In states like Iowa, which have very strict advertising rules, blogs are one of the only ways attorneys can openly provide information to the public. Blogging is one of the fastest and easiest ways for lawyers to get their message across. Given the low cost and high impact of lawyer blogging shouldn’t all law firms be blogging?
No. The culture of some law firms is simply not conducive to blogging. Blogging simply emphasizes the firm culture. If the law firm is filled with quality attorneys, blogs will are beneficial, not only to the law firm, but to their clients as well.
If the firm has its share of overbilling, underqualified lawyers who would have difficulty practicing their way out of a wet paper bag, however, it is a different story. In a law firm which routinely oversells and underdelivers, a blog would simply make this apparent to prospective clients BEFORE they hired the law firm. It would also provide clients a forum to comment on the job they believe the law firm did for them.
As a general rule, a law firm should probably not blog if one or more of the following factors apply to the law firm:
Scared what the attorneys might say
Lots and lots of secrets
Right hand does not know what the left is doing
Figure the less clients know the better
The lawyers are bad writers
The firm lacks personality
The lawyers lack smarts, honesty, talent etc.
The lawyers at the top are control freaks
Firm does not work and play well with others
Lacks basic communication skills
Culturally neither open nor transparent
Not concerned about clients once they are in the door
Scared what past clients will say
Lots of disgruntled employees
The firm is pure evil (’cause you cannot fool the Blogosphere forever)
Is YOUR lawyer blogging?
If not, you might want to ask yourself if one of the forgeoging reasons is to blame.
Other Related Topics:
Lawyer, Reasons not to blog, Lawyer Blog, Customer Service
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