Contra Costa Times reports from BlogOn conference
Nice article this morning in the Contra Costa Times covering the BlogOn conference at UC Berkeley yesterday. I realized there is no way I can keep up with all the commentary going about blogs but that my readers find it helpful to read news about blogs and how they are being used by various people and companies.
Innovative lawyers and law marketing professionals do not need to be told to do this or do that. Feed them information about a new technology and how it’s being used by non lawyers and their minds run wild with ideas how they can apply the technology to grow their business. That’s sure been my experience when dealing with these innovative folks on the subject of lawyer blogs. So here’s some highlights from this morning’s article as food for thought for you innovative folks.
The Times points out blogs are becoming mainstream:
The Internet phenomenon known as blogs, which started out as chatty and sometimes meandering online personal diaries in the late 1990s, has evolved into a sophisticated and influential force that is shaking up the way people get information.
With their growing popularity, blogs have became an interactive marketing tool for savvy businesses, a way for politicians, entertainers and others to communicate directly to an audience, and another front in the commercialization of the Internet.
“We’re at a crossroads” between the so-called “early adopters” and widespread, mainstream users, said Chris Shipley, executive producer of the BlogOn conference.
Blogs have been launched by some influential folks:
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, for instance, has used his blog, www.blogmaverick.com, to defend his decision to let point guard Steve Nash go to the Phoenix Suns, promote his upcoming “The Apprentice”-style reality television show “The Benefactor” and dispense his “rules of success.”
Sun Microsystems president and chief operating officer Jonathan Schwartz started a blog,http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan, last month, reasoning in his first entry, “Why shouldn’t an officer of a public company start a blog? Hey, life is short.”
Another point made by the Times is the ability to promote services and products through blogs:
Buzz Bruggeman, who developed a software product called ActiveWords, said during one BlogOn panel that he found it more effective to promote his technology through bloggers than through the mainstream press. A few dozen readers downloaded his program after a write-up in a national publication, compared with a few hundred downloads after it was featured in a popular blog. In addition, he could receive feedback from users through a blog. “You want to engage people to talk about your product,” he said.
So for you innovative lawyers and law firm marketing directors, and you are out their in large numbers, here’s some good take aways from this morning’s Contra Costa Times:
- Blogs are becoming mainstream, your clients will be using them to receive information and to distribute their own content
- Blogs can be launched by influential lawyers as away to communicate with the public and clients
- Appearing on other blogs can be an excellent way to market your firm