Existing law blogs on your intended topic don’t preclude blogging success

Lawyers and law firms often decide what area of law to blog on based on whether other lawyers are already blogging on the niche being considered. The logic goes there are already a couple successful law blogs on the topic, it’s too late for us.

The latest discussion on the topic arises in comments to a recent blog post of mine. Seattle attorney, Dan Harris, publisher of the China Law Blog, one of the most widely read law blogs, comments that it may be rough sledding if you’re trying to break into an area with a number of existing good law blogs.

The reality is that if there are already 100 blogs out there on employment law and 10 of those already have a really good following, it is going to be very very difficult for the newbie to get an audience.

Dan’s point is well taken, but I don’t believe you should decide whether to blog on a subject based upon the existence of other blogs on the niche. In fact, there can be an advantage starting a blog on an area of law where there are a number of successful blogs.

The goal of a law blog is not just to become one of the most widely read, ie, in the top 3 or top 10 in employment law. Blogs can be used very effectively for networking, reputation enhancement, and business growth even where there are other popular blogs on the subject.

If there were already 3 lawyers in Seattle doing employment work for small businesses with less than 100 lawyers, should a lawyer conclude it’s too late to do employment work for small businesses here? ‘I’ll never be in the top 3, these guys have been doing it for years. I wanted to do employment law and I think I’m pretty good at it, but no can do.’ I don’t buy it.

If there were a number of employment lawyers in Seattle already networking in order to enhance their reputation and grow business, would you, also an employment lawyer say no networking because there’s already lawyers networking? Of course not. There’s plenty of work for good employment lawyers.

Lawyers with a desire and passion to blog in an area of law will find having a ready network of lawyers publishing blogs on the subject to be an advantage. It’s like having a panel discussion on the subject going on every day.

As a new employment law blogger, you enter into that discussion by referencing other lawyers’ blog posts, the lawyers already blogging will reference you and your content, and you’ll get seen as an authority by employers and those who influence them. Work follows.

Sure, there’s an advantage being first to blog on a topic, just like there is an advantage being the first lawyer in town to begin networking one’s practice in a niche. But no lawyer should decide not to follow their passion because someone is already covering it.

God knows, we need all the good passionate and caring lawyers we can find. Let’s foster good legal discussion and give prospective clients a meaningful way to select the lawyer they believe best for them.