Lawyers: 5 Reasons Why You Should Resurrect Your Blog
How many times have you stumbled upon a blog that was once active, but hasn't been updated since 2009? Or you go to someone's website and see the infamous WordPress placeholder: "Hello world! Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!" Gross.
It's easy to start a blog. It's far more difficult to keep one alive. If your firm's blog has stagnated, and you're in desperate need of a little motivation, here are five reasons to resurrect your blog, including SEO benefits, two easy types of posts for when you're stuck, marketing benefits, and of course, the creative outlet:
1. SEO.
We'll start with one of the main reasons to have a blog in the first place: search engine optimization benefits. One of the factors Google prioritizes in its search rankings is fresh, consistent content. The more you blog (well), and the more consistently you blog, the more you (should) be rewarded by Google. (SEO is kind of devil magic, so your luck and ranking might vary.) And the more Google likes you, the more likely your name is to appear when someone searches for ____ lawyer in _____ city.
2. To Answer Common Questions About _______.
One of the many reasons why blogs end up being abandoned is the all-too-common complaint of: "I have nothing left to write about." Believe you me, this blogger knows that one all too well.
If you're stumped for a topic, think about what questions, issues, or odd legal tricks you come across regularly in your practice. (See: "Diets, Diabetes Can Cause False Positives for Breathalyzers" for an odd one.) These are the eternally relevant "evergreen" topics (like the tree, get it?) that people will come back for, over and over again.
3. Celebrity Examples (News-Based) Can Drive Traffic.
Another great source of post topics? The news, especially celebrity news. If "evergreen" topics teach a topic in the abstract, a news-based post will teach readers that same concept with an entertaining example. (Case in point: "Marshawn Lynch's DUI Not a Big Deal ... Legally.") While these posts have little staying power (nobody cares about Marshawn's 2012 DUI nowadays), they often drive a short-term surge in traffic to your site.
More importantly, they provide a quick and easy topic to blog about.
4. Advertising.
A blog, especially one that is regularly updated, is simply good online marketing. Think about what a client sees when your blog is abandoned: laziness and lack of attention to detail. Then think about what they think when you have hundreds of posts available, some published within the last month: an expert in her field.
Of course, there is the issue of time -- there's never enough time. Try committing to one or two posts per week, written on Friday afternoon and published early the following week. Or have an associate draft posts for you: They get to learn about the law while blogging, and your firm gets the marketing benefits.
5. To Express Yourself.
My favorite reason to blog (or to get back to blogging): to express yourself. I'm opinionated. Many of the best legal bloggers are. Regular bloggers also tend to be better writers -- good writing, and opinions backed with actual thought and logic, can lead to more traffic which inspires even more writing, and like anything else, the more you practice blogging, the better you get at it.
And even if you get no significant traffic spikes as a result of your blog posts, sometimes it's just fun to rant (ethically) or to jot down your thoughts on the newest, trendiest legal topics.
What's your blogging motivation? Share it with us on Twitter @FindLawLP. Oh, and if you're having trouble starting or maintaining a blog, have a chat with our Lawyer Marketing folks to see if they can give you a hand.
Related Resources:
- Blogging Lawyer's Copyright Claim Against Ethics Board Fails (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 5 Ways to Tell When a Client Is Lying to You (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 7 Online Marketing Buzzwords Every Lawyer Should Know (FindLaw's Strategist)