In Part III of our Lawyer Marketing Tips, we give some pointers about legal blogs, LinkedIn, and your Google My Business page.
Blogging Tips
First things first: have clear expectations for your blog. Do you expect it to generate revenue? Or maybe, will it brand you as an expert? The next thing to consider is the focus of the blog. Will it cover a wide array of legal subjects? Or, will it be limited to a niche practice or a singular area of law? We recommend a narrow approach. As far as blog structure, remember what matters. That is, how each blog will read to your audience – and, maybe more important, how Google will read it. Therefore, keep the following in mind when writing:
- Blog posts should be 400-600 words.
- Write at an 8th-grade reading/comprehension level.
- Ask and answer a question.
- Include links to external and internal content.
- Evergreen content—content that never goes bad, is key!
- If it is painful for you to write, it will be painful for someone to read.
- No legalese or case citations.
Lastly, if you decide to be a blogger, please make sure you post content on a regular basis. Too many attorneys have the best of intentions only to let the blog die on the vine.
LinkedIn Tips
Private practice attorneys who want to build a book of business need to be on LinkedIn. Not only do you need to be on it, but you also need to be active on LinkedIn. The benefits outweigh any risks. For example, you can meet key people who can impact your practice. You can use it to reconnect with forgotten relationships. And you can use LinkedIn to build your brand by sharing content – original or that of others. Here are some basic tips for using LinkedIn:
- Complete your profile – review twice a year for updates.
- Post original content at least once per week.
- Post content to LinkedIn’s articles feature.
- Have a system to strategically connect with others.
- Like, comment, and share other people’s content.
- Say happy birthday and congratulate people on their new positions and accomplishments.
- Work anniversaries – ok to recognize, but remember many peeps do not update profiles.
- Review connections to remove people who are no longer relevant/beneficial.
- Don’t use more than 5 hashtags – LinkedIn may flag you as spam – and nobody wants to be spam.
Google My Business Tips
This one is a secret – kind of. What I mean is, how can anything Google be a secret. Well, too many law firms claim their Google My Business page and do nothing with it. Not only should you claim it, but you should also use it as another social media page. To maximize its value, think about the following:
- Complete your firm’s profile including your areas of service and practice areas.
- Add photos and videos.
- Like other social media channels, you can create posts – do it, and do it frequently.
- Get clients to post reviews – just keep ethics rules in mind.
- Review analytics. You can measure how many people see your information, what information is resonating, how many people call you and visit your website. This is good, powerful data.
As with all our lawyer marketing tips, tailor these to fit your needs, practice, and personality. We believe in this stuff and know it can help your law practice. If you get it but cannot find the time, let us know. We can help.