Jeffrey Mehalic of West Virginia Business Litigation Blog: LexBlog Q&A
West Virginia business litigation attorney Jeffrey Mehalic has benefited from a lot of news about his blog's topic right in his home state over the last year, giving him plenty of fodder for the West Virginia Business Litigation Blog.
But he knows that blog topics don't always fall into your lap, and that anyone starting a blog should be willing to put the necessary effort and time into it.
"There’s nothing more disheartening than going to a blog and seeing that it hasn’t been updated for several weeks or months," Jeff says. "You don’t have to post four or five times a week, although a lot of bloggers do, but if you want your blog to be taken seriously, you have to take your blog seriously."
Jeff clearly takes his blog seriously, filling his posts with images and plenty of links to outside blogs and sources.
We reached out to Jeff for this LexBlog Q&A to discuss more about what makes a blog successful, among other topics.
See our e-mail exchange with Jeff (after the jump).
Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?
Jeffrey Mehalic: I decided to start a blog because I liked the idea of writing about topics and issues that interested me. I also thought that a blog would be an effective vehicle for business development, which has been true.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging? What has been most challenging?
Jeffrey Mehalic: I think the most rewarding aspect has been the compliments I’ve received from other lawyers and existing and prospective clients. The most challenging aspect is the time commitment. I probably spend more time researching and writing posts than other bloggers, but the trick is not to spend so much time that other activities, like practicing law, take a back seat.
Lisa Kennelly: What has the response to your blog been like from clients, other lawyers, bloggers or anyone else?
Jeffrey Mehalic: The response has been uniformly positive. I’ve gotten a lot of favorable comments from lawyers in West Virginia and other states, as well as clients and other bloggers. I’ve particularly enjoyed making contact and corresponding with other lawyers who blog.
Lisa Kennelly: How do you come up with ideas for blog posts, and do you ever struggle for ideas?
Jeffrey Mehalic: Over the past year or so, there has been a substantial amount of business litigation in West Virginia, which has also gotten publicity outside the state, so I’ve had a fairly steady source for posts. But if I have trouble coming up with something to write, I look at my RSS feed and get ideas there.
Lisa Kennelly: What advice would you give to a lawyer who is hesitant about starting a blog?
Jeffrey Mehalic: If a lawyer is hesitant about starting a blog, the only caution I would give is that one has to make a commitment, both in time and energy, to making his/her blog successful.
Lisa Kennelly: As a lawyer based in West Virginia, where do you see your blog's audience coming from? Is it mostly in your own state or are you reaching a more national audience?
Jeffrey Mehalic: According to my statistics, as well as the feedback I’ve received, I think my audience is pretty evenly divided. I’ve tried to maintain some balance between issues which pertain to West Virginia specifically and those that have a broader appeal.
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