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3 traits of successful law blog – focus, passion & originality

Karl Long, a Web/Social Media Integration Manager at Nokia, identifys 3 traits of a successful blog – focus, passion, & originality. They apply equally to what makes for a successful law blog.

Karl’s 3 keys, with my comments:

  • Focus. Lack of focus is the number one mistake lawyers make in their blogs. Lawyers ask me all the time why they are not drawing clients from their blog. When I look at the blog, it’s got posts on a broad range of topics – so broad that few, if any, people would subscribe because the blog has must have content on a niche subject. Plus, as Karl asks are new viewers stumbling onto your blog going to understand in 2 seconds exactly what your blog is about? If not, you’ll have no success in building readership.
  • Passion. Ain’t no way you’ll continue to take time away from your family and law practice if you’re not passionate about the topic. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint, so you better love the race. Plus your passion comes through in your writing, readers are attracted to that. As a trial lawyer, the key to success was conveying my passion to members of the jury. If I believed so strongly in my case, a few of the jurors would too. They would convey my case to other jurors. Same with blogging. People with a heart love passion, they’ll convey your passion and beliefs to others through their own blogs. Word of you and what you do will get spread across te net.
  • Originality. As Karl says, “Original content and original ideas in the blogosphere stand out like beacons in the night, and not to labor the metaphor but they also attract other bloggers like moths to a flame.” You need not post original content from scratch. Some of the best blogs reference something a lawyer has read. But providing your original take, or at a minimum, your original summary (with a few comments) are key. There’s got to be something original about your blog posts that gets readers to subscribe.

Lawyers who believe passion and originality only apply to non law blogs are mistaken. Lawyers doing eminent domain, insurance coverage, and creditors rights work have blogs exhibiting passion and original content. As a result their reputations as trusted and reliable authorities have grown and their business has increased. Have some faith, the traits of focus, passion, and originality are keys to success.

  • http://temp.starklawlibrary.org/blog/archive/2007_10.html#008007 Stark County Law Library Blog

    “3 Traits of Successful Law Blog – Focus, Passion & Originality”

    Posted by Kevin O?eefe: ?arl Long, a Web/Social Media Integration Manager at Nokia, identifys 3 traits of a successful blog

  • http://www.insurancecoverageblog.com David Rossmiller

    Kevin, all these are excellent points and I fully agree. I think a few additional words about the first point — lack of focus — might be in order. Some bloggers assume focus means a rigid, slavish adherence to orthodox legal writing styles while regurgitating legalese, which we lawyers have been conditioned to think makes us look smart. In other words, this thinking holds that everything that comes from the lawyer’s keyboard must look like a legal brief or be built around that theory of writing. And yet, if we are honest, we would have to admit that as a vehicle for conveying information simply, easily and entertainingly, the standard legal brief is a failure. It certainly is among the least interactive, most boring and most off-putting of all possible writing styles. It takes an incredible amount of work and creativity to turn the legal brief format into one that achieves the writer’s goals of communicating facts and ideas efficiently and personally. Other forms of writing, less burdened with formality and pretense, are far more effective and have the added benefit of not allowing the writer to distance himself from the reader by hiding behind ritual and being governed by the dead hand of standard briefing style. Focusing on a topic or area of law in reality means experimenting with all means and methods of sharing information about that area of law, including breaking out of formats that limit expression and the ability to communicate.