Lawyer Newsletters - Think You Can Write A Good Newsletter? Think Again

By Gerry Oginski

Have you read a typical lawyer's newsletter? They're awful.

Many lawyer newsletters come from the same printing company, with the same logo, photos of generic lawyerly things like a gavel, a court house or a court room, and the only thing different is the name of the law firm.

These same "fancy" newsletters printed in glossy paper tell you how great these law firms are and give you a sermon about some arcane and useless law that nobody is interested in. Those same newsletters try to show you how smart the law firm is by knowing the law.

To be quite honest, most people I know throw those fancy printed brochures away without even reading them- even if they have glossy paper and nice pictures. Some lawyers looking for a way to connect with clients take the lazy approach- they don't want to be bothered with actually having to write new material for their quarterly newsletter, and are happy to have it done generically.

For those lawyers who don't have a newsletter, the question is "Why not?" What better way to market yourself to existing clients and friends and family who may not know what you do and how you do it? It doesn't have to be expensive or fancy. It could even be a post-card that tells people what you do and what new things are going on in your office.

There's a secret to writing good legal newsletters...
Are you ready to hear it?
Do you think your fancy glossy brochure will get a potential client to look at your newsletter? Do you think the color will cause them to read what you have to say? How about photos of a construction working falling off a ladder?

In my opinion, none of these things will attract anyone- especially a person who you want to become a client. Why? Because they simply don't care what you have to say. Yet, you argue that people want to see how brilliant you are and that no one else could possibly know as much about your area of law than you.

Well, if you want to believe that, you go right on believing it. It's not true, but that's ok, since you can still be the only one who believes that. So what's the secret to writing a great lawyer's newsletter?

The secret is NOT to write about all things legal. What do I mean? I mean exactly what I say. Most people do not want to read about law. The only time they reach out to a lawyer is when they have a problem that needs to be solved. Not before. Telling them about slip and fall cases and whether you can prove liability and causation means nothing to them if they haven't fallen and injured themselves. So why waste your time and money trying to market to a person who doesn't want anything to do with you?

You can still do it, but don't write about the law. Instead, write about a favorite recipe; tell a story that you think is fascinating; give some holiday tips; provide a solution to a common problem that your potential clients can relate to. Make them realize that you're human, and not a law machine. Show them you care.

Giving information to someone who doesn't want it is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

I see so many wasted newsletters that simply go in the garbage. Also, why are you only sending out newsletters quarterly? Why not monthly? Are you sending them online too? You should. If you send newsletters online, make sure you have an opt-out button, otherwise you might be accused of spamming.

Why should you take my advice? Take a look at my newsletters. I've been producing, creating, designing, developing my newsletters for the past few years. Once they're created, I print, fold and stamp them. The newsletters receive accolades from colleagues, adversaries, friends and relatives. The comments I hear most-often are about the stories I write having absolutely nothing to do with law. "I love your story. I can't wait till next month to find out what happens." "Your fictional story was so intense I couldn't stop reading." After receiving one newsletter, a relative of mine called to ask the name of the doctor who was able to cure cancer- she wanted his name because she knew someone who needed to see him. Unfortunately for my cousin, the story was pure fiction. Despite her disappointment she was riveted to the story.

To see the newsletters I refer to, go over to www.oginski-law.com and click on the "Newsletters" section, and decide for yourself whether these newsletters are interesting and worthy of sending on to a friend or relative.

Gerry Oginski is an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, New York, Staten Island, Nassau & Suffolk. He has tirelessly represented injured victims in all types of medical malpractice and injury cases for over 19 years. As a solo practitioner he is able to devote 100% of his time to each individual client. A client is never a file number in his office.

Take a look at Gerry's website http://www.oginski-law.com and read his free special reports on malpractice and accident law. Read actual testimony of real doctors in medical malpractice cases. Learn answers to your legal questions. We have over 200 FAQs to the most interesting legal questions. Read about his success stories. Read the latest injury and malpractice news. I guarantee there's something for you. See Gerry's website at http://www.oginski-law.com - Call him at 516-487-8207.

Also, go over to http://medicalmalpracticetutorial.blogspot.com for Gerry's free instructional videos on malpractice & accident law.

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