Law Firm Marketing Blog Do’s and Don’ts

There is a lot of information about what should be incorporated into a good law firm website, and what is a vital component of an effective law firm digital marketing strategy.  Yet, we don’t always get into the nitty-gritty about how to execute that law firm’s digital marketing strategy.

Today’s blog will break that paradigm a little by getting into the weeds about creating and maintaining a law firm website blog.  As you likely know already, blogging is a phenomenal way for experts, specialists, and professionals in the legal industry – or any industry – to establish a solid reputation, build a peer network, hone their professional craft, and most importantly, attract new clients.

A blog, shortened from the term “weblog” is an online journal, a log.  In deciding to publish one, you have determined to share your unique expertise with the world.  It is also a way in which to bring your own personality onto your web presence.  And the key to effective law firm blogs is knowing both the science and the art behind them.

The Science of Law Firm Blogging

With regard to the science of law firm blogging, you need to make sure that you, or your legal marketing provider in West Palm Beach, are able to create a website environment in which you can publish your blogs on a regular basis. Whether it is you or your legal marketing provider from West Palm Beach setting up a new domain and dealing with web hosting or simply having space on your already-established website to present your ongoing blogs, you need to make sure that your blogs are easily accessible.

In addition, you will want to make sure that your legal marketing provider is up to speed on search engine optimization (SEO) tools and best practices.  Those are the digital gems that get your blogs high up on those ever-important search engine results.

The main thrust of this article, however, is on the art of legal blogging.  So, let’s get right to it.

The first step in the art of law firm blogging is figuring out why you are blogging.  Of course, this article and probably your legal marketing provider in West Palm Beach is giving you the marketing advice that you should blog, but that cannot be the only reason that you are blogging on your law firm website.  Here are some good reasons to get those fingers on your laptop keyboard:

1. New Clients.   As you would expect, gaining new clients for your book of business is the primary reason you want to be out there sharing your expertise.
2. Earning Links.   You may also want to gain exposure by having others link to your blog.  Keep up the good writing and you will be rewarded with an audience.
3. Announcing Good News .  Say that you, or your firm, just won a big trial, got that amazing settlement, or completed a newsworthy transaction.  Writing a blog about it is a great way to share the good news.
4. Building Your Subject Matter Authority.   Similar to writing a book, if you continue to blog on a subject in which you are an expert, then you will establish your expert credentials.  You spend enough time in your specialty, it cannot hurt to share that experience with the world.

Many times, you may know precisely what you want to blog about.  That is a marvelous feeling, but it is not always the case.  There are those weeks when you invariably are unable to get the blog-topic juices flowing.  In that case, if you are not getting topics from your legal marketing provider in West Palm Beach, then here are a few tools on the types of legal blog topics that work:

1. Posts That Explain the Law.   A great way to kick off your blog is to start with an overview in the area of the law in which you specialize.
2. Common Questions from Clients .  There is nothing more interesting to a user, and potential client, than learning the answer to a question that the potential client would likely have.  Also, the “answering common client questions” topic has the added intangible benefit of showing that you are an attorney with many clients in your field.
3. Auto Suggest.   Sometimes the simplest tools are the best.  If you just start typing a phrase into Google, the auto-suggest feature will present a number of potential topics.  Just look at the list and pick your favorite.

Your Own Cases. As noted above, there are times when you have great legal success. Such a newsworthy event screams for some attention in a blog.  Take a little time to show off your skills.

Now that we have a reason for blogging, and some topics ready to go, the only thing we need to do now is write, right?  Absolutely, but there are a few rules of the road and tips that may help you do that more effectively.  Here are a number of things to think about as you blog your way to success:

1. Avoid Legal Jargon.   Legalese can be fun, can make you feel a little special, but your audience includes potential clients and non-lawyers, not other lawyers.  Therefore, use language that is appropriate for your audience. Save all the legalese for your legal briefs, and keep it simple and readable in your blogs.
2. Typos are a No-No.   We spend a lot of time coming up with great topics and use all kinds of energy to find the right turn of phrase. Yet, we sometimes forget to proofread properly. And what is the first thing that a reader will notice?  A typo.  So, do not give your reader a reason to mistrust what you say or doubt your credibility.  Proofread to get rid of any typos.
3. The Text Wall.   Large blocks of text can be a challenge for a computer user (and potential client).  Do your best to break up information into shorter paragraphs, use bullets, use graphics, use photos, and use video.  The value of your content depends on readability.  If it is less readable because it is a dense block of text, then it is less valuable.
4. Say It, Don’t Over-say It.   As lawyers, we tend to use a lot of words.  Sometimes if we use only one word when we could use 10 words, then we think we are just not trying hard enough.  The opposite is true with blogs.  If a concept can be explained in one word, avoid using 10.

All of this marketing information, and more, is available to you by consulting with the leading legal marketing provider in West Palm Beach, Oamii. Consider contacting us at Oamii.  We are the top digital marketing firm in West Palm Beach and are experts at marketing law firms in West Palm Beach and the surrounding region.  Fill out our online contact form , or call us at 561-228-4111 today.