Top blogging tips for lawyers: How to connect with clients

Your firm has a blog, and you’ve been asked to contribute. How hard can it be to write a short post now and then? Harder than you think! If you generally spend your day writing factums or contracts, switching to blogging mode can be quite a challenge. Here are some quick tips to make your blog posts more appealing to your clients and potential clients.

1. Think like a client
Put yourself in a potential client’s shoes. They don’t care about an 80-year-old precedent being overturned. They care whether it means they need to change their company’s contractor agreement, or whether it will help them to contest their grumpy Aunt Francesca’s will.

2. Start with the punchline
Your first paragraph should make your main point. Don’t build up to it, because online readers want to know right away what the article is about and why it’s relevant to them. If you take too long to get to the point, they’ll simply click away. Follow journalists’ inverted pyramid approach, which starts with the most important information first, and then adds key supporting points next, followed by less important details or background.

3. Offer something of value
Lawyers are expensive, and people are reluctant to spend that much if they don’t know what to expect in return. Think of your blog like a sample table at the supermarket. It’s a chance for potential clients to get a taste of your vast knowledge and the kind of help your firm can offer. Don’t hold back the goods because you’re afraid they won’t think they need you any more. Sharing knowledge for free sets you up as a respected expert and makes you the person they call when they are ready to pay for legal advice.

4. Drop the legalese
Blogs should be written in plain language, in an approachable and friendly tone. Using a bunch of legal terminology (especially if it’s in Latin) will drive readers away, not impress them. Connect what you’re talking about to your readers’ everyday lives and you will connect with your readers. Use real-world examples to explain confusing concepts. People respond better to stories they can picture themselves in.

5. Keep it brief
A blog post should generally be short—around 500-1,000 words. Most people reading blogs don’t want to spend more than a few minutes getting through a post. You don’t want your blog to become a TL;DR.* If you have a lot to say about a topic, consider breaking it down and writing a series of posts, each about a sub-topic. This helps your readers to find the specific information they were looking for, and keeps them coming back for more.

6. Time to get started!
For many bloggers, the biggest problem is staring at a blank screen trying to decide how to begin. Brainstorm some ideas for posts. Think about questions you frequently get from your clients. Answering some of these is a great place to start. Write a short outline with your main points, and then put them into a logical order. You're already half way there!

Once you get comfortable with it, blogging can be a great way to share your ideas with your clients and the community.

If your firm has a blog that could use a boost, let’s talk about setting up a workshop or webinar where your bloggers can learn more about what makes a good law blog. If nobody in your firm has time to write for the blog regularly, maybe you need a ghostwriter to provide articles for you. Contact me to learn more about that option, too.

* Too long; didn’t read—which means that the reader saw the headline and was interested, then maybe skimmed the internal headings, but was put off by the total length of the article and didn’t bother reading it.