So you finally joined the online parade and introduced your law firm to the world of blogging. There is a lot you should know in order to get your blog moving in the right direction. Here are 16 pointers to help your law firm blog get up and running:
1. Publish often. If you are not going to post consistently, forget about blogging. You need to pick a pattern and stick to it. One necessary way to blogging success is to post with frequency.
2. Include your ‘About Us.’ Make sure your ‘About Us’ page is listed in each of your blog posts. You want readers to get the chance to get to know your firm and what it is all about.
3. Communicate. Reach out to your readers. Invite them to leave comments on your blog. Offer them your free monthly newsletters, connect with them on social media. Stay in touch every way you can.
4. Use your links. One way to show more content to your readers is to create links to your other content within your blog posts. Providing a few links can keep readers around for a while.
5. Ask for help. Reach out to your fellow bloggers and ask to share one another’s content. The blogging community generally looks out for one another.
6. Be your own blog. It’s good to read other blogs, but you want to establish your own style. Don’t try to just recreate a competitor’s blog. Add your own touch by putting a unique spin on things.
7. Follow your SEO. This is a guide that will lead you through the blogging process. It will need to be constantly upgraded and adjusted. Get very familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
8. Write quality content. All the marketing in the world won’t matter if your content is no good. Make sure you produce quality writing. That will always keep readers coming back for more.
9. Write for the reader. Law firms are not writing blogs for lawyers. Content needs to answer the question, ‘do readers care about this topic?’ What captures the interests of lawyers does not always capture the interest of the general public.
10. Get to know Google. Google can truly be a blogger’s best friend. Get familiar and start utilizing all the services Google has to offer such as Google+, Google AdWords, Google Places and more.
11. Share, share, share. Share your content, share other blog content. Get on social media and just start sharing. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook can be your megaphone to the world.
12. Learn as you go. It’s okay if you make a mistake in the early going because you haven’t yet built a vast audience. When there is a hiccup early on, don’t get discouraged. Keep on blogging.
13. Mix up your bloggers. Your law firm doesn’t have to employ one person to write blogs. Use multiple attorneys, hire a pro blogger, and use guest bloggers. Variety will spice things up.
14. Be patient. Rome was not build in a day and neither were the world’s best blogs. It takes time, dedication and perseverance to develop a regular following. Keep at it.
15. Avoid legal jargon. One of the biggest mistakes is to write legalese. Be sure that your content reads smoothly for the average person who doesn’t have a law degree.
16. Credit your sources. If you find a fun fact on the Internet and include it your post, remember to link to the original source. This also extends to photos. Make sure to credit them properly.
Call 1-800-877-2776 for a discussion about our lead generation needs with a seasoned legal lead generation expert, not a sales representative.
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