If you look at a lot of law firm webpages and advertisements, they often go down the same path.  There is a lot of puffing.  There is a lot of needless bragging.  There are a lot of big words, including adjectives, that a law firm wrongly thinks will help them get new business.  In actuality, this is a counter-productive path.

In terms of professional responsibilities, there might be some concerns with a law firm over-puffing if a law firm goes too far.  But just from a marketing standpoint, law firms need to tone done the puffing if they want to get new business, develop credibility, etc.  The puffing doesn’t help.  It actually hurts develop trust and credibility.

For example, if a potential client goes to a law firm’s webpage and reads that you are the top attorney, an excellent attorney, the best attorney, etc., most clients are going to see through it if you don’t have the credentials, awards or resume to back it up.  In this instance, potential clients are likely to sniff through it and be turned off because the claim isn’t credible.

Likewise, if potential clients read that you are tenacious, aggressive, dynamic, talented, unwavering, fantastic, superior, exceptional, etc., potential clients are going to be turned off as well.  It sounds like you are trying too hard.  It sounds empty.  It doesn’t tell the client anything substantively about your firm or the services you provide, except that you have an over-inflated esteem of yourself.

Versus all the puffing, bragging and the use of big words and adjectives that talk about how great you think you and your firm are, take that all off your webpage and advertisements.  Focus instead on what you can do to help make the client’s life better.  Without using the meaningless adjectives and puffing, tell them about your law firm in a factual manner.  Explain what you do, how you do it and the services your firm offers.  Educate potential clients as well about the area of law in which you practice.  It’s okay to sound confident about the services your firm offers, but you can do it in a way that isn’t over-done.

If you have received awards, won appeals, wrote books or spoken at CLEs, this is good stuff to mention.  By all means include this on your webpage in an appropriate and classy way.  Clients like to see this and it does add credibility because the client can verify the award you received.

However, if you don’t have the awards, appeal wins, books or CLEs on your webpage, the puffing, bragging and use of empty adjectives aren’t going to fill in what is missing on your biography or your law firm’s webpage and advertisements.  If you go there, most potential clients of quality will be turned off and see right through it.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.