You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and now you’re ready to grow. There are many marketing strategies out there, but content creation is one of the most straightforward and accessible. And it’s effective.

According to the American Bar Association’s 2019 Legal & Technology report, 49% of firms with blogs garnered new clients specifically because of their blogs – more than the reported number for social media (31%). And no, there’s no quality control on that.

Blogs articles run roughly 300-2000 words. The tone varies from one site to the next, but they’re generally friendly and conversational. They help:

• Make it easier to find your webpage, thanks to SEO. (More on that later.)
• Create a sense of your expertise.
• And go more in-depth than a billboard. A client can read a few of your blog posts and feel like they’re already getting to know you.

So, what do you need to know about blogging?

1. Be consistent.

Have a calendar? Plan when you’ll write and post your blog articles. Regularly updated blogs appeal to search engines and readers.

Search engine optimization (SEO) notices updated web content and rewards you by placing your website higher up the search page.

As for readers, we all know the feeling of clicking on a webpage that hasn’t been updated in years. It doesn’t seem relevant, and most readers probably won’t stay there long. Show your professionalism by posting articles at regular intervals.

2. Write for your clients, not other lawyers.

Your goal is to attract new clients, right? So that’s who you’re creating content for. Keeping clients in mind can also help guide content creation.

To attract readers, you need to provide them with something of value. That doesn’t mean detailed legal advice – but do aim for quality and helpfulness. It may sound daunting, but this approach actually makes it easier to come up with blog topics. 

Having a sense of audience also helps dial in word choice and tone. Make it approachable. Avoid legalese. Know that it’s okay to show empathy. This client-centered style will draw readers and help them feel connected to you. 

Within reason, a blog is a good place to share a sense of your professional personality, helping prospective clients see you as relatable.

What questions do you get asked by clients or laypeople when they learn about your profession? Given your practice area and location, what information might be useful to your prospective clients? 

By answering questions and providing helpful information, you’ll also encourage people to stay on your site longer. Search engine algorithms note this and interpret it as indicative of quality. This helps your site rank higher on the search list, drawing even more visitors.

3. Have a plan to share your content.

Putting your blog on your website will help with SEO. But it also gives you content for your marketing emails and social media. Use them to share your blog. Let people know when you have a new post!

You may even want to consider how these platforms can work together for greater outreach. Yes, answering common and relevant questions attracts readers. But don’t forget to harness the immediacy of social media. Current legal events, firm news, and community engagement are all fodder for a good blog post – and they help you appeal on a local level.

As you write, you’ll accumulate more posts. Don’t forget to backlink to previous pieces. Not only is this good for SEO, but it’s a great way to explore or answer smaller points from the current post. And it helps connect readers with more content.

Get started

Internet searches have become a mainstay in finding services. Use a blog to introduce yourself, and engage with prospective clients before you ever talk to them.

Think you’d like to add a blog to your firm’s website, but worried you don’t have the time? Consider outsourcing. It may be more cost-effective – and free up valuable hours to spend with new clients.