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A few weeks ago I was looking to compile a list of all the bankruptcy blogs I could find. I figured it should be a pretty simple task, what with legal blogging being all the rage and such (though it’s de rigeur in the rest of the online marketing world, we lawyers aren’t so much into the cutting edge).
So I did a search for bankruptcy blogs on Google and was surprised – no, shocked – to be confronted with a virtual graveyard of old, dead blogs just hanging around and taking up space. So I did a little research and found that the issue of dead blogs is a pretty big one. So much so, in fact, that WordPress.com numbers show that only about 22% of their registered blogs are active.
Wow – nearly 80% of all blogs are just dead properties. Crazy, huh?
Truth be known, I’m sure many of those blogs are of the, “I just ate a bowl of corn flakes and am watching my cat,” sort. Either that, or they’re spam blogs (which have a lifespan of about 32 seconds). But even if we cut those out, what are we looking at? 50% of all blogs are dead?
Whatever the number, this all made me wonder WHY so many blogs – particularly legal blogs – die. After all, legal blogs are marketing vehicles for viable businesses. They should stick around forever …. right?
Some time ago, Lorelle did a post on when to stop blogging (by the way – if you don’t know who Lorelle is, shame on you. She has forgotten more about blogging than most of us will ever learn. Her posts are smart, well-informed, and helpful. Read her site. Now. Well, after you’re done read this post). And from that I’ve culled my list of …
4 Reasons Lawyers Who Blog As Part Of Their Online Marketing Strategy Just … Give Up
- Now, Now, Now! We’re all impatient, and we want results immediately. Someone sold us on the notion that all advertising pays off right now, and we’re all bent out of shape that blogging for a week doesn’t result in a flood of new multi-million dollar clients.
- The Empty Brain. I have no idea what the heck I’m supposed to say here. I’ve repeated the same 4 things I said on my website. I guess there’s nothing left to say, so I’ll just stop.
- Too Full For A Doggy Bag. I blogged for a few days because my phone wasn’t ringing that week. My phone started ringing, and now I’m just too darn busy for this foolishness. Maybe I’ll go back to it if the phone stops ringing again. Probably not.
- Shiny Objects Get Dull. I read something that talked about how blogging was an excellent way to market my law practice. I hired a designer to make a really cool legal blog for me, and I hit it hard for awhile. But then I discovered Facebook, and I’m spending all of my time there. It really seems as if blogging is dead, just like the pundits say.
5 Ways To Avoid Blog Death
Realize This Is Not A Short-Term Fix. Blogging is all about making connections and establishing a long-term rapport with your audience. In doing so, you establish your value in the legal market by virtue of the content you’re putting out there. As much as we’d like it to be otherwise, you can’t create trust and rapport in a day. Nor, for that matter, in a month. It’s going to take some time to build a blog, so get used to it.
Create A Content Marketing Strategy. Blogging involves the regular creation of new, unique and creative content – words on electronic paper. Take some time to map out what you want to say, and when you want to say it. My blogging calendar contains about 6 months worth of posts (that goes for this blog, as well as for Untethered Lawyer and my bankruptcy blogs), and I find it to be very liberating.
Set Aside An Hour Twice A Week. By scheduling an hour to do a blog post, and setting that time aside twice a week, you’re sure to get at least two posts out the door in a 7-day period. Once you get comfortable with blogging you’ll find you can knock one out in about 30 minutes.
Read More Than You Write. When you read the news and other blogs, you gain knowledge as well as ideas on what to write about. Whether it’s a listserv, another blog, or the newspaper – there’s a ton of information out there for you to use and comment on.
Remember To Have Fun. You’re blogging, not writing for the Pulitzer Prize. If you see a funny YouTube video, use it on your blog. Share a story about yourself, even if it has nothing to do with the subject at hand. Why? Because if you’re looking to establish a relationship with your readers (and you are) it’s more likely to happen if they know something about you as a person rather than as just another lawyer. Show your humanity, have some fun, and laugh. Your enjoyment will show through, and your readers will be infected with it.
Photo courtesy of mira d’oubliette.
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I've found that a blog is like a small child or a plant — you have to constantly feed it or it will die. That's the biggest issue I have with my blog, is continuing to come up with new ideas.
Content marketing is a constant challenge, David. To give it a jump-start, I'd recommend buying a stack of 3×5 index cards. On each card, write down a question as it is asked by a client or prospect. On the reverse side, write an answer. Each card becomes a single piece of content – be it a blog post, article or something else. This works really well for me, and may help you in your content creation efforts.
Thanks. Something I do is look at my internal stats and see what
Google searches brought people to my website. Often it's not a
subject that I've written about yet, but is something that people
might be interested in.
You are so right on about attention span and discipline issues with lawyers. Attention deficit issues, I get. Discipline — you would think — should be a no brainer for lawyers. On the blog I created on social media for lawyers, I even have a category called “shiny and new.” Too funny. Great post, Jay!
Thanks Tracy – I think we've all fallen victim to the “shiny and new” thing in the past. The trick is to figure out how to keep that “new blog feeling” alive.
Some blogs write easier than others. Blogs like MyShingle or practice blogs are easy to throw up a tip. My Renewables Offshore blog is much harder to write. I've kept it going for nearly 6 years, but the topics require good analysis so that the blog does not wind up as a referrer blog. When I am very busy, it is difficult to keep up.
Personally, I would rather read a blog that's updated weekly with a good solid post than have to plow through several garbage posts to get to an interesting piece. I don't know what this approach would do for SEO but that is my own personal opinion.
No doubt about it – keeping up a practice blog is no easy task. Updating once a week with solid, unique and interesting information is better than a bunch of trash ones. It isn't so much a question of SEO as it is one of content generation. Bad content yields poor user experience, which is a signal component of Google's search algorithm. Better to use only the “good stuff” on your blog.
LOL! This is great. And can I quote you?
Some excellent tips. However, I've found that the “set aside time to blog” doesn't work. It becomes an obligation rather than an appointment with inspiration.
What I've found works is to teach people how to become the “Sunday Gentlemen” of blogging. Ask them to not blog, but think about all the bloggy stories they run across through the week, just jot them down as they go as notes and ideas, then on the weekend, when they get those few moments of downtime, to sit at the computer and do something with those notes.
It's amazing how people start looking at the world differently, looking for bloggy stories and ideas, which ferment through the week, so at the weekend, that's all they want to do! WRITE! The story they want to tell bursts out. That's the passion that makes all the difference in the world when it comes to interesting writing AND reading.
If they come up with more than one blog post, that's what the future posts option is for, making their blog work for them while they are out working for the rest of the world.
Great points! Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Lorelle – I'm honored!
I tell my coaching clients to walk around with a stack of 3×5 cards and to jot down ideas on one side, leaving the reverse side free for finer points. I haven't heard of the phrase, “Sunday Gentleman,” but will now use it (with full attribution, of course).
As for quoting me … anytime!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Lorelle – I'm honored!
I tell my coaching clients to walk around with a stack of 3×5 cards and to jot down ideas on one side, leaving the reverse side free for finer points. I haven't heard of the phrase, “Sunday Gentleman,” but will now use it (with full attribution, of course).
As for quoting me … anytime!
Blogging is not so easy and flowery as it seems. Besides a knack for great writing, a blogger also needs other virtues like dedication, patience and the will to experiment. Results are in the running but not immediate. The more you read up the better you can write. A good blogger can gain more from his site only with an insatiable thirst for blogging.
Thanks for the great tips.