Article on Best Practices for Legal Blogging
Joshua Fructer, has written an excellent article on Law.com on the Best Practices for Legal Blogging. The article covers the basics of design, where to get content and how to write it, building links and how to build an audience.
I’m glad that Josh mentioned design. I feel that’s a critical part of a blog, that is often overlooked. Yes, I know that a lot of people read the blog using news aggregators or RSS readers and many of my readers never actually come to the site. BUT….
This blog is a reflection of my practice and myself. I wouldn’t show up in court in a pair of ratty old sneakers, my ‘painting jeans’ and a worn t-shirt. Why would I want to represent myself on the internet that way? It’s important for the quality of the website to reflect the quality of the work beingdone. Here’s what Josh has to say about design:
DESIGN
As any lawyer well versed in marketing will tell you, prospective clients often draw inferences about service quality from physical cues such as the appearance of a lawyer's office or the quality of his or her stationery. A lawyer's blog should be no different. A blog that employs a visually appealing design will project a professional image, whereas a poorly designed blog based on some stock template will send the opposite signal about the author's experience and expertise. Indeed, since a blog is nothing more than a specialized type of Web site, just as a lawyer should think carefully about the appearance and usability of his or her firm's Web site, the same care and thought should be invested in the design of a blog.
David - hi, thank you for your thoughtful review of my article - much appreciated. Continued good luck with your blogging. best, Josh
