One question that lots of lawyers and law firms do not think nearly enough about is how often they blog. Apart from performing legal work for clients, many lawyers, and law firms spend lots of time doing lots of tasks. But one thing most lawyers and law firms do not spend any time doing is blogging.

The reality is that most lawyers and law firms need to pencil some time in their schedule for blogging. In the time most lawyers could have drafted an email to a client, they could have put together an informative blog entry relative to the area of law in which they practice.  Once a lawyer gets blogging down, they can literally put together a blog entry in 10 or 15 minutes maximum. Blogging doesn’t have to be Shakespearian. Blogging just needs to address a legal issue or convey a message in a series of several paragraphs.

Many lawyers and law firms would ask why it is even worth 10 or 15 minutes of their time. They might think that 10 or 15 minutes spent blogging could spend doing something much more useful. But the reality is that blogging is absolutely worth a few minutes of your time each week.

Here are some reasons that lawyers and  law firms should pencil in some time into their weekly schedule to blog:

1. As it relates to law firm webpages, frequent and updated content can significantly help the search engine optimization of a law firm. This is because the major search engines generally favor webpages that have regular content that is updated on a webpage as opposed to a webpage where the content is static.
2. Blogging gives readers of legal content a reason to come back and revisit a webpage or blog. In other words, just like a news webpage, when there is new content, readers will tune in and continue to visit a webpage or blog.
3. Besides the set-up and yearly fee for having a blog, blogging is cheap advertising. In other words, if you write blog entries that are relevant to the area or areas of law in which you and your law firm practice, you are putting out in the search engine information that could attract potential clients. You could even opt for a free blog service.
4. Your blog entries can and should be posted to your various social media accounts. Thus, by blogging you can actually enhance the presence and visibility of your social media profiles because you are posting informative and helpful content frequently.
5. If a lawyer or law firm uses an off-site blog (versus an on-site blog), this can result in significant linking into the actual webpage itself. Off-site links can still benefit the search engine placement of a law firm webpage when the content-rich and relevant.
6. The more information that is provided to individuals relative to a specific area of law, the more likely a lawyer is to showcase the knowledge they have. When that knowledge is showcased through blogging, that lawyer is naturally more apt to attract more new clients.
7. Blogging can also enhance the writing skills of a lawyer. Certainly, to get through law school and become a lawyer, a certain threshold of writing skills have to be there already. But by getting in the habit of quickly putting down your thoughts into blog entries, this can aid a lawyer in enhancing their communication skills. This can help a lawyer communicate better with clients, other lawyers, and courts.
8. Blogging can also help get the message out about the lawyer or law firm. For some lawyers, it can be hard to get that word out. It can be hard to show others who you are. But through blogging, positive messaging can take place efficiently and effectively.

The reality is that many lawyers and law firms see no need for blogging. But the truth is that most lawyers or law firms should set aside some amount of time each week to blog. Lawyers and law firms who do not do it are missing an important opportunity.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.