If you’ve been on the fence about starting a blog for your law firm, I’m sure that your online research or conversations with “blogging gurus” haven’t made the decision much easier for you.
There are many reasons to start a blog, and the ROI (return on investment) you can expect will always vary depending on what industry you are in and what your end goals are.
I get so frustrated when I hear marketing professionals tell attorneys that the ultimate goal for their law firm blog should be “building a community” or a “nurturing a tribe,” and that this end results will be measured by the number of subscribers the attorney gets each week.
Let’s get real for a minute. Most people will not visit a law firm website unless they have a pressing need and are looking for answers. They either want help from an attorney or want to know how to take care of the matter themselves. Unless your posts are really engaging or entertaining (which they may be), rarely will you find loyal readers who will devour your content day after day.
So what is the purpose of a blog as part of your overall legal marketing strategy? Here are just a few reasons to consider having one:
- It helps your site rank better in search– Google loves fresh content and that’s what a blog allows you to provide. As you write blog posts that include your keywords and provide useful, relevant content for prospective clients, the more likely that your information will move up and be found by those prospects on Google’s first page. Any SEO person will tell you that having a regularly updated blog is a critical piece of your SEO strategy.
- It helps to affirm your expert status– Your blog is a opportunity to showcase your expertise to potential clients thinking about picking up the phone and calling your firm. It also allows you to showcase a bit of your personality and whether or not you are able to explain complicated legal topics in a way your prospect is able to understand.
- It increases the chances you’ll be found by the media– Many journalists start their research by doing a quick Google search to see who is already talking about the subject they plan to cover. If you’re already showcasing your expertise or offering unique opinions through your blog, there’s a good chance you’ll get called to comment on that issue. We’ve had quite a few clients contacted for stories this way.
- It’s a great entry point for your lead generation “funnel”– If your blog is ranking well and pulling in visitors from the search engines, you can then leverage this traffic by offering readers access to your ‘free report’ or lead generation piece so that they are now on your mailing list and you are able to communicate with them for FREE via your ezine on a regular basis.
- It’s easier to share your content via social media– There’s only so much you can say about a subject in 140 characters, so linking back to a blog post is a great way to spread information about an important subject and drive more people back to your law firm site.
So if you don’t have a blog yet for your law firm, just bite the bullet and get one before the end of the year! It’s a very important part of your overall marketing strategy and something you’ll want to hit the ground running with in 2012.
-Laura Lee/Legal Marketing Maven
For full article see: http://legalmarketingmaven.com/the-real-reason-you-need-a-blog-for-your-law-firm
