Many law firms and individual lawyers blog, but the question often asked of marketing and BD teams is do they actually make a difference and win work?
Well, according to US GCs and in-house counsel, they do influence buying behaviour.
But, and here's the rub; those blogs that are successful do more than just explain points of law - they provide a insight into the personality of the firm or individual lawyer.
The law can be quite dry. It is all too easy for a blog to simply set out the facts of a piece of legislation or a case, concluding with a paragraph or two of guidance. It could be written by any law firm, anywhere.
I'm sure these are helpful exercises for trainees and are probably read by someone somewhere.
But those blogs that really work are those with a spark - a lawyer or firm with an opinion. That opinion will, of course, reflect the genuine needs of clients.
Lots of law firms have blogs. But do they actually help generate business? The verdict from in-house counsel is that, yes, these blogs can lead to new work, but only if the firms get it right. Hiring outside counsel is always a difficult task. A timely and insightful blog is a great way for a firm to showcase itself, says Lee Cheng, who recently left his role as chief legal officer at Newegg Inc. to serve as chief operating officer at guitar manufacturer Gibson Brands Inc. "Properly done, it's an effective way for law firms to show their stuff, show their expertise," Cheng says. "I can definitely tell you that there are people that I haven't hired and would never hire because of their blogs," he says.
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