How To Have a Successful Blog

Having a blog can keep you up-to-date in the field you practice in, and it can help establish you as an expert. As a successful lawyer and consultant, these are the following steps I practice to maintain my blog. Here are 8 tips to creating and maintaining a blog that will be read:

1. Have a great title for your blog site. Include keywords that are relevant to your work so the search engines can find you. That means that using your firm name may not the best title.

2. Have great titles for every post. Again, it should have the relevant keywords so it can be found. Think of the words a person would type in if she were looking for an answer. Those are the words you want to use.

3. Post often. A blog is a dynamic marketing tool, meaning that the content has to change often. If you are a lawyer, post new topics on law, your law firm and your law practice. The most successful blogs have new, fresh content every day, sometimes multiple times each day. You may want to post daily until your blog is established, then you can go to two or three times a week.

4. Choose interesting topics. Of course you'll want to post blogs that people will read, so think of questions your clients have had and answer them. Start with the basics first before moving into more in-depth blogs.

5. Get followers. Most blog hosts will allow for RSS feeds or a way for people to subscribe and be notified whenever you post new content. Allow for comments on your blog site, and stay involved in the threads. If people ask questions in the comment section, it will give you more material to post in future blogs.

6. Write simply. The legal field can be confusing. If your blog is meant for the general public, follow the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. If your blog is meant for professionals in a certain field, speak to them in their language. If your blog is meant for other attorneys, you can use more legalese.

7. Keep it relevant. Your blog represents you and your practice. It isn't meant to be a place for you to rant about things that aren't relevant. If you want to have a soapbox that doesn't pertain to your legal practice, start a separate blog where you can write about your personal opinions and political views.

8. Read and link to other blogs. Find legal blogs that you think are good and read them. They will give you ideas and different perspectives. You'll get to see what others are blogging about and keep current on what's going on around you. Also, if you link to those blogs, you will get noticed and people will start reading your blog and link to you.

Remember that a blog is time consuming. If you can't dedicate the hours necessary to keep one, you could always be a "contributing blogger" on someone else's legal blog. Find some blogs that you like, leave comments, and eventually ask if you could be a guest blogger. That way you still increase your visibility without all the work!

About the Author:

Kendra Brodin, MSW, JD is author of the Happy In Law blog found at www.KendraBrodin.com and founder of www.WomenLawyersOnline.com . With a powerful background as an attorney and social worker, Kendra helps lawyers experience the best of life and legal practice, while helping law firms attract, retain, and advance their best and brightest women attorneys. For more information, please visit her site as mentioned above.