There has been a conversation going on today on a Listserv I am on. It centers around ghost writing for a blog. The conversation started out with someone asking if they should have a ghost writer for their blog. I chimed in as I often do and said no. If you are going to blog, you should blog. Blogging is more than posting. It is more than putting up a Web site structured as a blog and hoping someone will visit. Blogging is for all intense purposes, one of the best marketing tools you can use to market your law practice.

And blogging is more. Blogging is a conversation between you and your readers. A conversation between you and other bloggers. A conversations between you and your possible clients and/or customers. A conversation between you and the media. And, in my humble opinion, the first step in becoming involved in that conversation is putting up good relevant content.

However, you can’t just put up great content. You can put up award winning content and if no one sees it, big deal. Aaron Brazell of Technolsailor talked about the content/conversation concept today in a post called How Much Do People Talk About You?

As Kevin O’Keefe stated in a post today, “Aaron nails a common misconception in blogging - if you produce good content, people will come” And he is right. I have never said content is the only key thing to a successful blog. You have to get them there to read it. And Aaron goes on to give us just a few ways to do that.

When you write that great content, try to get that content in front of other SMEs (similarly minded experts). Find ways to market yourself. Give away your knowledge. Speak at industry events. Host meetups related to your industry. Be social and network. Go drink a beer with others in your industry. When an opinion is asked for, be aggressive and share your opinion in a succinct, well-spoken manner.

O’Keefe expands on Aaron’s idea a bit further when he suggest we should be social in our blogging.

• Comment on other blogs leaving your name, blog url, and email address.
• Reference other people’s blog content on your posts. You may get a trackback link and you’ll certainly be seen by the blogger whose content you referenced who may subscribe to your blog and blog about your content.
• Let reporters know you’ve blogged about their stories. It won’t be too long before you’ll be quoted in a publication which your clients and prospective clients read.
• Blog about conferences you want to present at. Let the conference coordinator know you blogged about them and your availability to speak on a niche topic.

“99% of bloggers don’t understand blogging is an art. Effective blogging to get people talking about you will put you light years ahead of your competition.“

They are both right. Don’t just throw up a post. Go further in your blogging. FIND the conversations that are out there in the area you are interested in. LISTEN to the conversations. ENGAGE in those conversations by commenting, leaving trackbacks, linking to and thanking those that comment on your blog. And EMPOWER your readers to do the same. Allow both comments and trackbacks on your blog. Use your blog as a communication tool that gets you involved in the conversation and gets you noticed.

Stay tuned for more!!