Post it notes and law firm blogs

At first glance, these two things may not seem connected.

However, when you remember that post it notes were only created by Dr Spencer Silver when he was trying to create a very strong adhesive but created a very weak one, allowing it to be attached to surfaces then removed, the history of blogging is not too dissimilar.

At first, a web log, shortened to blog, was a method for someone to communicate their views on a specific topic.

The first blogs were in the 1990s but it wasn’t really until the late 90’s and early 2000’s that blogging took off. Initially it was difficult to publish your thoughts on your specialist topic, but realising this growing Post it notes and law firm blogsphenomenon of blogging, platforms such as Typepad and WordPress came along, making it very easy to put down your thoughts on to your blog.

WordPress has since expanded to become most people’s preference for designing your entire website (mine too as it does not tie you to a content management system which you can never leave – do not do that if you are looking for a new website), but blogging remains a core part of a WordPress platform.

In the legal sector, specifically law firm blogs, blog topics can include law firm’s opinions on topical legal issues and articles about legal services. Articles are very much not the original intention of a blog (like the post it note glue), but, for my part, bearing in mind that my aim is to win solicitors new clients and for this to happen as easily as possible, it is the writing of articles that can have the most dramatic impact in terms of new enquiries for your services.

Therefore, when I talk about blogs for solicitors, I am talking about writing articles for your website that answer the questions your ideal prospects are asking at the precise moment in time that they are just about to choose a solicitor.

When you do this, and do it consistently, you create an incredibly powerful (and largely automated) marketing resource for your law firm.

I will cover how you can come up with these article ideas and how to write them over the course of the next few blog posts and articles.

However, before I can do that, I must explain something which causes a vast amount of confusion for solicitors.

What is the purpose of a blog for a law firm?

I need to explain this point to ensure that you do not make the mistakes that so many solicitors do make, which can render your blog virtually useless against its objective of winning you new clients.

When you completely understand this, as you will do next week, it will make your blog so very much more effective.

Come back next week and let’s make your blog much more successful.

 

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Case Study

“We’re busier and more profitable than ever before, but we’re also having more fun too.”

I came across Nick and Samson Consulting back when I was employed and looking for help to grow my caseload.

Unsurprisingly I found him on Google (he definitely has a knack for that platform!), while looking for a legal marketing expert, and ended up joining his Marketing4Solicitors group, learning from afar for several years.

His advice was smart, sound and – most importantly – it worked.

And that’s why when I came to start my own firm up three years ago, I pretty quickly ended up giving Nick a call and started working with him.

I had used another company to help me with some online marketing before that, and to be honest – it was an absolute disaster, costing huge amounts of money and not really delivering any tangible results.

I hoped that wouldn’t be the case with Nick, and I was right.

I brought him right into the business, getting him involved top to bottom, and I can honestly say that it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

His guidance quickly starting paying dividends, as he coached and mentored me on how to generate more interest and achieve more client instructions, as well as generally how to structure the firm in a way that was the most profitable and productive.

Three years in, and I’m over the moon with the impact that Nick has had on my business.

We’ve got a clear focus and a direction, we know why we do what we do, and most of importantly at all, we’re more successful.

We’re busier and more profitable than ever before, but we’re also having more fun too.

That’s one of the best things about working with Nick – the fact that the advice and guidance he gives is so holistic.

It’s not just about making money, although he has had a huge impact on that for us, but it’s also about helping me to enjoy my life, and growing my firm in a way that means that I have more money in the bank, but more time to enjoy life with my family too.

I guess that’s what makes him so different to others out there – he really does have my best interests at heart and I trust him implicitly.

It’s hard for me to convey just how good Nick is at what he does – before I started working with him, I thought I was pretty good with PR and marketing, but the truth is that in comparison to Nick, I really don’t know anything.

Nick really is a very, very smart guy, and when it comes to running a profitable legal firm, I think there are very few people who could touch him.

And that’s why I’m glad he’s on my team, and that isn’t just hyperbole – he really is a part of my team: any significant business decision I make is run by him first, because I know he’ll give me useful, tangible and practical advice that’ll result in the best outcome for me and the people I care about.

Before working with Nick, I felt like I was on my own, and the future of the firm was on my shoulders; to be honest it was quite a weight.

But now, I’m relaxed about the future, because I know that I’ve got Nick in my corner, one of the smartest marketing minds I’ve ever come across, and a truly honest good guy to boot.