Lawyers Meta Blogging
…that is, lawyers blogging about blogging. There has been a handful of excellent posts over the last few weeks on this very subject, and these posts couldn’t come at a better time.
With the current economic downturn, we’ve been hearing that business is down for both large & small firms. Just as the old adage “Buy when stocks are low” goes, it seems that many are taking this opportunity to evaluate their web marketing tactics, including how their blog is positioned to drive new business.
Over at My Shingle, today’s post from Carolyn Elefant asks the questions post “Should lawyers accept ads on their blogs? Why Not?” Carolyn argues that blog advertising, done thoughtfully and properly, is an intelligent passive income stream that’s worth pursuing. She even suggests that when paired with advertising, blogging frequently is especially rewarding.
“Lawyers know that blogging helps market a practice, but as we all do with marketing, sometimes it’s easy to set it aside, particularly when the returns aren’t immediate. But ad revenue from blogs is something that will flow from a well read, targeted blog and knowing that there’s an immediate return, can give extra incentive to post regularly.”
Personally, I don’t have a problem with quality sponsorships on law blogs. But I do think advertising can be a slippery slope, especially link-based advertising, which is what most blogging lawyers tend get propositioned with.
My advice to clients has always been to avoid it. When a blog is driving good relevant work, lawyers need to value that relationship to their core revenue stream (i.e. their practice), and protect it. While the sponsorship model has the potential to lend authority to a site like Carolyn’s, link-based advertising, by comparison, and the few hundred dollars (or thousand) a month it might produce, isn’t worth it for most lawyer blogs.
Another good post is “Should you be the one to write your own blog post?” by G2WebMedia’s Grant Griffiths at his blog, Blog for Profit. In this piece, he rebuts four plausible alternatives to writing your own blog content (e.g., using freelance writers, canned posts, etc.). Grant makes an excellent case for why the best person to write your blog is you, and concludes, “In my opinion, you don’t have time not to be the one doing the majority of the blogging.“ That’s good advice, in my view.
Lastly, Kevin O’Keefe of Real Lawyers Have Blogs addresses a concern that’s common among lawyers thinking about blogging: the fact that there are already other successful blogs on the subject out there. “Existing law blogs on your intended topic don’t preclude blogging success” gives plenty of reasons why that shouldn’t stop you. In fact, he asserts,
“Lawyers with a desire and passion to blog in an area of law will find having a ready network of lawyers publishing blogs on the subject to be an advantage. It’s like having a panel discussion on the subject going on every day.”
I would also add… there is always room to hit a law blogging topic from another angle. Think about widening the focus to a larger audience or subject area – rather than creating another law blog, how about an industry blog with a legal slant? Or, going narrow and picking a smaller (and preferably the most profitable) niche and completely owning that subject? … change it up a little!
These three detailed posts show that blogging, like all marketing, needs to be approached in a strategic and deliberate way. The legal community is fortunate to have lawyers who not only write great blogs but can teach the art and science behind it!
My name is 
Grant Griffiths said,
Wrote on November 12, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
Great round of post there Steve and thanks so much for including mine.
Susan Cartier Liebel said,
Wrote on November 12, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
Steve,
I have mixed feelings on sponsorship, affiliate or adwords on lawyer blogs. I saw Carolyn’s post and didn’t comment b/c of these mixed feelings. But I’m commenting here as I tend to agree with you.
The idea is to attract readers and keep them on your site, not distract them with another message UNLESS the sponsorship is on point in a meaningful way to the reader who comes to you..meaning a potential client.
It is hard to imagine who that sponsor would be, though. These are dangerous waters and I’m not sure the dollar return is worth the risk.
However, if you are a lawyer blogging on a tangential topic or created a personal opinion blog or a service type blog, I might think differently on the subject but still with some trepidation.
Great post.
Mina Sirkin said,
Wrote on November 12, 2008 @ 10:23 pm
Sponsorships can be good, but you have to separate yourself as a lawyer, from a blogger. If the blog is a firm blog, then I think sponsorship can be complicated and risky. I don’t have a problem with sponsorship on personal blogs.
Mike O'Key said,
Wrote on November 13, 2008 @ 3:12 am
One of the things I think you overlooked: What is the ethical perception of monetizing your site? The point is to “sell” ad space, so is generating revenue for your blog perceived as a bad thing (selling out) or as a positive (successful enough of a publisher to attract advertisers)?
Sites like BitterLawyer.com are obviously “for profit” sites (and the Living the Dream videos are hilarious, btw), but what about the more independent sites?
Carolyn Elefant said,
Wrote on November 13, 2008 @ 4:48 am
Thank you for fairly representing my views. I agree that ultimately, the lawyer’s practice comes first which is why you don’t want to alienate your bread and butter. At the same time, if you have a go to blog and are providing a service to the public beyond immediate clients, why not receive some benefits. One example who comes to mind is Howard Bashman – he has ads on his popular Appellate Blog (though not on his website).
My second point is that many times law blogs will effectively support advertising. All of those “top 100’s” and blog award things are technically honors, but they are also free advertising for the sponsors. Many lawyers proudly display those logos and ads are really just another step in the continuum. But I agree, it is a tough call where even I see both sides, so I appreciate everyone’s willingness to discuss the matter intelligently.
Craig Niedenthal said,
Wrote on November 13, 2008 @ 8:55 am
Steve: Agree with you and Kevin that even if there are blogs out there addressing your specialty, you should still jump in. Develop your own personal take and voice. People will listen. Interact with those other voices by commenting on their blogs and become part of the community. There is room enough for all of us if you take it seriously and provide you own analysis on the issues instead of purely posting information. If you sit on the sidelines, you will lose the game…sort of speak.
Steve Matthews said,
Wrote on November 13, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
Thank-you for the thoughtful comments everyone.
Mike, you had the only question that went unanswered, and it may still be that way when I’m done :), but…
I would return to Carolyn’s original post, and her recommendation of setting guidelines. The challenge of this perception (and whether it’s an ethical issue, I don’t know) is which services the lawyer in question chooses to align themselves with. Do these alignments create a positive & professional impression? or do they cheapen the offering?
And as an SEO, I’m also concerned with outbound links that aren’t connected to the same subject matter as the blog. Too many unrelated links, and the underlying link network can lose focus. Potentially moving the website away from being a hub for its topic. And potentially reducing the rankings. There’s room for any website to go off topic on occasion, but keeping focus is still important.