You need to blog to get noticed as a lawyer : Canadian Bar Association's 'National'

“Build a blog, build a practice. Twitter and Facebook are great tools but to really get noticed, work on your blog.”

That’s the word from an article on lawyer blogs (pdf) in this month’s Canadian Bar Association’s magazine, National by James Careless.

Twitter and Facebook may be a useful part of the mix in social media marketing, but neither is a substitute for blogging. Blogs can still showcase a firm’s expertise in a more substantial way, serve as a repository on information, and can increase the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of the firm’s website. It is also a great way to exchange ideas on a particular issue , and for individual lawyers to create a public persona as experts in a particular field of law.

“Blogging is still good way to get noticed and carve out a niche for yourself” Simon Fodden, publisher of the leading Canadian law blog, Slaw tells Careless.

LexBlog Network member, Chris Jaglowitz of the The Ontario Condo Law Blog tells Careless:

The blog is a great marketing tool. Most people with a legal problem use Google to search for resources, the answer or the right lawyer to help them with the problem, so plenty of people find me that way.

Careless continues with the benefits of blogging over other social media.

Blogs lend a credible web presence, offering a clear, consistent voice for your law practice and getting you known as the “go to’ person in that field. It builds trust and visibility among your target clients, gives a human face to your organization and can be a means to distinguish your firm from the rest of the pack.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and now, Google Plus, are great tools to supplement your blog. But without a blog, you’ll have a difficult, or impossible, time demonstrating your expertise, passion, and care through the Internet.