Setting Aside Time Weekly for Your Attorney Blog

I don’t need to tell you that attorneys have a lot of time-sensitive responsibilities. I spoke with a client just yesterday who was supposed to be out of the office by 1 p.m. and didn’t set foot outside until 4:30. With court appearances, deadlines, law firm management, and 1,000 other daily to-dos, the last thing on a hard-working lawyer’s mind is this week’s blog content. Understandably, this isn’t necessarily just an attorney problem – even in our own office, the one task that always seems to get pushed back is sitting down and writing our monthly blogs. Most of our clients think the easiest answer is to just abandon their blogs, but that is a poor solution if you are trying to get more business. Blogs drive traffic to your website, position you as a thought-leader in your specific practice area, and increase your rankings on search engines.

So how do you manage to find time every week to write your blog?

When You’re Incited, Act Upon It

Sometimes I find myself incredibly inspired by something I come across in my own research. I may see a really interesting article about ranking for a competitive term and it will set off a catalyst of ideas for my own clients. When I find myself this inspired, I always try to write it down. Even if I have to scribble notes in chicken scratch on the back of a notepad, I try to at least get the core of what I am thinking on paper. Then when I go to write a blog later, I have a great starting point.

Note: If you are struggling to find an interesting topic for inspiration, look at current events in the legal landscape. For example, there has been a ton of media surrounding the FIFA corruption, which is a goldmine of white-collar crime. This will also help with your social media traffic, because when you post your articles to your social profiles, you can use the related trending hashtags that users are searching for.

Don’t Constrain Your Content Creation to Office Hours

Some of my best blogs have been written after a night out on a Friday. When I come home from dinner with friends and I am not quite tired, I can usually find a spare hour to write. In the morning, I review what I wrote the night before over a cup of coffee.

Force Yourself to Write Blogs in a Designated Time Slot

If you are not a fan of improvising time, you may want to set aside a specific time each week for content. This would be a few hour period where you don’t take appointments; research your industry, then write an article. It may be hard for you to stick to a strict schedule at first, but after a few weeks, you may start finding yourself looking forward to blog writing.

If You Need To, Just Skip It

The worst thing you can do is write a blog hastily and carelessly. If you do not have time to create a quality article — a blog with a purpose — it is better to just skip the week and try to make up for it with a better article later.

Outsource Your Legal Content Marketing & Blogging

If you can’t find the time to blog, it might be worth looking into outside help. We offer extensive content marketing services for law firms, so you don’t have to worry about your blog being populated. We have the process of creating blog topics for law firms down to a science. If you would like to learn more about our content marketing and blog writing programs, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation today.

Remember, blogging should never feel like a chore. Getting started may feel like the lowest item on your long list of priorities, but once you dive in, writing should be almost a cathartic experience. It’s a chance to step back from legal copy and write about an issue you are passionate about in the legal field.