Lawyers creative marketing : Blogging predominates

Ari Kaplan, writing for Law.com’s Legal Technology, reports blogging predominates in lawyer’s creative marketing efforts.

Bracewell & Guiliani partner Dan Watkiss blogs on energy law to ‘keep current on important developments in the energy industry and to demonstrate that currency to our existing and potential clients.’ The Washington, D.C.-based co-author of Energy Legal Blog emphasizes that ‘keeping current works.’
Denise Howell, noted appellate, IP and technology lawyer, podcaster and veteran blogger of Bag & Baggage and Lawgarithms, says that blogging works because of its accessibility and ease of use.

‘There are a smorgasbord of tools available that make it simple for just about anyone to start blogging and participate effectively in the blogosphere,’ Howell says. When she reaches an audience that wants to be engaged on the subject on which she is an authority, she’ll realize positive benefits, like good will, reputation enhancement and opportunities to form or expand business relationships, among others. ‘Blogging reaches a broader, more distributed audience, and provides a search-friendly, enduring archive of knowledge-oriented breadcrumbs.’

Blogging also realizes potential to create a buzz on a particular issue. The Sheppard Mullin Antitrust Blog gets several thousand hits daily. Its posts are circulated widely among corporate legal departments.

‘They sometimes trigger a dialogue between the authors of our articles and other practictioners,’ says Carlton A. Varner, partner in the Los Angeles office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton.

As way of disclosure, Sheppard Mullin is LexBlog client publishing six blogs across various practice areas.