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Carolyn Elefant who publishes the long standing legal blog My Shingle had a post recently called “Should Lawyers Accept Ads on Their Blogs? Why Not?” In the past, I have discussed this both in posts and on the phone with individuals. I have been of the position that blogs who’s main purpose is to promote and/or market a professional service firm should not have ads. And I am not sure my opinion has changed even after reading Carolyn’s Post.
However, I could be moved to at least consider the option if it is done right. Carolyn provides 3 points to consider if you are looking at doing ads.
I agree with those points, but at the same time I do have a point of disagreement.
In the post it is mentioned, “ad revenue from blogs is something that will flow from a well read, targeted blog…” With that I would agree. However, my point of disagreement is to use that as a reason for putting ads on a professional service firm blog. I do not agree that cutting cost and keeping overhead low is a reason to put ads on a professional service provider’s blog either. And I do not agree generating money form a law firm blog is another reason for putting ads on it. Please understand, I am not saying Carolyn is advocating this.
Carolyn does mention one example that is point on. “A lawyer who does international adoptions might consider putting an ad from a travel agency or airline on their law related blog.” This type of advertising does exactly what I believe is at the core of Carolyn’s position and mine too. If you are going to put ads on a lawyer published blog, it should be done more from the stand point of providing value then from the stand point of generating income. If generating income from your blog is your main focus, a professional service blog will fail. Yes, I said it, it will fail if that is your only focus.
Your focus as a professional service firm who is doing or considering doing a blog is to provide a huge amount of up-to-date, relevant information to your visitors. This focus will then turn those visitors into readers who come back to gain access to this information you are providing.
If you must run ads on a lawyer blog or other professional service provider blog, make sure it adds to the focus of providing information. You want the ads to add value to the blog, not distract from it. And if you must run ads on your professional service provider blog, please be totally transparent and disclose you make money from these ads. Don’t hide it, be very open about disclosing this to your readers. Focusing on providing information will bring with it the reputation of being a “thought leader” and/or opinion shaper in your niche or field. The ancillary benefits from blogging are many. Generating income from ads for a lawyer published blog is not one of them.
And I would agree with Carolyn on her point to not run affiliate deals and/or Google ads. While they may be appropriate on non-legal blogs. I do not believe they belong on a professional service firm blog. If you are going to advertise, you should find advertisers who are focusing on providing services or products to your niche or market. And do sell your blog’s target audience to potential advertisers. This is extremely important if you do not have tons of traffic.
Short answer is no. I am still of the position that ads do not belong on a lawyer blog or for that matter any other professional service firm blog. Your main focus on this type of blog is to provide information to your niche or market. If you are doing this, you will get noticed and then traffic. This traffic will convert into clients and new business and then into revenue to your firm. If you do your lawyer blog or other service firm blog correctly, your business will increase and so will your cash. Instead of using your valuable time to land advertisers for your blog. Spend your time posting relevant, up-to-date content as often as you can. Build your audience with those readers who are trusting you as the place to go for this information. Your return on your investment will be much more doing this then blogging to gain ads and ad revenue.
I am Grant Griffiths and I blog and co-own a blog consulting and design firm.
I started my first blog February of 2005. My first blog was a blog I used to market and promote my family law practice. And blogging soon became my only form of written advertising. What I also discovered was that blogging is one of the most effective marketing tools available for the small business, home business and professional service firm. In fact, I was am so sold on the effectiveness of blogging, that I am co-founder of G²WebMedia.
Grant, I’m afraid I have to agree with you on all points. It’s should always be about the reader, not the blogger. And when a lawyer sells ads to generate income versus providing added value for the reader alone it sends the wrong image. I would not be attracted to a lawyer’s blog which is covered by ads UNLESS they were tangential to the reason I went to that lawyer. Everything creates association and impression whether we are conscious of it or not. And I would not want a lawyer to send any other message than “I am the solution to your problem” not a vehicle for advertisers because I could use a few bucks.
If it is a hobby blog, that’s another story.
Susan Cartier Liebel´s last blog post..In Honor of Our 2nd Birthday I Have A Valuable Prize To Award
Grant, Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of this topic. Oddly, I agree with virtually all of your points, just arrive at a different conclusion. As you and Susan say, a lawyer’s primary goal should be to serve readers, not to generate traffic for ad revenue. However, many times, a well read, attractive blog inevitably leads to ads and sponsorship offers. In fact, the reason I started re-considering this topic is in response to inquiries from two fellow law bloggers who have been approached with sponsorship/ad opportunities that are relatively substantial and from reputable companies. Of course, these bloggers already have a fairly established reputation, so there is also less possibility of negative repercussion than, say, for a new blogger just starting out. But given the potential, I didn’t think it was right to reject these opportunities out of hand, at least not without further analysis.
My other thought is that as the legal profession evolves, we may discover new hybrid opportunities. For example, let’s say that a large firm wants to improve its image but doesn’t want to waste time on pro bono in this economic climate. What if the large firm were to sponsor a small firm blog that provides information and forms for pro se litigants? Should a smaller firm turn that down? What about these “networks” that we see set up - for bankruptcy lawyers, PI lawyers, etc…where lawyers blogs are aggregated in one spot, but they may also indicate on their website that they are part of the network. Is that advertising (it is helping to drive clients to the network) or is it more akin to linking? We are moving into an age where the line between what is advertising and what is not is really not clear cut.
While I completely agree with you and Susan that to succeed as a blogger, your audience must come first, my own point is to stay open to the possibility of advertising, or at least revisit the issue down the road because it may not be incompatible with a lawyer’s ultimate mission.
Carolyn Elefant´s last blog post..Still Seats Left in Six Weeks Til Solo Practice
Great discussion! I think Carolyn has some great points, but I do know that in MY position (which is that of not that established and trying to market a professional service) I have no intention of putting any such advertising on my business blog. I do have a small banner related to a forum I belong to that provides helpful content in line with my services, and that is as close as I will come.
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I don’t understand. These issues aren’t specific for attorney’s blogs. Mommie blogs or camo-hunting gear blogs or sports blogs or political blogs…if the content isn’t compelling then there’s no audience.
To the extent that a blogger serves an audience and their needs, then there’s an audience, a growing audience. And if not, then…not. If their content serves only them, then their audience is an audience of 1, them.
And no audience, means no reason to advertise, except as an act of pity/generosity for the blogger.
And if your targeted audience is one that frequents lawyer blogs or another professional service blog, why would you not want to advertise there? And vice versa. Why would the attorney not want to advertise at your blog?
I don’t think lawyer blogs and their authors operate under any different rules than any other blogs.
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I’ll bite on this one:
A blog has to fit its purpose. If you’re a lawyer, your blog’s purpose is hopefully to attract visitors and convert them into clients. I think advertising any other services or products on your blog takes away from the primary (and most important) purpose: gaining clients.
Maybe there is a hypothetical situation where the ads could serve the client base and help boost the lawyer’s reputation, but I think that’s really just an intellectual exercise. 99.9% of lawyer bloggers aren’t going to find that perfect ad opportunity, if it even exists for them.
Andrew Flusche´s last blog post..Stafford County Traffic Court Lawyers
It would appear we can all agree that whether ads are appropriate or not on a professional service firm blog depends on its audience. And then are the ads relevant to and do they add to the conversation and topic being discussed on the blog.
Someone on twitter today made a key statement, “aren’t a firm’s blog really an advertisement in and of itself?”
If that is the case, are they distracting from their own mission by sending visitors to other sites? I do believe this is a question that must be answered by each individual blogger. And they must weigh whether running ads are worth whatever negative feelings they may create.
Thanks to everyone for commenting on this post. And to Carolyn for starting the conversation over at your blog too.