Blogging: Creating and shaping the story of your firm

When developing a social media strategy, you might think of advertising your services on Facebook, tweeting latest offers, or perhaps by collecting connections on LinkedIn. Surprisingly – given its scope for audience engagement - one tool often overlooked, but with great potential for attracting new business, is blogging.

A blog should be thought of as the go-to place for potential clients to learn more about your firm. You can start with a mission statement, or a brief “about us” page on your website. From here, regular blog updates are a dynamic and simple way of telling your firm’s story. It is this story that prospective clients want to know about before they commit to your service.

This is a chance to get creative. You can highlight your achievements, your opinions, be provocative and generally showcase your knowledge of legal news. Replying to comments on the blog feed from potential clients is a great way to show the human side to your firm, and to create a community around your brand.

To benefit from blogging requires consistency and time. But with reliable, enjoyable and informative content, your firm can engage with a much broader audience. A successful blog shared across social media platforms will attract attention and eventually a positive reputation. It is by working towards this reputation and gaining momentum that your firm can climb the SEO rankings. Climbing these rankings means potential clients find you first.

According to research by the ‘LexBlog Network’ – a company that specialises in social media for lawyers - by 2012, 78% of 200 lawyers and law firms surveyed by the law magazine ‘American Lawyer’ had a blog. From less than 50 in 2007, to over 150 in 2012, the increase is clear. Kevin O’Keefe – a content writer for LexBlog – writes:

“Law firms with blogs are now the norm, rather than the exception. Blogging is quickly becoming an expected part of any firm’s marketing arsenal. Those who do not use blogs are behind, it is that simple.”

In the UK, The Times rated the blog ‘Jack of Kent’ as one of the top law blogs in the country. ‘Jack of Kent’ is maintained by Birmingham based lawyer David Allen Green, and has been shortlisted twice for the Orwell prize. The law blog offers legal insights and developments, and also a bio of the writer including his professional experience. The corresponding Twitter feed has close to 50,000 followers. For one lawyer, that’s an incredible achievement.

In 2012, Kevin O’Keefe insisted that those firms that do not use blogs for business development are behind. In 2014 a surprising amount of law firms and lawyers are still not blogging. Alternatively if they are, it is not regular or consistently enough.

By beginning or restarting your engagement with what can be a fun and creative firm-to-consumer interface, you can avoid missing out as more law firms turn to blogging in the future.