Advice for Professionals Considering a Blog

A lot of CPAs and lawyers ask me if they should blog. Why do their competitors blog? Is blogging a silly trend they can ignore until it goes away?

Not so oddly (for people familiar with strategic marketers), my advice is seldom the same from one firm, or one person, to the next. But here are some basic considerations...

For professionals who want "off the hook" where blogging is concerned, here's a list of who should NOT blog:

1. Blogging is not for the professional wanting to be "uninvolved" with his or her marketplace.
2. It is not for the person who doesn't stay informed on at least one particular area of practice (be it a specialty or industry)
3. It's not for someone who's uncomfortable stating a distinct opinion or offering analytical perspective
4. It's not for a professional who only writes in "technical-eze"
5. Blogging is not for someone who won't spend an hour or two a week (at minimum) working on posts.

Blogs do accomplish some things that no other current method of marketing or communications can.

1. A blog gives readers insight into the author's personality and demeanor
2. They can demonstrate actual expertise whereas websites usually claim it but fail to substantiate it
3. They help people and show others what is good about your profession and why you add value
4. Good blogs show young professionals that your firm is "with it" (bad ones, just like bad websites, show potential hires that you're NOT with it)
5. Blogs can lead to publicity, interviews and writing/speaking opportunities for you and your firm
6. They open the door for conversations and relationships with other bloggers, colleagues, and prospects who already know you somewhat through your blog and decide they WANT to know more!

If you are still thinking about blogging, there is some great advice on Seth Godin's blog where he shares over 50 tips on building blog traffic. Some of his tips are contradictory demonstrating that different strategies work for different bloggers for different reasons. My favorite tips are:

• Learn enough to become the expert in your field.
• Be among the first with a great blog on your topic, then encourage others to blog on the same topic.
• Share your expertise generously so people recognize it and depend on you.
• Announce news.
• Do email interviews with the well-known.
• Point to useful but little-known resources.
• Don't promote yourself and your business or your books or your projects at the expense of the reader's attention.
• Don't be boring.
• Write stuff that people want to read and share.

My addition to Seth's list: Remember, it's always about what matters to the AUDIENCE!

Comments

[Anne Stanton]

Excellent post Michele!

BUT

I have to disagree with you that blogging takes at least an hour a week. To update a blog is as easy as one e-mail. Considering that most people write hundreds of e-mails a week the time investment is trival. What is needed is a commitment to consistency. Meaning that you get in the habit of updating. I know people who update once a week and others who blog 10 times a day.

I also take issue with the comment that "techies" shouldn't blog. In reality hundreds of extremely technical introverts blog. Course their audience is the people who want the inside scoop, direct from the source, on that technology. Shoot you could blog about complex tax code!! and you would build an audience of people who need those explicit details.

Lastly blogging builds an audience. Yes, you can write to an audience, but you can also create one!

Passionate Blogger. Anne

[Suzanne Lowe]

Michelle, you've made a great point regarding: "A blog gives readers insight into the author's personality and demeanor." This aspect of social media is, I believe, the doorway into the new millennium's "experience economy," and marketers had better take heed. They and their firms' fee-earners have just about mastered the traditional avenues to managing a brand; it's blocking and tackling, and mostly ONE-WAY from the inside of a firm OUT.

But blogging and other social media really do allow a practitioner to demonstrate personality in a way that brings clients much closer to a true "experience" as they consume a service. Most of my professional services clients are skeptical at the moment about blogging and other emerging social media channels. I think it's just the tip of the iceberg of the new Marketing mix.

[Anthony Reeves]

I love your blog on this topic. I have tried to make mention of this to my firm but they are not at the point of doing this at this time. So, I took upon myself to do this for myself.

A. Ray Reeves
www.anthonyreeves.com
http://legalbeat.anthonyreeves.com