks of a Personal Brand for an Attorney

Building a personal brand is a strategic process that involves several key components, each supported by research demonstrating its impact on an attorney's success. Understanding how to build your personal brand in your law practice involves focusing on these key elements.

1. Authentic Expertise

Clients prioritize proven expertise and specialization over general legal knowledge. The ABA Legal Trends Report found that lawyers with a clearly defined niche, such as "medical malpractice defense for physicians," are 70% more likely to receive referrals. Identifying and focusing on a specific area of law allows you to position yourself as a leading authority in that field. This involves not only possessing the necessary skills but also actively demonstrating your knowledge through your work and communication.

2. Consistent Visibility

You cannot build trust or attract clients if they can't find what you're all about when they search. In our experience, you can't be trusted if you're invisible. Being "top of mind" requires a steady presence — weekly content on LinkedIn or articles boosts recall by 300%. (Source: Hootsuite Social Trends Report). Consistent visibility ensures that when potential clients need legal services in your area of expertise, you are among the first attorneys they consider. This involves regularly sharing insights, participating in relevant discussions, and being generous in sharing your expertise online.

3. Personal Storytelling

People connect emotionally before they trust rationally. Attorneys who share personal stories or client success journeys build client loyalty that is as their counterparts, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. Sharing authentic stories helps humanize your brand and allows potential clients to relate to you on a deeper level. This can involve discussing your motivations, your passion for your work, or the positive outcomes you have achieved for clients (while respecting confidentiality of course).

4. Thought Leadership

Positioning yourself as a guide and authority in your field is crucial. Publishing articles, speaking at events, or commenting on industry issues builds "authority bias," meaning clients may assume you are more capable simply because you educate others. Nielsen Behavioral Research supported this concept. By sharing your insights and perspectives, you establish yourself as a knowledgeable leader, attracting clients who seek expert guidance.

5. Professional Visual Identity

Perception significantly influences reality, especially in the online world. A Legal Marketing Study found that branded headshots, consistent colors and fonts across online platforms, and a polished website lead to higher conversion rates, with up to 34% more calls from website visitors. A professional visual identity creates a consistent and credible impression, reinforcing your expertise and professionalism. This means that as the firm's partners promote their personal brands, they should remain consistent in look and feel with the firm's brand guidelines.

6. Trust Signals

What others say about you often matters more than what you say about yourself. Testimonials, reviews, awards, and media mentions build a "trust halo," which can increase client sign-up rates by 40%, according to a BrightLocal Trust Survey. Social proof provides external validation of your skills and reputation, making potential clients more confident in choosing you.

7. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

The practice of law often involves navigating complex and emotional situations. Clients typically have very strong feelings about their case, and they want to retain an attorney who both gets them and will wrap that passion with expertise and a drive to deliver results. Attorneys perceived as "empathetic and responsive" outperform in client retention by over 50%, as highlighted by Harvard Business Review research on emotional intelligence. Demonstrating empathy and strong interpersonal skills builds rapport and strengthens the attorney-client relationship.

For attorneys, building a personal brand is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort and consistency. Particularly when the economy is soft, and the firm may not have the same budget to put behind more traditional advertising channels like PPC, billboards, radio, and TV, attorney partners can still generate attention for the firm through their personal brands. For attorneys who are not yet comfortable on video, there are options to make it easier, particularly because being on video really is no longer optional. But consider being filmed with someone interviewing you. It is often less daunting than staring down the lens of a camera, and the interviewer can always be cropped out in post production. This approach will deliver long-form content as well as a number of clips for reels and shorts. Plus, when your authentic input is captured on video, your marketing team can repurpose it into multiple forms of audio, video, and written content, lightening the load on you to produce that content. And when you start to get the hang of it, the next step is to start a podcast! This can be a great way to connect with referral partners and build stronger relationships. It's far easier than you might think!

By focusing on authentic expertise, consistent visibility, personal storytelling, thought leadership, a professional visual identity, trust signals, and emotional intelligence, attorneys can create a powerful personal brand that attracts clients, builds trust, and establishes them as leaders in their field. If you're an attorney and you haven't yet gone all in on your personal brand, now is the time to start! Our team can make it easy for you. Connect with us today!