Unlike your law firm website, your blog will get discovered immediately by people subscribed to relevant key words and key phrases from Google Blog Search, Technorati, and Ask.com Blog Search.

And these folks may be the most important visitors your blog will ever receive. They're the amplifiers of your message - other bloggers and reporters. If they like what they see, they'll subscribe to your blog and share your posts with their readers from time to time.

So take Beal's rules (with a few modifications by me) to heart.

1. Dress your blog to impress. That free WordPress theme you're using on your blog might be enough to impress a few readers, but if it's the same theme used by dozens of other blogs, you'll blend into the crowd. Just as you'd consider a new suit a great investment for an upcoming trial, you should consider a custom design a great investment for your blog. When I first started Real Lawyers Have Blogs, I used an off-the-shelf TypePad theme. I was afraid that for every prospective law firm client who contacted me, three others were turned off by my unprofessional appearance.


2. Mind your blog language. Blogging lends itself well to a casual attitude. What does it matter if you don't spell-check your post? Why worry if you happen to insert an expletive here or there? Well, if you were to cuss throughout your first meeting with a client, or utter sentences such as 'I is very smart,' what do you think you chances would be of keeping the client? You'll be judged by what you say in your blog posts.


3. Always bring a gift. If you want to make a great first impression, bring a gift on your date. Likewise, if you want to build your reputation as blogger, give your readers ideas, tips, and insight they're unlikely to observe on their own. Be an intelligence agent. While it feels unnatural to many lawyers to be so giving, look no further than successful law bloggers who do not hold back in the information they share.


4. Listen as much as you talk. Do you know what happens if you spend your entire date talking about yourself? You don't get a second date. The same is true with your blog. Sure, your readers want to hear your advice, thoughts, and opinions, but you'll build your reputation as a blogger by learning to listen to them and engaging in conversations with them. Not necessarily in comments, but by subscribing to their blogs and referencing their posts in your blog.


5. Don't let the flame burn out. What do you think would happen if you went on a dozen great dates, then didn't phone the object of your affection for two months? Do you think they'd readily come back to you? So why would you blog consistently for a month, then not update you blog for 8 weeks? Your readers will become comfortable with the frequency of your posting. If you post twice a week or twice a month they'll get used to that schedule. Stick with it, it'll pay off in an enhanced reputation and more work.

Source for post: Stark County Law Library Blog

The responses from readers were striking. Professional blog design was viewed as a necessity, especially when blogging as a professional, like you as a lawyer.

• Since the reader needs to be convinced to subscribe your blog, design is a very important matter. Looking at it from the readers point of view, "If you had to choose between two mobile phones with exactly the same features with one being stylish and the other looking like the work of an amateur - which would you choose?" Design is added value with the result being more than the sum of its parts - design supports content and the other way round.
• If it is meant for commercial purpose, graphics play a big role.
• Though I may read blog posts in a newsreader, I need to come to the blog to subscribe, where if it looks good, I subscribe.
• Design matters to me when I read blogs. I generally read posts in my feed reader, but for two exceptions, one being to click through and read the posts directly on sites with great designs.
• As a designer, there's no way I'd tell you design doesn't matter. Think of it this way: A car's purpose is to take you somewhere. But would you buy a rusted old car instead of a shiny new Prius?
• Think of it from a reader's perspective. If I click on your blog and am put off by the overall look and feel of your site, I won't return or subscribe. Content rules, yes, especially for your RSS readers, but design is like the PR guy who's trying to get you to visit.
• It's like judging a book by its cover. It could be either crap or a wonderful story inside, but if the cover doesn't catch my attention, I'm not going to pick it up in the first place. When I'm flipping through random sites or clicking through links of links of links…..I skim right by those that don't look great. I have to actually force myself to skim through text on blogs, for example, that are hosted on Blogger and use one of the default templates…and still have the random default spots unfilled like "put links here" and "This is your about me section," etc.
• I just spent about $5,000 to upgrade Smallbiztechnology.com's interface and move to Movable type - one of the best investments I've done! Traffic is up and more!
• The user experience is primarily made up of four factors: branding, usability, functionality andcontent. Independently, none of these factors make for a positive user experience; however, together, these factors are the main ingredients for the blog's success.

One of the driving forces in starting LexBlog 4 years ago was that my personal blog design sucked. I was afraid that lawyers and law firms were finding me on the net. For every person who contacted me about Internet legal marketing because they found my blog, I figured three would not call me because of my amateur presentation. Having practiced law for 17 years, I knew one of the requirements of being a professional was appearing professional. Looks mattered.

You may be getting traffic and callers with your TypePad, Blogger, or WordPress template blog. But who's not subscribing? Who's not calling because of the less than professional image you're presenting? It may be that the better clients are looking elsewhere. As a lawyer trying to further enhance your reputation and grow your business, that's a gamble you can ill afford.

Clear law firm brand

• The title of blog will be a niche area of the law and possibly locale.
• Clearly branded with the law firm's logo with a strong published by 'name of firm' look.
• May say it's published by a practice area or practice group if enhancing the reputation of a practice group is the goal.
• The design will complement, not necessarily match, the firms other collateral, with colors, feel et al.
• Copyrighted in firm's name.
• The individual lawyers posting content will have their name displayed (with a link to the lawyer bio on the firm website) where individual blog posts say "posted by..."
• The law firm, practice area, or lawyer author(s) will be detailed in the 'about' section of the blog .
• Contact section of blog will provide contact info for the law firm or designated lawyers of the firm.

Such a blog is generally spearheaded by the law firm's marketing department or a lawyer with the assistance of the marketing department.

Lawyer leveraging association with law firm

Some lawyers will want to do their own blog. Generally it's for a couple reasons. One, to develop a portable book of business so the lawyer is protected if the lawyer leaves the firm, by their choice or otherwise. Two, some lawyers are pioneering blogs in their firm. Rather than waiting for the firm to develop their blog marketing program, the lawyer just gets the blessing of the firm. It's not unusual for the lawyer to pay for such a blog on their own.

• The title of blog will be a niche area of the law and possibly locale.
• The blog will say it is published by the lawyer of '...... law firm.' This gets the lawyer beyond the 'practicing out the basement' feel. The fact they're part large law firm should be leveraged.
• The logo of the firm may or may not be included - same with the firm's colors and branding.
• The logo and firm's branding, if used, will be given less emphasis than in first scenario.
• The copyright will usually be in the lawyer's name.

Lawyer clearly doing on their own

• Lawyer starts a blog on their own. Some with the law firms blessing, some without it.
• Generally such blogs include no law firm branding.
• May or may not say where the publishing lawyer is employed.
• Often include a disclaimer that anything said is said on their own and is not on behalf of the firm - a stretch when a lawyer is employed by a law firm and blogging about the law.
• Often published on free or low cost blog platforms such as TypePad or Blogger. Such platforms may be one reason the firm does not want their branding to be used in any way - they're not professional enough for the law firm.
• The title of blog will be a niche area of the law and possibly locale.
• If there is an 'about' section, the lawyer will be listed as the author.
• The copyright, if it is displayed, will be in the lawyers name.

This last scenario is pretty scary for large law firms - especially for legal marketing professionals charged with protecting the firm's brand and image.

If the law firm does not yet have blog marketing program and a lawyer wants to blog, work to get something close to the second alternative. There are pluses for the lawyer and the law firm in doing so.

First impressions count and in a world where there are millions of people pitching themselves on virtually any topic you can think of you need to seriously consider how you’ll stand out from the crowd and present yourself in a way that will draw readers into your blog.

Experience, Expertise, Longevity (and every other principle that I’ll talk about in this series) are great at building credibility once a reader makes a decision to actually explore your blog but there are a few crucial seconds that happen before this decision is made and blog design can play a big part and communicate a lot.

Here's the questions Darren says to ask yourself.

• What does my blog communicate about me?
• Do the messages I’m trying to convey get lost in the clutter or are they just not there at all?
• Can people tell within a second or two what my blog is about at a first glance?
• Does my design fit with the message that I want to convey?

For lawyers and professional service firm you've got to look good. Your clients and prospects coming to your blog for the first time, may not know many blogs do not have nice designs. When they see your amateur or free design, it's going to reflect badly on you.