"Simply by virtue of having a blog on a topic, others assume you are an expert," says liability and insurance attorney Kevin M. LaCroix, who writes The D&O Diary, a blog about directors’ and officers’ liability insurance issues.
The result for Kevin has been to be quoted in publications like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, invitations to speak at conferences, law firms, law schools, investment banks, and requests to contribute writing to various publications.
"Virtually all of these opportunities have come my way as a result of the blog," Kevin says.
Kevin admits that he devotes a lot of time to his blog in order to keep it current, relevant, and up to date on immediate developments. But the payoff of his time commitment is evident in the strength of his personal brand and the connections he’s made as a result of his blogging.
We reached out to Kevin for this LexBlog Q&A and have more from him on the many peculiar places in which he’s blogged, what keeps a blog going strong over time, and why traditional media seems slow to him now.
See our e-mail exchange with Kevin (after the jump).
Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?
Kevin LaCroix: I began blogging about three years ago because of a combination of opportunity, interest and time. I saw an opportunity to create a blog about directors’ and officers’ liability insurance issues. Though there are many others who are as knowledgeable on the subject (if not more so), no one had yet occupied that particular blogging space. I was interested in pursuing this opportunity because I enjoy writing and I saw having a blog as a possible creative outlet. The key for me, particularly at the outset, was that at that point, I had time to get it launched, because I had recently changed jobs and, quite frankly, the phone had not started ringing yet.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging?
Kevin LaCroix: Perhaps the most valuable thing for me from having a blog is that I am able to reach a global audience, even though I am based in suburban Cleveland. Given my geographic location, I could easily be marginalized or disregarded altogether. But as a result of having a blog, I feel as if I can communicate with the entire industry and even have a voice in the dialogue.
It is also great having an audience. A blog is not just a means of expression, it is also a means of communication, and as a result of having a blog, I have been able to develop an astonishing variety of new relationships around the industry and around the world. I have found this both personally and professionally rewarding.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most challenging?
Kevin LaCroix: By far the most difficult part of having a blog is finding the time to maintain it. I am frequently asked how much time I spend on my blog. I usually try to laugh off the question with a joke. The reality is not very funny. I actually spend a lot more time on the blog that I think anyone could imagine. It helps to be a closet insomniac. I spend many, many hours on my blog, many of the hours stolen from time in which I would otherwise be relaxing, enjoying my family, or sleeping.
I think every blogger starts their blog in a burst of optimism, with a backlog of things they are yearning to express. The early enthusiasm and reservoir of ideas carry the blog for a time. But the real challenge is sustaining the blog after the initial enthusiasm fades and the backlog of ideas is depleted. During the time I have been blogging, there have been many promising new blogs that have dazzlingly burst out, generated truly interesting and impressive content, and then quietly blinked out of existence. Sustaining a blog for the long haul is difficult and challenging.
Finding things to write about and finding the time to write them is hard work that requires serious commitment. I have found myself blogging in airports, hotels, coffee shops, beach houses, trains, basements, attics, and spare bedrooms. I have worked on my blog in London, Cologne, Montreal, Quebec City, San Diego, Dallas, Dubuque, Omaha, Tampa, and just about everyplace in between; I have posted blogs from laptops, libraries, Internet Cafes, and hotel business centers, and just about any other location where the Internet can be accessed. I have blogged on my birthday, Christmas Day, my anniversary, on vacation, during the Super Bowl, during rainstorms, during snowstorms, and even on beautiful sunny days.
I think writing a blog is a possibility that everyone ought to consider, but at the same time it should also recognized that not everyone will want to do everything that is required to sustain a blog over time.
A blog is a harsh mistress.
Lisa Kennelly: What has the response to your blog been from clients, other attorneys, or anyone else?
Kevin LaCroix: Simply by virtue of having a blog on a topic, others assume you are an expert. Whether or not this is actually the case, I have been quoted, as an ostensible expert, in national and international publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, among many others.
I have been invited to speak at or even moderate a wide variety of conferences and other events. I have been asked to lecture at law schools. I have been invited by law firms to speak to their clients. I have been asked by investment banks to share my thoughts about industry trends with their clients. I have been asked to contribute written work to numerous publications. Virtually all of these opportunities have come my way as a result of the blog.
Lisa Kennelly: Your writing on D&O liability and insurance issues has appeared in many publications over the years. How does writing for your blog differ from other types of writing you have done or still do?
Kevin LaCroix: The most important difference about writing for a blog as opposed to more traditional forms of writing is the incredible flexibility of the blogging medium. By using hyperlinks, even a relatively simple blog post can carry a significant amount of content. I know that a well-hyperlinked post is a valuable resource to my readers, and so I take a great deal of care in incorporating hyperlinks into my post, so that readers can always find my sources. The ease of including graphics and even videos also creates of range of additional opportunities for expression that are less available in more traditional forms.
The other thing about blogging as a medium is its incredible immediacy. I can communicate with my readers about developments almost immediately after they occur. Other, more traditional media seem incredibly slow to me now. Often, traditionally printed matter is dated by the time it appears.
The immediacy of the medium is also one of its challenges. Effectively, the deadline when writing for a blog is right now. This deadline can generate considerable stress but it also makes it exciting and challenging.
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