Law blog comments have moved to social media

Comments on law blogs have moved from blog sites to social media – and it’s a big plus for law bloggers.

With a few exceptions, law blogs have always received few comments.

People were reticent to leave comments on a lawyer’s blog. Law blogs do not generate a community leading to comment after comment as with a sports or entertainment blog. Finally, lawyers and other thought leaders often wrote their comments in the form of a blog post on their own blog – discussion ran from blog to blog.

Today discussion generated by blog posts is talking place on social media. People are differing with blog posts and adding additional insight and commentary on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.

Your work on a blog post is not complete until you take it to the streets. The streets are social media where people with similar interests are discussing items you are blogging about.

Take this morning for example. I shared on Twitter a couple of my blog posts and a good number of news stories and blog posts of others. Within an hour or two there were 96 interactions to the items I shared. 96.

I haven’t gotten 96 comments on my blog in the last six months.

In addition to Twitter, I share my posts and the content of others on LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook. I get a lot of engagement on each site.

It’s not unusual that I get 12 or 15 comments to my blog posts I share on LinkedIn or Facebook. Though it varies from post to post.

It’s not just me posting my blog content to social media. Others are regularly sharing my content with those who follow them. This morning a legal marketing professional shared on Facebook a blog post of mine from yesterday. This drew likes and comments.

This evening I noticed two professionals discussing a blog post of mine from last week that someone had shared on Google+.

This morning there had to be four or five of my posts shared by others on Twitter, all drawing comment in same fashion.

I jump into these discussions whether they be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or Facebook. The discussion is more vibrant, involves more people, and is more interesting than the discussion that took place in comments on my blog in days gone by.

I still get comments on my blog, just not near the comments my blog posts draw on social media.

Don’t be concerned about the loss of traffic to your blog that may have been generated from commenters. Do not be concerned about discussion regarding your blog posts taking place other than on your blog site.

As a lawyer you are not blogging to generate web traffic. You are not selling ads that are dependent on traffic.

You are blogging to build relationships. You are blogging to enhance your word of mouth reputation as a trusted and reliable authority in your niche.

You build relationships and a reputation through real and authentic engagement. Through networking.

Increased engagement and networking through social is great for you. Especially when the discussion emanates from blog posts you’ve written.

You’re enhancing your reputation, building relationships, and growing your online visibility. All good for business development.

So not to worry about lack of comments on your law blog. Take your discussion to social media. It’s in your interests.

Image courtesy of Flickr by premasagar