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Attorney Website Content: Guide to Using Colloquialisms & Legal Jargon

Alex Valencia
 | 
Published   May 23, 2022

Does your attorney web content read like your state statutes? Or do you let your local jargon infiltrate your personal injury marketing blog? Your voice and choice of words is an important factor in what makes web content attractive to your readers. A good article writing service will pick up on the nature of your “language” and weave it into your content, but there are cases when too much conversational language or legal jargon isn’t the best marketing tool.

Working With Colloquialisms in Your Attorney Web Content

Colloquial phrases are an important part of any language. A popular example is the term for a “soft drink” – the northern mid-west states typically refer to this beverage as “pop” while southern states call it “soda” and other regions may use “cola” or “soda pop”. While all of these terms are correct, some are more commonly accepted than others in certain areas.

Geographically-specific words and phrases are a gray area when writing content for lawyers. For attorneys with local practices, throwing in regional sayings and popular terminology may be both helpful and harmful when it comes to web content.

Colloquialisms are not often used in formal writing and are more appropriate in spoken language. However, when your law firm blog has a more personal, casual tone, you may want to throw in a bit of “local color” when choosing your words. If your goal with your personal injury marketing is to establish yourself as a true local, using local language may be a good tactic for your web content.

Colloquialisms vs. Jargon – They Are Not the Same!

There’s a big difference between colloquial phrases and jargon. Colloquial phrases are geographically-based, while jargon is typically more profession-based. What we choose to call a soft drink is drastically different from choosing to call a slip and fall accident a case of “premises liability”.

Legal jargon is, in some cases, a turnoff in attorney web content. Your readers and potential clients are looking for legal information explained to them in terms they can easily understand. If they wanted to read through wordy state statutes or federal laws, they would seek the official texts.

When writing attorney web content you want to choose simple language appropriate for the level of education and/or understanding of a typical client. If you are dealing with the general public or clients largely unfamiliar with legal issues, you will want to simplify laws and avoid jargon like “mass tort reform” and any Latin legal terminology unless properly explained. Lawyers for business legal matters such as patent law may choose to use more advanced terms if they are common in discussion of regular legal business matters. It’s all about knowing your target audience.

Work with an Article Writing Service That Knows Your Language

Any article writing service worth its salt will know when it’s appropriate for attorney web content to use colloquialisms. At We Do Web Content, we take the time to really get to know our clients and develop the voice they want to portray through their web content.

To learn more about how our writers can put the best words on your blog, give us a call or fill out our contact form to speak with our sales manager to learn about the power of good attorney web content and personal injury marketing. 888-594-5442.

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