The Art of Blogging for Lawyers — Establishing Authority in Your Niche

The legal industry is one of the world’s most competitive markets. Because of this, it’s vital that law firms find unique ways to connect with the people, prospective clients, who need their services the most. One effective strategy is to produce authoritative content that you post to your legal blog. Here’s what you need to know about establishing authority and the art of blogging for lawyers. 

What is a Legal Blog?

A blog is simply another area of your website dedicated to ongoing legal content related to your legal practice areas. Whether you are a sole practitioner or have a medium to large-sized firm, you need a blog. 

According to a recent ABA Legal Technology Survey, more than one-third of law firms report having a blog. What’s more important is that, when asked whether a client has retained legal service because of blogging efforts, 34% of firms report that they have.  

Establishing Your Authority Through a Blog

Consumers are more likely to hire someone they like and trust. And when they have a legal issue, trust is everything. How else can you build trust other than by demonstrating authority? In the legal industry, expertise and authority go hand in hand. Blogging provides you with a way to showcase your in-depth understanding and knowledge of various legal concepts while you build trust with potential clients. 

When you share informative content that addresses frequently asked legal questions, analyze recent court cases in your practice area, or discuss other relevant matters, this positions you as a go-to resource in your field. A legal blog provides the ideal platform for you to demonstrate your knowledge and experience. 

The Art of Blogging for Lawyers — Getting Started

Lawyers are already gifted writers. After all, you didn’t get through law school without being able to string words together coherently. Lawyers are trained to write with clarity and precision, from constructing clear contracts to drafting persuasive legal arguments to crafting plain-language communications. 

Blogging for lawyers can be slightly different because you are targeting a different audience. Instead of writing for the court or other attorneys, a legal blog should generally resonate with people who have no knowledge of your practice area. Here are some tips for getting started with legal blogging to gain authority and connect with your audience. 

1. Clarify Your Niche

As you get started with legal blogging, it’s critical that your law firm focuses on one or a few select niches. If you’re a family lawyer, you ideally would want to write about topics like divorce, child custody, and child support. But it’s important that you narrow your focus even further to reach potential clients in your geographic area. Some attorneys also focus on certain audience segments, such as “divorce for men” or “family law for military.”

2. Identify Your Audience

When clarifying your niche, you should also be thinking about your audience. If you haven’t already done so, it may be helpful to create buyer personas, which are detailed profiles of your target clients. These personas can help you identify what problems your audience is looking to solve. 

3. Choose Relevant Topics

The law is an incredibly broad topic, leaving countless opportunities for content. Your legal blog should cover the issues that are the most pressing for your target audience. For example, if you offer DUI defense, many potential clients will want to know about things like potential penalties for a first-time DUI, how to beat a DUI charge, or the DUI prosecution process in your state. 

4. Conduct Effective Research

Whether you do it yourself or outsource, whoever writes your content should be a thorough researcher. The last thing you want is to post content on your legal blog that isn’t accurate. Gaining authority in your field means you can be trusted to give correct information backed by credible sources. Your readers will gain confidence in your knowledge and will be more likely to turn to you when they require assistance.

5. Write in Plain Language

The average consumer won’t respond well to legalese because they aren’t trained legal professionals. What they’re looking for is reassurance and answers to their most pressing questions. Your blog will appeal to the widest audience if you make sure it is written in plain language. Ideally, your content should be written at about an 8th-grade reading level, using plenty of lists and bullet points for easy understanding.

6. Adhere to Legal Ethics Rules

Producing high-quality content is vital for your firm’s blog. But one thing many lawyers fail to pay enough attention to is the ethical rules for legal marketing. Specifically, the ABA’s Rules of Professional Conduct require that lawyers avoid setting realistic expectations, such as promising a specific case outcome through marketing materials. 

7. Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule

An effective legal blog isn’t a one-and-done project. If you want to gain and maintain credibility in the eyes of your target audience, you’ll need to post new content regularly. To do this, you should create a content calendar for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly (minimum) posting and stick to it. 

8. Deliver High-Quality Content

When producing content for your legal, it must be of the highest quality possible. The average consumer won’t be content to read content produced overseas or by an AI generator. It must be written clearly, through research, and from citeable sources. Readers should also be encouraged to contact your firm by using appropriate calls to action (CTAs). 

9. Consider SEO

While you never want to “stuff” keywords into your content, it’s helpful to do some keyword research so you know what search terms are popular among your target audience. Through your legal writing, you can use some high-value and longtail keywords in your titles, headings, and content to help with your SEO. 

10. Promote Your Content

Finally, don’t forget to amplify your content once you post it and engage with your audience. You can post links to your blog posts on your social media sites. As people comment on your blog or social media posts, make sure you respond and encourage commenters to contact you directly. 

Get Help With Your Firm’s Legal Blog

While the idea of creating a legal blog might sound appealing, you may not have the extra time to devote to researching keywords or ideas and creating content regularly. We can help! Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in helping law firms get found and chosen by their target audience. 

When we work with your law firm, we don’t offer cookie-cutter services. We take the time to get to know as much as possible about your firm and your legal niche. We only recommend the legal marketing solutions we believe will produce the best possible results. 

Call us today at (800) 864-1764 or contact us online to schedule a free website evaluation and assessment.