Blogging Tips for Lawyers During the Pandemic
Earlier this month I spoke about Mastering Legal Marketing at the Ontario Bar Association’s Innovation in Trusts & Estates Law program. I provided tips on creating/increasing awareness of yourself, and driving traffic to your website, through social media, third party content, and blogging.
Specifically about blogging, here are two points I made:
1. Although numerous factors are involved with search engine optimization, you play a significant role in contributing to whether your content is served up as a result in a search engine search. Basically, “content is king” and you want people to read your content. As the author, make the blog post relevant to your audience by addressing their challenges as you put yourself in their shoes.
2. Consumption of online content is different from print content. Write blog posts for the online audience, who is basically skimming. Use headers, shorter sentences and paragraphs, and a conversational tone.
In other words, write in an easily understandable, relevant, and helpful manner. Doing so can result in your audience staying on the page to read your blog post.
Generating Blog Content During the Pandemic
When you blog, remember to publish blog posts on a regular basis.
How can you do so when you may be feeling exhausted from keeping up with your law practice and balancing life outside of law during the pandemic?
Here are a few ways to come up with blog post ideas to populate your blogging calendar:
1. Recycle Previous Blog Posts or Speaking Notes
Review blog posts you’ve written to determine which issues may be more pressing during this time period. Consider the questions clients have been asking you these days – have you addressed them in any previous blog posts or speaking engagements?
For blog posts that are still up to date, start a new blog post. Begin with an introduction and then add another paragraph or two that would resonate with the specific audience. For example, blog with specific examples based on issues you’ve encountered during the pandemic (remember the Rules of Professional Conduct as they relate to confidentiality when you draft your post). Then add a link to the old blog post for the audience to read more.
For blog posts that contain outdated information, draft a new blog post with the current information. Also, add specific examples illustrating your awareness of concerns your audience is facing these days, and your knowledge to address them.
If you’re just starting to blog, review notes from your previous speaking engagements (whether at external events or internal department or client events subject to confidentiality concerns). Repurpose that content into a blog post by highlighting a few tips.
2. Create a Series
Line up a few blog posts in your blogging calendar by creating a series. Consider whether you can recycle some of your previous blog posts by finding a common theme or cycle applicable to your client’s business. Create a fictitious character or business scenario as the backbone of the series.
If you happen to be drafting a new post, consider whether you can break up the content into a number of posts.
At the end of each post, let your readers know to stay tuned for the next blog post. By announcing the content for the upcoming posts in the series, you’ve created a “contract” with your readers to produce it!
3. Collaborate with Others
Whether you’re feeling socially isolated, reach out to a lawyer in a different practice area or another professional to work on a blog post. Doubling up the expertise could create a unique post of value to your audience.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, you’re not alone. This blog post is to provide you with ideas to help create further blog content. If you are only able to speak with clients to get to know them better as part of writing more resonating blog posts, or discuss with other lawyers or professionals what you could collaborate about, you have accomplished much already. Blogging is a relationship building journey even if the blog post doesn’t get published right away. Do the best you can and stay safe.
