Grant Griffiths has been writing an ongoing series over at Blog For Profit called Building a Successful Blog. If you are struggling with getting a blog up and going. Or you are thinking about blogging, I would encourage you to read the series.
In reality, building a legal blog is a pretty simple endeavor. Buy hosting, install WordPress and slap on one of the many free templates out there.
Of course, that’s where things get tricky. Because we all know there’s a significant difference between doing something and doing it right. To have a successful legal blog you must do the following:
Plan
There’s nothing worse than sitting down to a fresh screen and realizing you have no clue what you want to talk about. To combat this consider using mind mapping software or, at the very least, a running list of cool titles and ideas to work with. It will make your blogging easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Maintain Your Voice
Knowing your audience is extremely important; knowing where you fit into the audience’s world view is a key to successful law firm blogging. If your typical client is the CEO of a Fortune 1000 company and your blog doesn’t reflect the interests of that client, you’re never going to connect.
Write Frequently
Updating your blog is critical because (a) the search engines reward fresh content; and (b) your readers want a constant flow of information. If the blog is filled with old content, it gets moldy – in other words, people will pass it up in favor of fresher content.
Link To Other Bloggers
Links are the “currency of the blogosphere.” They show your readers that you’re an avid reader yourself, and always on the hunt for new material to help make your blog a better one.
Leave Comments on Other Blogs
When you comment on other blogs, you let those other blog owners know you exist – and what you’re talking about. Leave cogent comments that add something of value to the conversation; readers of the blogs on which you comment will invariably follow the link back to your blog and ultimately become your loyal readers as well.
Create Meaningful Titles
Titles are essential to blogging successfully because they enable search engines to find you. In addition, a good title serves as a headline, drawing in readers and creating more traffic to your legal blog.
