The Rule of One is a copywriting strategy to help focus your website visitors’ attention on a single value proposition. It’s not as boring—or straightforward!—as it sounds, so keep reading to learn how to execute it properly.

Here’s a bite-sized guide to the Rule of One in copywriting and how implementing the Rule of One can impact your law firm website.

What is the Rule of One?

The Rule of One in copywriting states that good copy should focus on one idea, one reader, one promise, and one call to action (CTA).

The effect of this rule is that readers feel connected to your copy and feel clear about what action they’re supposed to take next.

One idea = One memorable concept that the reader should understand

One reader = One specific user persona to whom you’re writing (e.g., a father with young kids who is facing a nasty custody battle)

One promise = One result or outcome that your reader can expect to achieve

One CTA = One clear action that the reader should take

For instance, which of the following descriptions do you feel more motivated by?

Our law firm has successfully helped hundreds of clients in the Pittsburgh area with their custody problems. Reach out for help today.—or—McMaster & Shaw has a track record of helping fathers successfully navigate difficult custody situations with intelligent and thoughtful legal support. Booking your free consultation is the first step toward getting your life back.

We get it! It’s tempting to write long and generic copy in an effort to appeal to more people. You could probably wax poetic all day long about your desire to help people by providing legal services. But unfortunately, this strategy almost always backfires. Instead, focus on a specific persona and a specific outcome to achieve the best results.

Implementing the Rule of One

Feeling suspicious? You’re not alone—but here’s what you need to know.

We consult with many firms that are hesitant to implement the Rule of One. With multiple personas and multiple practice areas, the Rule of One approach may seem counterproductive to getting your point across.

The secret to successfully implementing the Rule of One is not rigid adherence to the one-one-one-one formula in every single piece of copy. Instead, succeed with the Rule of One by committing to a laser focus on the appropriate “one” for each step in the user journey and every corresponding piece of copy or page.

On a website that is primarily for lead generation and focused on SEO, it’s likely that a prospective client won’t land on your home page. Instead, they will land on the page that is most closely related to their search query. These subpages must be laser-focused on delivering one idea, one persona, and one CTA.

On general website pages (like the home page or attorney profile pages), you can still stick to the Rule of One. Hone in on the shared pain point of your audience. Remain consistent with one promise and one call to action that aligns with your firm’s values across all areas of practice.

The first step to implementing the Rule of One is crafting one consistent voice across your digital presence, from your website to your social media profiles. This is not easy to achieve. However, coherent digital marketing campaigns and laser-focused copy will reward you with more business.

Review and next steps

The Rule of One is a powerful tool for improving conversions with focused copy that highlights one idea, one reader, one promise, and one call to action.

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