Page 47 - MASTER COPY LEADERS BOOK 9editedJKK (24)_Neat
P. 47
Leaders in Legal Business
Chicago attorney R. David Donoghue of Holland & Knight is an example of the strategy, passion, and
niche focus that makes for a successful blogger.
Working as an attorney for an auto supply company in Detroit, Donoghue wanted something more. As a
young attorney, Donoghue didn’t think he was seasoned enough to be recognized as a thought-leader, but
discovering that one of the most popular legal blogs at the time was written by a smart, second-year associate, he
figured he was just as capable.
Donoghue instinctively knew he needed a narrow focus for his blog to stand out. “I knew that I couldn’t
be a generalist; that no one was going to come to me for news he or she could get in The New York Times. I
wanted to create the kind of content readers couldn’t get anywhere else."
Six months in, Donoghue walked into an IP-related legal function in Chicago, and people knew him.
“This was a big deal — to have this kind of recognition as a relatively young lawyer in a big city. Because of my
blog, I stood out.” Donoghue has gone on to earn millions because of his Chicago IP Litigation10 blog and now
launched a second blog, Retail Patent Litigation.11
As you get rolling on actually publishing, here are some tips to make your blogging experience
worthwhile:
1.) Listen to What’s Happening in the World around You
Blogging involves authentic audience engagement that requires you to listen (read) first and then talk
(write) later.
For many bloggers, advanced listening tools are integral. You can set up listening tools to follow
influential bloggers, reporters, and news publications. In addition to these sources, follow subjects relevant to
your niche. The listening tools of choice for lawyers are Feedly,12 a popular RSS reader, and Flipboard,13 a
smartphone and tablet app that now boasts an accompanying desktop version.
Reference and share what you have read while providing your own insight and commentary. More
important than simply covering legal updates, joining the conversation and demonstrating that you are tracking
developments grows influence and a following.
2.) Write to the Medium
This is a blog, not a legal alert or corporate whitepaper. The best law bloggers write conversationally and
with personality.
Write on general news and apply it to your niche. For example, if a hurricane is hitting the East Coast,
write about how HR professionals should treat those missed workdays. With the Apple iWatch and other wearable
tech, how does that stand to impact privacy issues? Unlike writing on the latest legislation, litigation, and
regulation, the opportunities are limitless.
Proper formatting is important. Avoid long block paragraphs. People scan on the web, so use short
paragraphs — one to three sentences long — and bullets as appropriate. Use block quotes to make sources stand
out. Use subheads to break up sections. Don't worry about exact word count, but a post as brief as 300 to 500
words may be appropriate.
Use images for every post. It’s low-hanging fruit that many lawyers miss, but images show personality
and subtly add a great deal of visual appeal. Posts with larger images at the top are more likely to be shared on
social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
Keep titles short (around 65 characters) but descriptive. Your titles determine how your posts get indexed
on Google and how they are displayed in news aggregators. Don’t stuff them with keywords, but make sure they
get the point across. Short, professional, and enticing titles get shared on social media.
10 CHICAGO IP LITIGATION, http://www.chicagoiplitigation.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
11 RETAIL PATENT LITIGATION, http://www.retailpatentlitigation.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
12 FEEDLY, http://feedly.com/i/welcome (last visited April 12, 2015).
13 FLIPBOARD, https://flipboard.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
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Chicago attorney R. David Donoghue of Holland & Knight is an example of the strategy, passion, and
niche focus that makes for a successful blogger.
Working as an attorney for an auto supply company in Detroit, Donoghue wanted something more. As a
young attorney, Donoghue didn’t think he was seasoned enough to be recognized as a thought-leader, but
discovering that one of the most popular legal blogs at the time was written by a smart, second-year associate, he
figured he was just as capable.
Donoghue instinctively knew he needed a narrow focus for his blog to stand out. “I knew that I couldn’t
be a generalist; that no one was going to come to me for news he or she could get in The New York Times. I
wanted to create the kind of content readers couldn’t get anywhere else."
Six months in, Donoghue walked into an IP-related legal function in Chicago, and people knew him.
“This was a big deal — to have this kind of recognition as a relatively young lawyer in a big city. Because of my
blog, I stood out.” Donoghue has gone on to earn millions because of his Chicago IP Litigation10 blog and now
launched a second blog, Retail Patent Litigation.11
As you get rolling on actually publishing, here are some tips to make your blogging experience
worthwhile:
1.) Listen to What’s Happening in the World around You
Blogging involves authentic audience engagement that requires you to listen (read) first and then talk
(write) later.
For many bloggers, advanced listening tools are integral. You can set up listening tools to follow
influential bloggers, reporters, and news publications. In addition to these sources, follow subjects relevant to
your niche. The listening tools of choice for lawyers are Feedly,12 a popular RSS reader, and Flipboard,13 a
smartphone and tablet app that now boasts an accompanying desktop version.
Reference and share what you have read while providing your own insight and commentary. More
important than simply covering legal updates, joining the conversation and demonstrating that you are tracking
developments grows influence and a following.
2.) Write to the Medium
This is a blog, not a legal alert or corporate whitepaper. The best law bloggers write conversationally and
with personality.
Write on general news and apply it to your niche. For example, if a hurricane is hitting the East Coast,
write about how HR professionals should treat those missed workdays. With the Apple iWatch and other wearable
tech, how does that stand to impact privacy issues? Unlike writing on the latest legislation, litigation, and
regulation, the opportunities are limitless.
Proper formatting is important. Avoid long block paragraphs. People scan on the web, so use short
paragraphs — one to three sentences long — and bullets as appropriate. Use block quotes to make sources stand
out. Use subheads to break up sections. Don't worry about exact word count, but a post as brief as 300 to 500
words may be appropriate.
Use images for every post. It’s low-hanging fruit that many lawyers miss, but images show personality
and subtly add a great deal of visual appeal. Posts with larger images at the top are more likely to be shared on
social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
Keep titles short (around 65 characters) but descriptive. Your titles determine how your posts get indexed
on Google and how they are displayed in news aggregators. Don’t stuff them with keywords, but make sure they
get the point across. Short, professional, and enticing titles get shared on social media.
10 CHICAGO IP LITIGATION, http://www.chicagoiplitigation.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
11 RETAIL PATENT LITIGATION, http://www.retailpatentlitigation.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
12 FEEDLY, http://feedly.com/i/welcome (last visited April 12, 2015).
13 FLIPBOARD, https://flipboard.com/ (last visited April 12, 2015).
40
