Look at your website and social media profiles. Are you sharing personal information online? You should be.
No, don’t be reckless. But don’t hide everything about your personal life, either.
Prospective clients, referral sources, and other people who find you online want to know what you are like. You, not your practice. What kind of a person are you? What motivates you? What do you do for fun?
People prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust. Personal details help people get to know you, like you, and trust you. A few details about your personal life can give them a sense of what it would be like work with you.
Your photo is a must. They need to see what you look like.
Post a few details about your background, hobbies, or outside interests. Tell them a story that illustrates what’s important to you, perhaps why you went to law school or how you were affected by a particular case.
Personal information can also give people reasons to like you. You like country music. You grew up in a small town. You like to cook. When a prospective client sees that and thinks, “me too!” they connect with you.
But even if they don’t share your background or personal interests, they can appreciate that you are a well rounded and passionate human being, not just a legal technician.
Share a few details about your personal life, but not too many. Too much information can work against you.
You may enjoy playing Words With Friends, but if you tell people you have 32 games going, they may think you are weird or not serious about your work.
Don’t talk about your sex life, dating life or health problems. Do talk about your kids, your family vacation, and your love of sports.
Avoid politics and religion, unless you are marketing to people who share your politics or religion and you don’t care about losing everyone else.
It’s okay to mention that you like to have a glass of wine with dinner. Don’t talk about sleeping it off on a friend’s sofa.
Humor is tricky. If it is in good taste and truly funny, it’s a good thing. Too much of a good thing can make you look unprofessional.
Sharing personal information online or with your clients and professional contacts will bring you more business. You may want clients to hire you because you’re really good at what you do but if they hire you because they like your smile or you went to the same college, that’s okay, isn’t it?
Learn more about sharing personal information online in Make the Phone Ring.
