Header graphic for print
Real Lawyers Have Blogs On the topic of the law, firm marketing, social media, & baseball

Is LexBlog an insular group of blogs?

New York criminal defense lawyer Scott Greenfield, dismissing the merits of the the ABA’s law blog contest, talked about the range of a law blog’s audience. His comment about LexBlog being an insular group tending to exclude other blogging lawyers caused me to pause.

Many blawgs, such as this one, are best described as “niche” blawgs, of interest to a limited audience. Others capture huge audiences and have broader appeal. Still others are part of insular groups that tend to exclude others as they circle the wagons, such as LexBlog and the LawProfs Network.

I’ve viewed LexBlog’s services and products as empowering lawyers and law firms who are looking to further enhance their reputation as an an authority in a niche area of the law so as to grow their business. As time’s gone by, larger law firms have turned to LexBlog for an effective method to stream legal information to existing clients as well as lawyers within a practice group.

Rather than blogging within an insular group, LexBlog encourages its clients to ‘join the conversation’ among bloggers and news sites with relevant interests. Most of the blogs in that existing conversation are not LexBlog clients. That’s the secret sauce of blogging – getting outside the wagons.

What do you think? Have I put up walls or created an insular group through my efforts? Believe me, I do want to know what you think.

  • Grant Griffiths

    I take the comment of being part of an insular group as an insult. We each, publish our own blogs to our own audience. And, not only that, we do reach a national audience. Insular? I don’t think so.

  • http://www.rushonbusiness.com Rush Nigut

    Kevin:
    The notion that LexBlog is an insular group has no basis in fact. As you know I joined your network well into my blogging efforts. I wasn’t insular then and I am not insular now. I agree with Grant. I make all attempts to link out in an effort to bring informative content to my readers. While many LexBlog authors have tremendous blogs I constantly link out to authors outside of the LexBlog network. I love to link to relevant and good content regardless of who publishes it.
    Rush

  • http://jurylaw.typepad.com Anne Reed

    Kevin, you and other LexBlog bloggers (including Rush) have been remarkably generous to me, with both links and sound advice, from the beginning. Thanks.

  • http://www.ctemploymentlawblog.com Dan Schwartz

    As a newbie to blogging, I have found that some of my best comments and suggestions have come from non-Lexblog clients and that they enjoy the blog. But one thing that they have said is that the blog looks professional (and they love the content). I take that as both a compliment to me and Lexblog as a whole. Hardly the type of compliments you’d expect of Lexblog were insular, etc.

  • http://www.stemlegal.com/strategyblog/ Steve Matthews

    Sorry, not seeing it. I’m not a lexblog client, and you and I banter back & forth all the time.
    Good on you for asking the question though.

  • http://kevin.lexblog.com Kevin

    Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. One thing I need to be conscious of is that blogging, unlike with most you, is my business. I’m at risk to keep my head to the grindstone and miss how we LexBlog may be perceived.
    My guess is your spouses would differ with my assessment that blogging was not your business. ;)

  • http://nylawblog.typepad.com Nicole Black

    I wasn’t exactly sure what Scott meant by the use of the term “insular”–I guess he’ll have to clarify that for you.
    But, your post made me think a bit about what his intent was, and my guess is that it has to do with Lexblog blog rolls. I suppose, in a sense, they are insular, since (correct me if I’m wrong) each blog is initially set up with a blog roll of only other Lexblog clients.
    And, from the standpoint of your business, that makes perfect sense, since your clients are purchasing, to an extent, a higher ranking in the search engine results as a result of the Lexblog blog rolls.
    So, in that sense, I suppose the Lexblog network is insular. But, once each blogger adds to/creates their own blog roll and begins to post and engage in coversations with other bloggers, that particular dynamic is less evident.
    I might be totally off base, however…

  • http://www.delawarelitigation.com Francis Pileggi

    Kevin,
    There is no basis for the statement that LexBlog is insular. To the contrary, you consistently encourage “expanding one’s reach” by entering into conversation with all bloggers, and commenting on all relevant blogs in one’s area of interest. Whoever made that comment must not be familiar with you or your approach.

  • http://www.chicagoiplitigation.com R. David Donoghue

    Kevin,
    I have not found LexBlog to be insular at all. I do tend to notice other LexBlog blogs first and help them whenever possible. But that is because you promote them and because I have LexBlog’s feeds in my feed reader, so I find them quickly.
    I am not sure that a chorus of LexBlog clients saying you, and therefore we, are not insular means much. But I love what you are doing and I am sure I am reaching beyon the LexUniverse.
    Keep up the great work.
    Dave