Page 46 - MASTER COPY LEADERS BOOK 9editedJKK (24)_Neat
P. 46
Leaders in Legal Business
Blogging is more than writing content and publishing it online. Blogging requires a strategy. You begin
with the end in mind.
How Do You Develop a Blog Strategy?
To write a quality blog, you need not have everything figured out in advance — on some items, you
develop a feel for them as you go — but here are a few things to consider before getting started.
• Identify your passion. If you’re not passionate about an area of the law or business, what could you be
passionate about? Blogging can be hard at times; make sure it’s an area you enjoy and can get excited
about. It may be endangered species law. It may be probate litigation in Florida. We’re all different, but
in blogging, a lot of the finer points on strategy come naturally to those who are passionate about their
topics.
• What area do you want to excel in and be known for? What type of clients do you want to work for? Be
aspirational, throw your heart over the bar, and let your body follow. If lawyers are developing local and
national reputations as a result of blogging, why not you? Want to be the go-to lawyer for labor issues in
sports?
• Focus on a niche. Broadly focused blogs are more challenging. People do not follow blogs covering
multiple areas of the law; they look for the “go-to” publication on a niche. Niche blogs get cited and
shared more often. Their authors are more likely to be quoted by the media. Niches do not restrict your
practice, niches open doors. “Niches lead to riches” is a worn cliché, but some things are a cliché for a
reason. Here are a few examples of those who have done it right:
o CommLawBlog is regularly read by not only in-house counsel, but also by the FCC6;
o Canna Law Blog puts a Seattle law firm on the national stage in the burgeoning marijuana
industry7;
o New Miami Blog puts an innovative general practice law firm square and center in the Miami
business community8; and
o Connecticut Employment Law Blog has made a Hartford lawyer a household name for HR
executives both state- and nationwide.9
• Identify your audience. Clients, prospective clients, and referral sources are the obvious audience, but
they are not the most important. Think about the people and organizations that influence this core
audience: mainstream and trade media, bloggers, association leaders, influencers on social media,
publishers, and conference coordinators.
• Who do you want to know that you exist? Who do you want to know personally that you don’t now?
Engage the influencers, and you’ll grow your influence as they engage you in various ways in return.
Unlike offline engagement, online engagement leaves a permanent record. When Googling your name or
participating on social media, your core audience will see you cited by bloggers and the media, see your
blog posts getting shared, and see you speaking at conferences.
Measuring Success
It's not primarily traffic, search engine results, and subscribers. Ask yourself, “Am I growing my
relationship network?” “Am I becoming a better lawyer?” “Am I establishing a reputation as a ‘go-to’ attorney in
my niche or locale?” “Am I procuring not just any work, but high-quality clients?”
6 COMMLAWBLOG, http://www.commlawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
7 CANNA LAW BLOG, http://www.cannalawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
8 BILZIN SUMBERG’S NEW MIAMI BLOG, http://www.newmiamiblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
9 CONNECTICUT EMPLOYMENT LAW BLOG, http://www.ctemploymentlawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
39
Blogging is more than writing content and publishing it online. Blogging requires a strategy. You begin
with the end in mind.
How Do You Develop a Blog Strategy?
To write a quality blog, you need not have everything figured out in advance — on some items, you
develop a feel for them as you go — but here are a few things to consider before getting started.
• Identify your passion. If you’re not passionate about an area of the law or business, what could you be
passionate about? Blogging can be hard at times; make sure it’s an area you enjoy and can get excited
about. It may be endangered species law. It may be probate litigation in Florida. We’re all different, but
in blogging, a lot of the finer points on strategy come naturally to those who are passionate about their
topics.
• What area do you want to excel in and be known for? What type of clients do you want to work for? Be
aspirational, throw your heart over the bar, and let your body follow. If lawyers are developing local and
national reputations as a result of blogging, why not you? Want to be the go-to lawyer for labor issues in
sports?
• Focus on a niche. Broadly focused blogs are more challenging. People do not follow blogs covering
multiple areas of the law; they look for the “go-to” publication on a niche. Niche blogs get cited and
shared more often. Their authors are more likely to be quoted by the media. Niches do not restrict your
practice, niches open doors. “Niches lead to riches” is a worn cliché, but some things are a cliché for a
reason. Here are a few examples of those who have done it right:
o CommLawBlog is regularly read by not only in-house counsel, but also by the FCC6;
o Canna Law Blog puts a Seattle law firm on the national stage in the burgeoning marijuana
industry7;
o New Miami Blog puts an innovative general practice law firm square and center in the Miami
business community8; and
o Connecticut Employment Law Blog has made a Hartford lawyer a household name for HR
executives both state- and nationwide.9
• Identify your audience. Clients, prospective clients, and referral sources are the obvious audience, but
they are not the most important. Think about the people and organizations that influence this core
audience: mainstream and trade media, bloggers, association leaders, influencers on social media,
publishers, and conference coordinators.
• Who do you want to know that you exist? Who do you want to know personally that you don’t now?
Engage the influencers, and you’ll grow your influence as they engage you in various ways in return.
Unlike offline engagement, online engagement leaves a permanent record. When Googling your name or
participating on social media, your core audience will see you cited by bloggers and the media, see your
blog posts getting shared, and see you speaking at conferences.
Measuring Success
It's not primarily traffic, search engine results, and subscribers. Ask yourself, “Am I growing my
relationship network?” “Am I becoming a better lawyer?” “Am I establishing a reputation as a ‘go-to’ attorney in
my niche or locale?” “Am I procuring not just any work, but high-quality clients?”
6 COMMLAWBLOG, http://www.commlawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
7 CANNA LAW BLOG, http://www.cannalawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
8 BILZIN SUMBERG’S NEW MIAMI BLOG, http://www.newmiamiblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
9 CONNECTICUT EMPLOYMENT LAW BLOG, http://www.ctemploymentlawblog.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
39
