Lots of people within the legal sector and beyond anticipated that social media would wipe out the humble blog, leaving in its wake a new evolution of the internet. However, not only has social media facilitated blogging by providing new ways for blog content on legal issues to be distributed and consumed, it has highlighted the unique perks of blogging that other third party channels simply cannot compete with.
For lawyers (as well as other professionals), a blog remains the hub for online identity and disseminating information for numerous reasons, including:
1. A blog establishes your identity online
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I work for an established legal firm with an excellent website and corporate blog – why would I need my own blog?’ Plan for every eventuality and by building your own independent online presence, in so doing reap the multitude rewards that come with regular blogging for business.
2. Blogs beat websites hands down for relationships
Many in the legal profession would argue that a website is the essential component of their online presence. Think, though, of two of the most important sources of a lawyer’s work: reputation and word of mouth. Both are as important to a lawyer’s success now as they were 100 years ago. Thankfully, todays blogs equip us with a means of establishing and nurturing new relationships. Websites certainly have their place for conveying essential information, but they do not provide the relationship-building and networking opportunities of blogging.
3. Blogs help establish thought leadership
Blogs are also an excellent platform for building one’s professional reputation by demonstrating knowledge and expertise. Don’t be afraid of giving away your professional secrets online – the key is to position yourself as an authority with a competitive edge.
4. A blog joins up with other social media activity
Try to avoid thinking of a corporate blog as a separate silo to other online marketing activity. WordPress is open source, so you can set up systems to post from your blog to social media, and vice versa. Try to incorporate as many social channels as possible. The goal is to create a narrative, using WordPress as the central part of a wider system to create and publish ideas and information online.
5. Blogs allow for rich engagement
Legal professionals have joined the many other industries who have taken to Twitter and Facebook to promote themselves in the online space. Short-form social media indeed can be effective in making new contacts and fostering ultimately fruitful relationships. Yet Twitter is less appropriate for telling a richer story. I have heard one theory that the amount of time invested in creating content is matched by the time an audience spends consuming it. It’s an interesting point. A photo taken in seconds may be enjoyed at a brief glance. Eloquent legal stories and articles take some thought and care to put together. Blog readers in turn use their platform of choice to engage with articles – encouraging a more fulfilling interaction all round.
Lawyers should and certainly do take advantage of third-party social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Keep in mind, however, that each of these sites serves its advertisers first and foremost.
Starting a blog might seem like a challenging amount of work, but in today’s climate it is the only option for lawyers seeking to establish an independent online presence and generate new networking opportunities.
