StoryBrand for
Law Firms

Most law firms waste money telling their own story while potential clients struggle to understand how you can actually help them solve their problems. We implement the StoryBrand framework to position your firm as the trusted guide in your clients’ story, because making your client the hero isn’t just better marketing – it’s the only way to stand out in today’s oversaturated legal market.

Most law firms are absolutely dreadful at marketing. They love to drone on about their expertise, their prestigious offices, and their “unwavering commitment to excellence.” The problem? Nobody cares.

At Practice Proof, we’re StoryBrand Certified Coaches, trained by Donald Miller who wrote the best-selling, “Building a StoryBrand.” In both our study and deploying StoryBrand, what the data tells us: success has nothing to do with how eloquently you can tell stories about your firm’s dedication. It has everything to do with how clearly you can position your client as the hero of their own story.

The Fundamental Problem with Legal Marketing

Here’s what typically happens: A law firm decides to “improve their marketing.” They hire an agency. They create a beautiful website filled with images of gavels, scales of justice, and stern-looking partners in expensive suits. They write lengthy prose about their “decades of combined experience” and their “client-focused approach.”

And then they wonder why their marketing isn’t working.

Here’s why: They’re making themselves the hero of the story. This is precisely what Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework tells us NOT to do. The research shows this conclusively – companies that position themselves as the hero see significantly lower results than those who position themselves as the guide.

The StoryBrand Framework: What Actually Works

Let’s break down how law firms should ACTUALLY use the StoryBrand framework, based on proven results:

1. The Hero (Your Client)

• Not your firm
• Not your partners
• Not your impressive track record Your client is the hero. Full stop.

2. The Problem (Their Legal Challenge) External Problem: The specific legal issue they’re facing Internal Problem: How it makes them feel (confused, worried, overwhelmed) Philosophical Problem: Why it shouldn’t be this way
3. The Guide (Your Firm) Show empathy: “We understand how overwhelming legal challenges can be” Show authority: Brief evidence you can help (note: brief)
4. The Plan Three simple steps. Not twelve. Not eight. Three. Example:
5. Schedule a consultation
6. We create your legal strategy
7. We handle your case while keeping you informed
8. Call to Action One clear, direct call to action Not “contact us to learn more about our extensive services” But “Schedule your free consultation now”
9. Success What does success look like for your CLIENT? Not “we win cases” But “you get back to running your business without legal worries”
10. Failure What happens if they don’t act? Be clear but not manipulative

Implementation: Where Most Firms Go Wrong

Our research shows that the degree of implementation is the single biggest predictor of success with StoryBrand. Not company size, not budget, not market – implementation.

Here’s what proper implementation looks like for a law firm:

Website Header Wrong: “Smith & Jones: Excellence in Commercial Litigation” Right: “Get Back to Running Your Business While We Handle Your Legal Challenges”

About Page Wrong: Three paragraphs about your firm’s history Right: “We’ve helped hundreds of business owners resolve legal disputes so they can focus on what matters – growing their company”

Email Campaigns Wrong: Updates about your firm’s latest achievements Right: Useful information that helps clients solve their problems

The Metrics That Actually Matter

Stop measuring vanity metrics like website visits or social media engagement. Here’s what you should track:

• Conversion rate on consultation requests
• Time from first contact to client signing
• Client feedback on initial communication clarity
• Cost per qualified lead

The Data Doesn’t Lie

StoryBrand Coaches like us, collectively have run analysis of companies using StoryBrand showing something remarkable: Organisations that thoroughly implement the framework see:

• Higher profitability
• More confident employees
• Reduced marketing costs
• Faster sales cycles

But here’s the key: These results only appear when the framework is implemented with discipline and consistency.

What to Stop Doing Immediately

1. Stop telling stories about your firm’s history
2. Stop using legal jargon in your marketing
3. Stop making your achievements the center of attention
4. Stop trying to sound impressive
5. Stop using multiple calls to action

What to Start Doing Instead

1. Make every piece of communication about your client’s journey
2. Simplify your message ruthlessly
3. Create a clear, repeatable framework for all communication
4. Focus on one clear call to action
5. Position yourself exclusively as the guide

The Real Challenge for Law Firms

The hardest part for most law firms isn’t understanding the StoryBrand framework – it’s implementing it with discipline. Legal professionals are trained to be comprehensive, detailed, and thorough. The instinct is to explain everything.

But that’s precisely what kills effective marketing.

Success requires the discipline to:

• Keep messages simple
• Stay focused on the client
• Resist the urge to talk about yourselves
• Maintain consistency across all channels

Measuring Success

The only metrics that matter are:

1. Did revenue increase?
2. Did marketing costs decrease?
3. Did sales cycles shorten?
4. Did client acquisition become easier?

Everything else is just noise.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

The data is clear: Law firms that implement StoryBrand properly see significant improvements in their marketing effectiveness. But it requires:

• Absolute clarity about who the hero is (the client)
• Ruthless simplicity in messaging
• Disciplined implementation across all channels
• Consistent focus on the client’s story, not the firm’s

This isn’t complicated. It’s not even particularly clever. But it does require something many law firms seem to lack: the discipline to stop talking about themselves.

The choice is yours. You can continue creating marketing that makes the partners feel important, or you can create marketing that actually delivers results. You can’t do both.

The data shows which path works. The only question is whether you have the courage to take it.

Remember what we said at the start: Nobody cares about your firm’s story. They care about their own story. The moment you genuinely accept that truth is the moment your marketing will start working.