Advertising does not belong on lawyer blogs

Glad to have another lawyer on board against placing ads on lawyer blogs. Jonathan Stein makes clear what ought to be common sense, ads on lawyer blogs are not acceptable.

Why? Good question. A blog is an extension of your firm. Think of it like your website. Would you put an ad on your website? Of course not. No one would do that. So, why would you put an ad on your blog?

Ads are acceptable in all kinds of places. You can put an ad on a car (yes, I have seen lawyers advertise on cars), or an ad on a bus, or an ad on television. Heck, in Europe, soccer, er, football teams have ads on their jerseys. As a matter of fact, I know someone who can recognize the team by the ad!

But, the first type of ads are advertising your service. Isn’t that the point of a blog anyway? If you have a practice area blog, aren’t you advertising your service? Why would you want to advertise another service on your blog as well? The second type of ads are fine – ON SOCCER JERSEYS. It is a revenue source for the club. But some things, like the Yankee pinstripes or the Cowboys star, should not be tarnished with ads. Just like your blog should not be tarnished with ads.

Too bad lawyers aren’t known for their common sense Jonathan.