Blogging Checklist

An integrated blog added to your online presence is certainly a consideration for any lawyer today looking to market his or her practice and/or firm. There are a handful of reasons why ' and why not ' to launch a blog. Linking to your Web site will increase overall Web traffic through improved search engine visibility. However, experts agree that a blog is at its most effective when separate from the firm's Web site. It shouldn't appear promotional and “salesy.” You need to offer real information, analysis, and insight, but not with the citations and footnotes that make so much legal writing look like a brief or pleading. More traffic is directed to a blog through search engines like Google than to a Web site. Journalists will subscribe to a blog and use it as a citation or as a source for a story, whereas all but the most dynamic, portal-like Web sites can serve that function ' not your typical law firm Web site.

After accuracy and Web traffic, the networking aspect of a blog is its most crucial. For a law firm, lawyer or practice group to have a blog, the aim should be to network, rather than to gain actionable business immediately. Networking and referral sources gained through blogging will benefit you much more than a lengthy biography on your own law firm Web site. The expectation of return on investment (“ROI”) in increased business is unrealistic. A blog is really to serve the purpose of an educational magazine and a networking tool. You must “leave your office” in order to successfully network, and the same is expected of a blog.

Getting Business from a Blog

The more time a blog has to display your frequent posts, and the more discussion that takes place in referencing it, the more it will enhance the position of the blog among peers. The best way to popularize a blog is to have other peers discuss it (or discuss the poster). Peer discussion should come in the form of inbound links, so it is important to continually attribute and reference other blogs and Web sites. This provides excellent results in legitimizing the postings and enhancing the networking aspect of the blog. The feeling that lawyers don't view lawyers from other firms as peers, but rather as competitors has no place in this Web 2.0 world.

There are few other instances in which the old adage “know your audience” has more relevance than in blogging. For a law firm, the topic and niche in which you decide to operate has particular significance because the blog is a voluntary, subscriber forum and does not function like other business development or marketing tools. For example, for an Insurance Recovery practice group, one should know if a good portion of the prospective client base of insurance brokers is interested in reading about the topics of insurance loss and recovery or more interested in reading about selling insurance policies and less so in the contingencies of when those policies fail?

Some Stats

• 21% of senior executives read business blogs at least once a week.
• A vast majority (96%) have familiarity with blogs.
• 30% have a thorough understanding of the term blog.
• 15% have someone in their organization writing a blog related to the company or its activities.
• The majority of law practice blogs are by individuals from very small firms (less than 10 lawyers).

(Source: 2006 State of Corporate Blogging Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Makovsky + Company.)

The Pros and Cons

Blogging is not for everyone; it takes a significant time commitment to do it right and gain the positive benefits. Here is a list of the pros and cons to help decide if a blog is something you should be doing ' or advising your client to do.

The Pros

• Draws traffic to firm's Web site.
• Enhances a lawyer's and firm's reputation in a specialized area.
• Dynamic content, updated and fresh material, in contrast to the relatively static content on a website (enhances search engine visibility to have new content).
• Creates a niche Web destination giving practical advice to clients.
• Journalists frequently use RSS feeds and subscriptions to blogs as source material for articles (whereas they would not use a Web site as a source since the content is promotional).

The Cons

• Must be updated at least twice a week (for adequate search engine visibility and reader interest) and contain lots of content.
• Must market the blog actively by having other blogs and sites linking inward; and actively seek out other peers and blogs to cite in order to get reciprocal treatment.
• If content is not generated regularly, there will be a loss of interest and the blog becomes inactive.
• Technology must be updated and monitored for virus-control, obscene postings on comments section so resources must be devoted to that.
• Technology-enabled for RSS feeds for subscribers is a key to a successful blog. Does your prospective and existing client-base have this capability, in general?
• Fact-checking, accuracy and vetting must be thorough. This requires dedicated personnel and a strict posting protocol, vetting process, and sometimes time-consuming work.
• There are always grumblings about a lawyer (or other employee) writing more than the firm/company would like and an ensuing conflict arises, sometimes ending with the employee being fired. Blogs tend to take on a personality of their own, or an alter ego of the personalities writing them.
• Litigators must be especially careful when discussing a case. Reprimand by judges (who frequently have clerks doing online research) occurs often.

Recommendations

For those not frightened off by the above list, here are some guidelines that will help writing and maintaining a blog easier.

• Retain a blog developer ( i.e., LexBlog) to market, train, host and troubleshoot. A developer would provide:
• lawyer training for writing, indexing and titling so that search engines pick up the blog;
• intelligence on RSS aggregators for proper indexing;
• hosting and tech support;
• graphic and visual guidelines; and
• low cost for services (approximately $2,000 for first year, plus a low monthly maintenance fee).
• Nominate an attorney-editor, with authority to set deadlines and agenda, request postings, liaise with marketing for oversight and messaging, enforce protocols.
• Establish strict protocols for submissions and approval of content to be posted.
• Postings should be no longer than two paragraphs, two to three sentences each.
• Guidelines should be set on language, content and topics, as well as what is and isn't appropriate material.
• Deadlines for postings should be set, as should a turnaround time.
• Determine at the blog's inception the types of information to be communicated.
• If blogging for a firm, the marketing department should oversee the process and ensure that the blog is representative of the firm. Marketing personnel are not to make posts or act as an editor.
• A marketing/business development plan for launching and promoting the blog should be developed.
• Ask current and prospective clients what they wish to see on the blog and then follow through.
• Develop a launch campaign; alert current and potential clients, media and reference the blog on any client newsletters.
• Determine the type of links to be included on the blog ( i.e., links to Web sites, newsletters, articles, alerts).
• If the blog is for a firm, obtain buy-in from all attorneys to participate. Questions to ask include: What is the purpose? What are we trying to accomplish? Is everyone is able to participate?
• Communicate internally regarding the launching of the blog.

Jennifer Topper is Practice Development Manager for Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in New York. She has been advising professional services providers on marketing communications and business development for more than 10 years. She may be reached at [email protected] or 212-808-7507.

An integrated blog added to your online presence is certainly a consideration for any lawyer today looking to market his or her practice and/or firm. There are a handful of reasons why ' and why not ' to launch a blog. Linking to your Web site will increase overall Web traffic through improved search engine visibility. However, experts agree that a blog is at its most effective when separate from the firm's Web site. It shouldn't appear promotional and “salesy.” You need to offer real information, analysis, and insight, but not with the citations and footnotes that make so much legal writing look like a brief or pleading. More traffic is directed to a blog through search engines like Google than to a Web site. Journalists will subscribe to a blog and use it as a citation or as a source for a story, whereas all but the most dynamic, portal-like Web sites can serve that function ' not your typical law firm Web site.

After accuracy and Web traffic, the networking aspect of a blog is its most crucial. For a law firm, lawyer or practice group to have a blog, the aim should be to network, rather than to gain actionable business immediately. Networking and referral sources gained through blogging will benefit you much more than a lengthy biography on your own law firm Web site. The expectation of return on investment (“ROI”) in increased business is unrealistic. A blog is really to serve the purpose of an educational magazine and a networking tool. You must “leave your office” in order to successfully network, and the same is expected of a blog.

Getting Business from a Blog

The more time a blog has to display your frequent posts, and the more discussion that takes place in referencing it, the more it will enhance the position of the blog among peers. The best way to popularize a blog is to have other peers discuss it (or discuss the poster). Peer discussion should come in the form of inbound links, so it is important to continually attribute and reference other blogs and Web sites. This provides excellent results in legitimizing the postings and enhancing the networking aspect of the blog. The feeling that lawyers don't view lawyers from other firms as peers, but rather as competitors has no place in this Web 2.0 world.

There are few other instances in which the old adage “know your audience” has more relevance than in blogging. For a law firm, the topic and niche in which you decide to operate has particular significance because the blog is a voluntary, subscriber forum and does not function like other business development or marketing tools. For example, for an Insurance Recovery practice group, one should know if a good portion of the prospective client base of insurance brokers is interested in reading about the topics of insurance loss and recovery or more interested in reading about selling insurance policies and less so in the contingencies of when those policies fail?

Some Stats

• 21% of senior executives read business blogs at least once a week.
• A vast majority (96%) have familiarity with blogs.
• 30% have a thorough understanding of the term blog.
• 15% have someone in their organization writing a blog related to the company or its activities.
• The majority of law practice blogs are by individuals from very small firms (less than 10 lawyers).

(Source: 2006 State of Corporate Blogging Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Makovsky + Company.)

The Pros and Cons

Blogging is not for everyone; it takes a significant time commitment to do it right and gain the positive benefits. Here is a list of the pros and cons to help decide if a blog is something you should be doing ' or advising your client to do.

The Pros

• Draws traffic to firm's Web site.
• Enhances a lawyer's and firm's reputation in a specialized area.
• Dynamic content, updated and fresh material, in contrast to the relatively static content on a website (enhances search engine visibility to have new content).
• Creates a niche Web destination giving practical advice to clients.
• Journalists frequently use RSS feeds and subscriptions to blogs as source material for articles (whereas they would not use a Web site as a source since the content is promotional).

The Cons

• Must be updated at least twice a week (for adequate search engine visibility and reader interest) and contain lots of content.
• Must market the blog actively by having other blogs and sites linking inward; and actively seek out other peers and blogs to cite in order to get reciprocal treatment.
• If content is not generated regularly, there will be a loss of interest and the blog becomes inactive.
• Technology must be updated and monitored for virus-control, obscene postings on comments section so resources must be devoted to that.
• Technology-enabled for RSS feeds for subscribers is a key to a successful blog. Does your prospective and existing client-base have this capability, in general?
• Fact-checking, accuracy and vetting must be thorough. This requires dedicated personnel and a strict posting protocol, vetting process, and sometimes time-consuming work.
• There are always grumblings about a lawyer (or other employee) writing more than the firm/company would like and an ensuing conflict arises, sometimes ending with the employee being fired. Blogs tend to take on a personality of their own, or an alter ego of the personalities writing them.
• Litigators must be especially careful when discussing a case. Reprimand by judges (who frequently have clerks doing online research) occurs often.

Recommendations

For those not frightened off by the above list, here are some guidelines that will help writing and maintaining a blog easier.

• Retain a blog developer ( i.e., LexBlog) to market, train, host and troubleshoot. A developer would provide:
• lawyer training for writing, indexing and titling so that search engines pick up the blog;
• intelligence on RSS aggregators for proper indexing;
• hosting and tech support;
• graphic and visual guidelines; and
• low cost for services (approximately $2,000 for first year, plus a low monthly maintenance fee).
• Nominate an attorney-editor, with authority to set deadlines and agenda, request postings, liaise with marketing for oversight and messaging, enforce protocols.
• Establish strict protocols for submissions and approval of content to be posted.
• Postings should be no longer than two paragraphs, two to three sentences each.
• Guidelines should be set on language, content and topics, as well as what is and isn't appropriate material.
• Deadlines for postings should be set, as should a turnaround time.
• Determine at the blog's inception the types of information to be communicated.
• If blogging for a firm, the marketing department should oversee the process and ensure that the blog is representative of the firm. Marketing personnel are not to make posts or act as an editor.
• A marketing/business development plan for launching and promoting the blog should be developed.
• Ask current and prospective clients what they wish to see on the blog and then follow through.
• Develop a launch campaign; alert current and potential clients, media and reference the blog on any client newsletters.
• Determine the type of links to be included on the blog ( i.e., links to Web sites, newsletters, articles, alerts).
• If the blog is for a firm, obtain buy-in from all attorneys to participate. Questions to ask include: What is the purpose? What are we trying to accomplish? Is everyone is able to participate?
• Communicate internally regarding the launching of the blog.

Jennifer Topper is Practice Development Manager for Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in New York. She has been advising professional services providers on marketing communications and business development for more than 10 years. She may be reached at [email protected] or 212-808-7507.