Blogging is a key marketing strategy that builds brand confidence and promotes a law firm or lawyer’s competence. In the age of mass marketing, lawyers compete with hundreds or even thousands of lawyers for clients. Large law firms may rest on the laurels of their past victories and deep referral networks. However, even those networks eventually dry up. Lawyers must continually look for new clients and markets.
Blogs provide a cost-effective way for lawyers to build their online credentials. Most clients won’t know a lawyer or have a pre-existing relationship with a law firm, so they will turn to online search, social media, and review websites. Lawyers burnish their credentials with blogs because when potential clients or referral sources check their name, blogs, web pages, and articles will populate, showing that the lawyer is a reliable source of information and likely competent.
Improving the Legal Blog
1. Niche Topics
Legal blogs stand out when they address niche topics. For example, an immigration lawyer might generally post about immigration procedures, courts, and visas. However, hundreds, if not thousands, of immigration law firms post about generic immigration material. A lawyer can stand out from the noise by focusing his or her blog on niche topics.
For example, rather than building an immigration lawyer blog, he or she could instead focus the blog as a visa lawyer. He or she is probably already receiving regular updates of rule changes, legislative updates, and other changes. So, the lawyer can simply repackage this knowledge into a proprietary blog.
2. Writing for Clients
Lawyers should also write their blogs for their audience. Blogs reach two audiences: referral sources (other law firms or legal-adjacent services) and clients. Therefore, lawyers should construct their blogs to speak to that audience. If it is an LGBTQ+ friendly law firm, then it should incorporate information relevant to that clientele. For example, the blog might focus on same-sex marriage, adoption, child custody issues for same-sex parents, and similar issues.
3. Being Relevant
Writing a niche topic can be daunting and leave lawyers wondering how to write something novel or new. However, it isn’t about breaking ground and publishing a new legal method. Rather, niche blogs should key into current events, new development and generally be relevant.
4. Quality over Quantity
Quality, quality, quality is the mantra of a good blog. Blogs should convey relevant information in a method that is easily understood by their target audience. Poorly written blogs are even worse than having no blog because it actually decreases a lawyer’s credibility.
High-quality blogs that address difficult topics draw in clients and referrals. For example, a bankruptcy lawyer might write about the issues with bankruptcy law. The lawyer might be bashing his or her practice area; however, honest blogs promote credibility and draw clients. He or she could focus on the high costs and duplicative forms, the pitfalls of filing for Chapter 13 rather than Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and other subjects. Lawyers can burnish their competence and image by honestly tackling tough subjects in their practice area.
