Legal Internet Marketing Blog
In Part 1 of our three part series about legal Internet marketing techniques, we discussed social media and the role it plays in the grand scheme of an attorney’s legal Internet marketing cycle. Whereas social media should be considered the icebreaker of the relationship, blogging should be likened to the conversations one has after introductions have been made. However you want to look at it though, a legal blog represents an opportunity to establish yourself as an authority on the particular area of law that you practice.
Have you ever sat down at your computer and read legal blogs (Blawgs)? Unfortunately, a lot of them offer little insight into the legal profession. More specifically, a lot of attorney blogs read more like advertisements than they do informative writing meant to captivate or inform the reader. For example, if there are two attorney blogs out there, and one of them merely recaps the details of a recent accident while the other one examines the various aspects of the accident and what those details may possibly mean for individuals involved in such accidents, the blog that has the greater degree of analysis is going to be better received. More importantly however, the latter, more informative blog, is going to have a much greater chance of promoting return readership than the blog entry that merely rehashes the details of a local news story or article.
When it comes to blogs, it’s important for attorneys to realize that blogs represent an opportunity to show they understand something that a lot of people don’t. If everyone out there understood tort law and the criminal defense process, there would be no need for lawyers. During the first meeting between an attorney and client, the client needs to be reassured that hiring the attorney is going to be the right decision to make. In order to come to this determination, the attorney needs to show that he or she understands the law and can offer a sound legal strategy to be put forth on behalf of the client. If the attorney fails to do this, the client will not retain the attorney’s services. This process is very similar to acquiring an audience for a legal blog. Unless you can sell yourself as an authority on the particular area of law you practice, you are never going to have a substantial blog audience.
Ultimately, blogs are a way to continually show that you are a knowledgeable attorney. If your blog is interesting and informative, readership will steadily grow and positive word of mouth will drive more traffic to not only your blog, but your primary website as well. Blogs represent the courting stage of your relationship with a client. Don’t blow it!