For years, blogging has been viewed as a hobby where enthusiasts can share their opinions and thoughts on products and services, or document their lives and connect with others through online storytelling. However, as the digital marketing landscape evolves, blogging is very quickly becoming a driving force for marketing law firms both big and small, as it helps create value for your firm while growing your online presence.
According to a recent inbound marketing report, nearly 80% of legal practices that use blogging as a part of their marketing strategy reported acquiring clients through their blogging efforts. Additionally, 82% of law firms admit that blogging is critical to their business. So if you were among those wondering if blogging as a small firm is worth the time and effort, the answer is a resounding YES!
In case you need any more convincing, today we’ll expand on the benefits of writing blog posts for your firm, and provide practical examples to show the impact of this digital marketing tool on a business of any kind.
1. Establish yourself as an industry expert
Does size really matter? The answer will always be no! Regardless of how big your operation is, developing content and blogging about your firm and its value proposition is a good way to build trust and credibility among clients, as well as establish clout in your industry. Consistency is the key here as blogging is a sincere way of creating a relationship between you and the reader.
2. Create value for your readers
One of the biggest benefits of business blogging is the ability to provide value to visitors. Posts that help readers solve problems or include tips to make something in their life easier or better are far more interesting to potential leads than in-your-face ads. Of course, your products or services will be part of the solutions you provide in your posts, but in a subtle, helpful way. By taking the time and energy to provide beneficial content for free, you are actually building loyalty among potential clients who will become more likely to choose your firm over your competitors when they are ready to make a decision. You can even include testimonial-centred posts to nudge those considering to retain your services to take that next step. If your blog posts are simply service pitches, you might want to reconsider your strategy, as readers are less likely to be interested in typical, aggressive sales pitches.
3. Connect people with your brand
Brand awareness is an essential part of marketing, and blog posting will show a more personal side to your practice. Because of this, you can engage with your target audience in a much simpler way where your corporate standards, vision and personality are on full display. Blogging allows you to connect with readers in a way that outbound marketing techniques cannot. So harness your content writing abilities to show people what your brand represents and why you should be first in their mind. If you strongly feel that your content writing skills aren’t up to scratch just yet, maybe consider working with a copy-writer.
4. SEO
Blogging is a great way to boost your Google rankings. In the same way that your prospects start seeing you as an expert on a topic, Google starts taking notice too. Every time that you post a new blog post, Google is forced to relook at your website and consider your rankings. , The more you’re talking about your industry and the products or services you offer, the more Google starts seeing you as an authority on the topic. Remember, that it’s Google’s job to give us the most relevant result for your Google search, so if your blog posts offer relevant and high-quality content that answers questions that your customers frequently ask, then you’re likely going to climb the ranks!
It’s also important to note that just because you have a blog, doesn’t mean it’s going to immediately boost your rankings. There are a few important factors to consider; your content needs to be well-researched and speak to your audience, while also being backed by an SEO strategy. It’s no help sharing a recipe on the website of a guesthouse because it’s very unlikely that someone who discovered your website by searching Google for a chocolate cake recipe is going to go from baking a cake, to booking a stay at your guesthouse!
In addition, your blog posts need to be correctly optimized and discoverable by people searching Google, which is something our digital marketing strategists do as part of your SEO strategy each month. They ensure the page is submitted to Google properly and the content and meta-data on the page match the keywords you’re targeting. Insider tip: take the time to properly optimize your blog posts as you’ll see a significant increase in your website traffic.
Blogging serves as an affordable digital marketing service that complements other parts of your content marketing strategy. You can share blog posts on your social media platforms and in email newsletters to drive traffic back to your website, while also using it as an affordable and effective way to boost SEO and create brand awareness. It’s one of the most underrated marketing efforts, yet it offers great returns such as generating leads from organic traffic and blog subscribers when done right!
If you’re considering implementing a blog on your company’s website, get in touch with the team at Soulpepper to discuss a strategy that works for you.