“There is no need for advertisements to look like advertisements. If you make them look like editorial pages, you will attract about 50 per cent more readers.” - David Ogilvy

British advertising genius David Ogilvy is known for some of the most creative, persuasive and powerful ads of all time. Yet according to this quote, advertisements which appear more like content can be much more effective than a straight-forward sales pitch.  This statement, though made decades ago, can easily be adopted and applied to the current state of the law firm blogosphere.

Your law firm blog posts should be more than the latest accident reports or a congratulatory piece about one of your associates.  Think of your blog as a conversation starter - and all your attorneys have part ownership in what is being said.

Full Involvement in Marketing the Firm Online
For a while now, social media has been compared to a “cocktail party” where the point is to mingle and to not just talk, but also listen and respond.  This seems to be a pretty good comparison to how Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites operate. Engagement is what social media is all about.

Your associates are already used to connecting with colleagues and “talking shop” at bar association or other events. Having a blog is another opportunity to socialize with hundreds, thousands or even more potential referrals and clients - not just the limited few at a function.

Different Perspectives: Branding and Reputation
Branding and reputation are important elements to differentiate your firm from others. Each attorney should be involved in building your brand and reputation online. Doing so requires your attorneys to contribute to the voice of the firm.

The way a new associate sees your various practice areas may be far different from a seasoned attorney.  Getting their viewpoint online will bring in a distinct alternative to what already has been posted. And it works the other way around too. Your veteran lawyers can add their invaluable experience and history to any topical post.

The Search Engines Will Love You
The search engines, such as Google and Bing, love what is known as “fresh content”. The more often you post a blog entry, the fresher your blog will appear to be to the search engines.

The worst thing you can do with your blog is ignore it and let it become stagnate.  By having more than one or two people responsible for blog content, your blog will be more manageable and you will have the ability to consistently feed new fodder to the search engines.

Remember to always add SEO, or search engine optimization, to your blog posts so the search engines CAN find your blog.

How to Get Everyone on Board
You may be reading this thinking this will be next to impossible to achieve. Of course the larger the firm, the tagging of each attorney to add a post to the blog may be impossible.

Here are a couple of things you can do:

• Ask for Volunteers. The attorneys who already recognize the value of blogging, will jump for an opportunity to add their viewpoint and name to the blog.

• Find Representative Voices. When you have different practice areas, find one attorney in each area who will be willing to create a blog post on a regular basis.

• Set Up An Editorial Calendar. Develop a calendar listing when certain topics/practice areas or which attorney should contribute a post.

• Don’t Forget the Staff. Include your paralegals and legal administrators in contributing a post about a topical issue or an educational piece in their field.

Does your firm currently “share the love” when it comes to contributing to the firm’s blog? What obstacles have you come across in trying to implement a blog sharing plan?