The usefulness of blogging as a low-cost marketing tool for any business to:
· improve its Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”)
· increase Google rankings, and
· establish expertise in a field,
is, at this point, pretty much beyond dispute.
Still, one of the problems I notice is that a lot of businesses really don’t see blogging as an important part of their marketing strategy. This could be because blogging isn’t as formal as other forms of content, or it could be because blogging is a marketing strategy that takes time and patience.
It’s not a get-rich-quick approach to marketing.
Blogging is a slow and steady approach.
Over time, consistently publishing quality content will attract clients.
It’s the same approach you need to get 6-pack abs. Time and consistency. (Not to mention a caloric deficit.)
But another problem I see when it comes to blogging — especially for lawyers and law firms— is thinking that a blog post is, or should be, an article.
Not so.
They are two different animals.
Let me explain.
Yo, Blogster. How We Blogged it Back in the Day.
First, let’s go back a little to how blogging got its start.
According to Hubspot, blogging began in the late 1990s as an outgrowth of websites that were written as “personal diaries.”
The term “blog” was coined by Peter Merholz in 1999.
Because they detailed a person’s private life and opinions, blogs were written (and generally still are) in an informal and casual way. The tone was friendly, the blogs conversational.
Originally called a “weblog,” blogging as we now know it began essentially as a means of conveying one’s personal opinions and writing about one’s hobbies and passions.
Slang and even swearing was (and still is) acceptable— for some businesses (not law) and some writers (I’m not one of them).
Blogs are intended to share content quickly in an entertaining way. A blog’s purpose is to engage your readers and keep them on your site and reading.
Short, or even one-word sentences, and a generous use of bullet points, ellipses, infographics and lists, are all common ways of structuring a blog post.
Finally, while the length of blog posts has varied over time (and is still a point of heated debate) generally they tend to be fairly short. Somewhere between 200- 1,500 words depending on the topic.
So, blogs are meant to be:
· Short
· Pithy
· Fun
· Informative.
That’s Why Blog Posts are Not Articles.
Articles, on the other hand, are pretty much everything that blog posts are not.
More formal, longer, and filled with research or information based on interviews, legal articles are more akin to a Law Review article.
Law blogs, on the other hand, are more like a Reply Brief.
Articles are the vehicle you want to use when you want to do a case analysis or delve deep into a subject.
Articles generally range in length anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 words. The tone of an article is formal and professional. Legal articles generally make use of footnotes, lots of research and legal terms.
Not surprisingly, articles are a lot more work and take a lot more time to produce.
Just sayin’.
Both Blogs and Articles Have Their Place in Your Legal Marketing Strategy.
Although they are different in purpose and tone, both blogs and articles are excellent ways of providing quality content to your audience. And both are an important part of any legal marketing strategy.
Understanding which tool you want to use — a blog post or article — will go a long way towards ensuring that your writing makes the impact you want it to.
Quality Writing for People Who Value Their Message.
Your business has people to help and a message to convey. All of your writing reflects you and your message. How you portray yourself to the world through your writing is critical. At Fit and Legal Freelance Writing, I can help you create the quality content you need to convey your message clearly and boost your bottom line. Whether you are a lawyer or a personal trainer, I can provide you with the writing you need, when you need it. Email me at Lisa@fitandlegalwriting.com or contact me here.