By Brenda A. Barnes bio
First, there were firm newsletters. Law firms sent them out as a way to build community among existing and prospective clients. They were a branding tool that also fostered loyalty.
Then, the internet accelerated that formula, allowing law firms to not only save money on print and mailing, but also push this content marketing vehicle out much quicker as an electronic newsletter.
Today, we have blogs, which apply many of the same principles once used for newsletters.
Creating a successful blog
Holt Hackney of Ascend Marketing, who has extensive experience in thought leadership and content marketing for law firms, explains that to enhance the chances of success a blog should become a forum for legal content that the reader may not be able to find in the media or the blogosphere.
There also needs to be some measure of frequency, where posts are published as frequently as twice a week, or even just twice a month. In addition, the blog needs to be part of overall marketing strategy, especially with regard to social media. Finally, the content needs to be both written well and compelling.
What to include in your blog
Assuming the law firm has an experienced craftsman who is authoring the blog, here are some content categories to consider:
- Media articles. Blogs are a great place to communicate the credibility that comes with securing media coverage. This third-party validation can be enormously powerful when it comes to inspiring loyalty, upselling existing clients, and inspiring new ones. While the company, typically, cannot copy and paste the article into the blog, it can summarize what the article wrote with a link to the actual story at the bottom.
- Press releases. Such releases should be modified from “press release-speak” to “blog-speak.” If the release has been strategically placed on the wire, the law firm can also piggy back the brand of media outlets, which are hosting the press release.
- Interviews. It is fairly easy to put together 8 to 10 questions for a lawyer to respond to, which highlights the value proposition of the law firm’s product or service. This tool ventures away from overt selling to a subtler approach that compliments the law firm’s other marketing efforts. The smooth introduction to the interview is vital to getting the visitor to read the post.
- Third-party posts. Consider republishing, with permission of course, someone else’s blog post if it re-enforces your mission or value proposition. Maybe the post is from an academic, or even a media outlet. You might also consider reaching out to partners about posting one of their blogs. In return, they can republish one of your blogs, and further expand your footprint.
Conclusion
By keeping these principles in mind, you can create a good blog that will support your marketing objectives.
