There is more than enough research out there to show that blog articles are the most effective, lowest-cost form of online marketing for lawyers. It is also generally known that companies that blog have far better marketing results, including more visitors, more inbound links, and more indexed pages than the average firm. Although there are thousands of law firm blogs on the Internet, they really can and do generate new business so long as you maintain certain key practices. The following are several to consider:
- Get creative with topics. This may not be as challenging as you think. Arrange a file of ideas whenever something comes to mind. Slowly but surely you’ll amass plenty of topics to choose from. You can also subscribe to e-newsletters and RSS feeds on any topic in particular as well as Google Alerts.
- Post frequently and consistently. Try to be on a regular schedule updating your blog with posts. The more often you update the content of your blog, the more likely you are to generate greater awareness of your firm, a larger database of readership, and most importantly, potential new clientele.
- Include a call to after each of your posts. If the end goal is to generate a response and create new business, it is pivotal that you give the reader or potential new client the ability and access to contact you. Once your blog post is complete, invite your audience to set up an appointment to discuss their individual needs and issues, or you can always suggest that they subscribe to your blog or sign up for your newsletter.
- When creating a post, communicate as if it’s you. It’s important that your blog doesn’t sound like it’s written by a hired, third party, disinterested person. You want to make sure you connect with the reader. Write the post in the same manner as you speak. A conversation-type style and tone will certainly make a difference in terms of establishing a comfort level between you and a potential client should they choose to contact you for legal representation.
- Allow for interaction and commentary. The purpose and effect of social media is increased levels of communication and access between people. So it goes without saying that the nature of a blog falls into this category of interactivity. You want to be able to engage readers as much as possible, and this includes their feedback, opinions, etc.
- Create a visually appealing blog. Avoid using just text for your content, also consider using images to attract viewership. Creating a visual forum that goes beyond the typical Q&A format makes for more of an interesting, more memorable experience. Just make sure the overall appearance isn’t too distracting from the actual text content. You can create your own illustrations, find them for free online, or buy images from websites for a nominal fee.
- Expand your blog presence. Suggest to readers that they subscribe to your blog either by email and/or RSS. Enable your blog to display your latest tweets, include icons to access your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts.
- Increase traffic to your blog. To gain increased exposure to your blog, its necessary to repeat your post headline with a link to Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. You can also include new entries to your updates on LinkedIn as well. Other ways to achieve greater viewership, is through free PR and content distribution sites, where you can upload a copy of your entry via third-party outlets, making it easier to find your blog through internet-based searches.
To speak with one of our experts for additional information on the above, call us toll free (800) 877-2776. We have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to address all of your law firm blogging needs. We look forward to hearing from you!
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