For attorneys in the 21st century, blogging is imperative. Blogging helps lawyers find new clients, demonstrates why those potential clients should trust you, and establishes you as an authority in your area of legal practice. The best way to deal with the blogging imperative is to take it on as an adventure, if you can, and not as a chore. In addition to helping you boost your bottom line, if you can think just a bit “outside the box,” blogging can also be a lot of fun.
Although most attorneys today already know how important blogging can be, when you first decide to launch a blog, a number of questions may arise. For example, should your blog be a part of your law firm’s official website, or should it be a stand-alone site? How should it be integrated with Facebook, LinkedIn, and the rest of the internet? How often should new content be posted? Is timing important? Here is a brief introduction to some of the questions that attorneys who become bloggers may need answered.
SHOULD YOUR BLOG BE A SEPARATE WEBSITE?
There may be some exceptions, particularly for those attorneys working in narrowly-defined niche fields of law, but for most lawyers, you will want your blog to be a part of your law firm’s official website. That way, all of your content is in a single domain. It’s easy to find, and that is important to potential clients. Of course, both your blog and the other sections of your website should be providing useful information to online visitors.
Establishing your blog as a separate website means that a visitor has to leave your firm’s website to read a blog post, and frankly, it is better to keep potential clients on your official site – where they can contact you by email, complete an intake form, or even speak directly with someone working on your behalf. Integrating all of your online content into one website reduces confusion and distractions and provides potential clients with everything they need “under one roof.”
Obviously, a single, comprehensive website is easier to construct and to manage, and you will only have to consider one set of analytics rather than trying to reconcile statistics from separate sites. Having your website and your blog in the same place can also give you a more accurate evaluation of which particular pages are (and are not) moving your website’s visitors to reach out to you about becoming clients.
WHY IS BLOGGING SO KEY TO INTERNET MARKETING?
When a potential client begins reading your blog posts, that is probably when he or she will make the choice to retain your services or to continue looking elsewhere. Most sections of your law firm’s website will be strictly informational – a list of the types of cases you handle along with biographical and contact information and possibly some client testimonials. But your blog posts are the place where a potential client gets a sense of your personality, your commitment and passion, and your mastery of the law.
Furthermore, fresh, high-quality content is essential today for a high ranking on Google and the other search engines, and you must rank near the top to attract new potential clients. New content added on a regular basis is one of the key elements Google looks for in a website. Most of the content on a law firm’s site is not going to change much over time, but without new content added on a regular basis, your website could quickly begin to sink in the Google rankings. Adding a new blog post on a regular basis can keep you high in the search engine rankings and bring more potential clients to your law firm’s website.
A high-quality, well-written, engaging blog is an imperative. You absolutely must grab the reader’s attention right away. Too many personal injury and criminal defense attorneys still use what they call their “blogs” simply to recap local headlines regarding traffic accidents and crimes. Frankly, that may not be the most engaging information that you can provide to your online visitors. There is nothing wrong with writing about such cases, but you need to offer some kind of new angle or personal insight, and you must connect with your readers.
WHAT IF YOU WEREN’T “BORN” TO BLOG?
Some attorneys are born to blog. They intuitively understand what is required, and they look forward to writing, seeing their work posted, and getting feedback. Other attorneys, however, may not have any time for blogging or any interest. Perhaps there is no burning passion regarding any particular legal issue or cause, or perhaps you really just do not have that much to say. The right internet marketing company can help.
When you hire internet marketing professionals, you will be working with experienced researchers and professional writers who can work alongside you to develop the blog content that meets your law firm’s precise marketing and blogging needs. You can order or suggest blog posts on particular cases, laws, court rulings, or other legal topics, and you can revise or edit the content as you see fit, but you will not have to face the chore of writing a blog post on a regular basis unless you choose to.
A blog post could potentially be your single opportunity to turn a visitor to your law firm’s website into a client. If you honestly do not have the interest in blogging or the time for it, arrange as soon as you can to speak with the marketing pros at an online marketing firm. A good internet marketing agency will also coordinate your marketing efforts across the web – on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media sites – to bring even more new visitors to your law firm’s website and blog.
A top internet marketing company can create the content you need, post it online, and make sure that it is widely seen by potential clients. Attracting new visitors online and building trust with them is not that difficult. In fact, at this moment, someone may be looking for you online, so if you do not already have your blog on your firm’s website, and if you are not routinely posting new content, the time to begin is now.
