Blogging is simply writing an article about a topic. A typical blog can vary in length from 300 to 1000 words and the topics are many and varied. But why is it an important part of the marketing mix for you?

Why is blogging an important part of your marketing?

• Shows your expertise &authority
• Good for search marketing (getting found on Google)
• Differentiates you from your competitions
• Increases leads and new clients
• Shows you are always learning and keep up with the newest regulations
• Shows you care because you are giving away free advice
• Happy to share some of your well-earned IP with them before they even think of becoming a clients
• Differentiates you from the competition

Websites with blogs are 434% more likely to rank on the first page of Google‐however, Google and other search engines don’t rank websites, they rank web pages. Each blog is another opportunity for you to catch the attention of someone in need of legal services.

When people have legal issues, they have nothing but questions. Where do people go when they have questions they need to be answered?

There are more than 295 million search options for the question “do I need a lawyer?” and 214 million searches for “how much is a lawyer?” according to Google.

Many people don’t look at lawyers in a positive way so why not change that perception and really put some personality into your practice.

How often should you blog?

You don’t need to blog every day but try and do it consistently, even if it is once a month. And if you don’t have time, outsource it to someone who knows how to write a blog that is relatable to your target audience. Many lawyers struggle writing for the average person so ditch the law jargon! Find someone who can write in a way that ‘dumbs it down and is written in simple terms that is understandable.

 

Some tips to get started

• Use keywords that your audience is looking for – Google is a great place to start to see what terms to searched for content. This helps it get found.
• Use everyday language – no lawyer speak, unless you are talking to other lawyers. You need to make sure you’re writing in a way that will really connect with potential clients. Dumb it down and write in simple terms that is understandable.
• Add your personality – just because it might be serious topic doesn’t mean you cannot add humour or inject your own personality into it
• Keep it short & simple – you are not writing War & Peace here
• Include stats & images – make it easy to read. Breaking the content into bullet points, shorter paragraphs and including stats and images makes it easier to consume and therefore more engaging

What to write about

• Answer Legal FAQs – You likely get asked common questions every day so start by answering some of these in a blog article. This could be multiple blog posts or a series.
• Current events – is there something happening in the world, your city or your industry that will impact your target market.
• Case studies or your area of specialty or expertise – Prove you know what you’re doing by writing blogs in the form of case studies. They help to establish trust and credibility
• Firm news – has there been something of interest happen in the firms such as a new starter, new office, new service – share it with the world.

Your blog isn’t going to be perfect when you start and that is OK but you need to start somewhere so stop procrastinating and give it a go. You might surprise yourself!

For more content ideas get your copy of 365 Social Media posts for your Law Firm.