Karin Conroy is joined by Bill Shander to discuss why high-quality legal content often fails to get the attention it deserves on social media. They explore the psychology of data storytelling and how understanding human biology can transform your firm’s digital presence from a “hot mess” into a lead-generating machine.
Most lawyers don’t have a content problem; they have an intention problem. You can be 100% right and still be 100% ignored. The secret to being seen lies in the science of eye tracking. When looking at a text-heavy page, the human eye follows an “F” pattern—starting at the top left, scanning across, and then dropping down.
However, the moment you add an image, the biology changes. Eyeballs jump straight to the center of that visual. If that visual is a “hot mess” of 800 colors and 47 data labels, the viewer gets annoyed and closes their eyes. To master data storytelling, you must use minimalism. Imagine a bar chart where every bar is light gray except for one bright blue bar that highlights your firm’s success. That is how you guide the eye to the “one banana”—the primary takeaway you want your audience to remember.
Bill Shander, a LinkedIn Learning instructor and information designer, emphasizes that every visual experience occurs in a “pre-attentive” way. This means your potential clients are judging your credibility, your expertise, and your “likability” before they’ve consciously processed a single word of your post.
If your marketing feels desperate or cluttered, you sound cheap. If it’s quiet, confident, and concise, you elevate your brand to the level of “prestige” businesses like McKinsey or Apple. These brands don’t need a thousand words to explain their value; they own their space so completely that their logo is the only “banana” they need to show.
A cornerstone of this conversation is Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow. The book explains that humans operate in two systems:
System 1 (Fast): Instinctive, emotional, and subconscious.
System 2 (Slow): Analytical, logical, and effortful.
Marketing that works focuses on System 1. Lawyers often get tripped up trying to appeal to System 2 with “legalese” and complex logic, but by the time System 2 kicks in, the audience has usually scrolled past. Effective data storytelling bridges the gap by using emotional triggers to open the door for a System 2 conversation later.
LinkedIn has moved beyond a simple networking site to become a sophisticated information platform. Bill points out that commenting is now often more powerful than posting. By engaging with high-profile articles in the “LinkedIn News” panel, lawyers can “hitch their wagon” to existing traffic.
If a prominent journalist writes about environmental law and you provide a smart, professional insight in the comments, you aren’t just “spamming”; you’re adding value. If you’re lucky, the LinkedIn editorial team might even elevate your comment to a featured post, placing you in a prime position as the go-to expert for that specific niche.
Bill Shander is an information designer and a leading expert in data storytelling. As a prolific LinkedIn Learning instructor, he has helped thousands of professionals—from corporate executives to managing partners—turn complex data sets into clear, compelling narratives that drive action and build authority.
Ready to turn your complex data into a compelling story? Listen to the full episode or learn more about Bill Shander’s Workshops. Be sure to visit Legal Broadcasting Company often for our latest podcasts.
This article was written by Legal Broadcasting Company, and is based on the episode of Counsel Cast hosted by Karin Conroy.
A: Inspired by Seth Godin, it means every piece of content—from a website page to a LinkedIn post—should have one primary call to action. Don’t confuse your “monkeys” (the audience) with multiple options; give them one clear goal.
A: Yes. If a feature survives on LinkedIn for more than six months, it’s usually because it works. Carousels are essentially slide decks that allow you to tell a narrative story one “chunk” at a time, making complex information easier to digest.
A: Before you hit “publish,” pause and assume you might be wrong. Ask yourself: Is this too overwhelming? Am I projecting my own jealousies or insecurities? Questioning the “lens” through which you create content helps ensure your message remains client-focused.
