Blogs are cost effective PR

I have always run grass roots Internet marketing campaigns. Whether it was a website with down to earth practical content, participating on message boards or listservs or now blog publishing & commenting, I stuck to cost effective marketing that got me a big bang.

Founding LexBlog has got me in the land of the giants. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of the them. It’s LexBlog’s marketing blog solutions that are attracting the largest law firms in the country. And that has opened my eyes to what these giants spend on marketing and PR.

Found out this week that even in the case of a mid size law firm that $5,000 to $10,00 per month is standard for hiring a PR consultant. On top of that bonuses are paid for a resulting article in Tier 1 publications.

I am sure the PR folks do a nice job and I am not saying not to do traditional PR. However, the cost of a turnkey blog solution (consulting, design, seo, online marketing & hosting) costs less than $3,500 the first year and less than $2,000 in subsequent years. That’s four years of a first class blog solution with free marketing support an email or phone call way for the cost of a PR consultant for a month.

You’ll create a heck of a buzz online and offline in those four years. Plus blogs offer PR that is built on enhancing one’s reputation as a trusted and reliable authority. Can’t imagine better PR for a law firm or other professional business.

If I am a savvy marketing director, I’d be taking a good look at professional marketing blogs in the ’06 budget. Blogs are not going to break the bank and may make you a star in your firm for finding the best in cost effective PR.