Five blogging tips for lawyers

If you are new to the concept of writing a legal blog it can seem like a daunting task. So here are five tips from AccessSolicitor to help get your legal blogging started.

Legal blogging is blossoming as lawyers realise the benefits a blog can bring to a law firm and an individual’s professional reputation. Blogging is an excellent way to generate rich content for your website, allowing you to showcase legal expertise and project your brand. Recent years have seen the UK legal sector firmly embrace the digital age with blogs covering everything from landlord regulations to human rights.

Five things to consider when writing your legal blog are:

1. Keep legal jargon to a minimum

The internet is not a courtroom or the office. Your blog will be accessed by a range of readers, including professionals within the legal industry, people with no legal knowledge or even students. Maximising the readership of your blog requires it to be accessible to all. If you use legal jargon, explain it. 

2. Discuss case law and case studies

If potential clients are looking for an expert in a particular area and are reading your blog they will want to read about the experience you have. Use case studies in your blog to show that you can skilfully deal with a range of legal areas. Looking back at historic case law or exploring contentious or tricky rulings can be ideal subject matter for legal blogs, generating interesting and perhaps niche content with plenty of keywords.

3. Optimise keywords

If you are posting fresh content to your blog on a fairly regular basis your website will search engine optimise organically. Quality copy on legal affairs will naturally contain keywords used in online searches for legal matters. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to place legal terms that you particularly wish to be recognised for within your text. This is particularly so when thinking about words used in headings and sub-headings. 

4. Less is more

The attention span of internet users is notoriously short. The most successful blogs are concise at around 400 – 700 words long. Of course, explaining legal concepts or quoting case law can be a lengthy affair and you don't want to compromise on quality. Nevertheless, keep your blog post to 1000 words maximum. 

5. Promote your blog on social media

You have crafted a brilliantly written blog and posted it online – now what? Do not just wait for readers to flock to your site to read it. Use Twitter, LinkedIn, even email to get your blog picked up by as many people as possible. Social media promotion will improve your SEO, help you get your voice out to new people and generate conversations with your existing contacts.