Blogging Secrets... Revealed

The list of reasons why bloggers blog is fairly vast and some of the benefits may come as a surprise. When I first heard of blogging, I naively assumed that it was something that self-centered people with too much free time did... and now here I am... hmmm.
OK, should you consider a blog and if so why? My answer is... it depends... so why do bloggers blog?

1) Search Engine Traffic
According to search engine gurus the return on your marketing investment for natural search can blow pay per click away. Blogs promoting your business or law firm can dramatically enhance your search engine position listing. This one should be reason enough for many plaintiff's lawyers looking to cast a wide net for claimants. I managed search engine optimization for a law firm advertising company back in 1999 and had the opportunity to see how powerful of a marketing tool this was, even 10 years ago. Today, with the keyword price inflation of pay per click (particularly for terms such as "Personal Injury" or "Asbestos Litigation" or "insert harmful drug name here" - you get the picture Trial Lawyers...) Should you have a blog for this purpose? The answer is: the bigger your organization is and the more critical search is in your overall marketing mix, the more likely you will need to give blogs serious consideration, as part of your overall strategy.

2) Position Yourself as an Industry Expert
If you write enough about what people want to read, they will come back. If they come back enough, you may find that one day you will actually be seen as an expert in your field. In fact, I think my mother is fairly convinced that I am an industry luminary in the litigation marketing field and sends my blog to all her friends and co-workers, so if you happen see her, please let her keep thinking that I am important...

3) Social networking with a group sharing common interests
This one is fairly straight forward. Chances are you are probably reading this because you have some interest in the litigation world, or in getting some tips on improving your marketing.

4) Cost-effective Promotion
Web sites cost money - blogs are free. They are also very easy to use and do not require a high degree of technological aptitude.

5) Communicate Message to Broad Audience
You publish a post once and the content is there forever for anyone to find. Blogs are also cumulative. The more you post the stronger your blog becomes. 20 posts are 10 times more likely to be found than 2. It is virtually impossible to not see a considerable increase in traffic if you commit to posting on a regular basis.

There are many other reasons for blogging, but these are some of the most common. Remember, Tip: Blogging is highly cost effective, but you need to be persistent to see results. It's not for every organization, but it can make a huge difference in certain organizations. If you would like to know whether a blog is appropriate for your firm, e-mail me at jzissu1-litigation@yahoo.com