Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Whats a Blog?
Web log Easy way to create web content Short entries, most recent at top No tech skills required Not a technology decision
Blog Features
Many options to create Easy design One author or many Organize entries by topics Automatic archiving E-mail subscriptions
Blog Jargon
Post Blogroll Blawg Comments Feed A single entry Links to other blogs A law-related blog Reader text about a post Method to deliver posts
Permalink
Agenda
What is a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Whos Blogging?
Kids Creeps Techies Business people Companies Lawyers Law firms
Antitrust (2) Bankruptcy E-Discovery Employment (2) Energy (2) Family Financial Inst. Health (2)
IP (2) Nano Privacy Real Estate/Constr. (4) SEC (2) State Appellate (2) Tax Telecomm (5)
Whos Blogging - GC
Insurance Scrawl The Common Scold Robert Ambrogi's LawSites Law Department Management Prism Legal Human Law InhouseBlog The Wired GC Future Lawyer LawMarketing Blog Legal Pad Counsel to Counsel
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? Business case - EXTERNAL Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Why Blog?
Location, location, location Woops, I meant marketing, marketing, marketing
Establish expertise Earn awareness Connect to clients and prospects Obtain links to your web site
Competition, Mergers Fuel Rise in Firm Marketing Budgets The Recorder, 3/5/07, at law.com Citing a BTI study of AmLaw 100 in 2006
70% of business executives and in-house counsel go online during the firm selection process. Blogging will increase your firms visibility.
December 2006 $295
http://www.incrementaladvantage.com/ia/pc-149-20-the-marketability-and-legality-of-law-firm-blogs.aspx
http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2007/01/new_roi_of_blog.html
Marketing Channels
Synchronous
Seminars, webinars (firm or 3rd party) 1-on-1 client or prospect meetings Networking functions
Asynchronous
Updates (paper or e-mail) Articles Books Pod- or video-casts Web sites Blogs
Channel Considerations
Cost: time and out of pocket Frequency Reach and audience size Measurable impact Targeting Re-use value Ease of digesting Risks Tech effort
Channel Comparison
Webinars Seminars 1 on - 1 Network Updates Articles Books Podcasts Web Site
Blogs
* ** **
* * *
*** * *
*** * *
** *** ** * **
* * ** * **
* * * * **
** * ** ** * *
**
**
***
Broad Reach
**
** *
***
*** *
Easy to Measure *** *** *** Easy to Target High Re-use Easy to Digest Low Risk Easy Tech **
**
** **
*
*** ***
* ** ** * ***
** * ***
*** *** * ** * *
** *
*
*** **
** **
*
**
Source: Larry Bodine blog post (1/4/07) citing Primary Research Group report
E-mail limitations
Dated Lost in inbox Too much detail Avoid spam filters Shorter Current Choose delivery Track readers
Blog benefits
See Tom Baldwin, CKO, Sheppard Mullin blog post (10/14/04) See also Blogging Is the New Black, LawFirmInc (12/8/05)
Benefits
Better search engine visibility Less production time v. newsletters Anecdotal evidence of new matters Media attention
Source: E-mail exchange (Feb 07) with Tom Baldwin (CKO) and Vickie Spang (CMO) of Sheppard Mullin
Benefits
50 new billable matters from NJ Law Increased web presence More media looking for comments Better placements for print articles
Absolutely
Source: E-mail exchange (Mar 07) with R. DeLuca, Dir. Biz Dev, Stark & Stark
Recruiting
Find your web site Learn about your practice Show that you are with it Talk to your audience
Media Web sites and blogs keep students updated on juicy stories about law firms
(National
Are Your Recruiting Efforts Geared for the Online Generation? Law Practice Today, ABA, online, Oct 2006
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? Business case - INTERNAL Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Internal Blogging
Share information Foster team work Reduce e-mail clutter Create KM repository
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Software options and features RSS Other blogging considerations
Software Options
Free v. pay Hosted v. your own web site Free-standing v. integrated Brands
E-mail Subscriptions
www.feedburner.com www.feedblitz.com www.squeet.com www.blogarithm.com
Tracking Hits
Built in software Third party software (examples)
www.google.com/analytics www.statcounter.com
Analysis
Hit tracking
Google Analytics Track hits and search terms Marketing reports to management
Actions taken
Include search terms in future posts Search spikes > more posts on topic Many hits > targeted e-mail blast
Source: E-mail exchange (Mar 07) with R. DeLuca, Dir. Biz Dev, Stark & Stark
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Blog software RSS [Real Simple Syndication] Other blogging considerations
RSS
Pull v. Push Reading multiple blogs in one place Many newspapers and other info sources Add New York Times RSS feeds
Newsreader - Bloglines
Newsreader - Yahoo
Agenda
Whats a blog? Whos blogging? The business case for blogs Blog software RSS Other blogging considerations
Blawg
Your Source for Legal Blogs, Podcasts & News Feeds Blawg Republic is a real-time search engine that monitors the legal blogging community every hour.
Maintaining Momentum
Content is king Keep posting How often is often enough? What voice, what content?
Motivating lawyers
Some blogging time counted as billable Partners have bought in they help make sure lawyers write Chose practices where lawyers were already writing
Source: E-mail exchange (Feb 07) with Tom Baldwin (CKO) and Vickie Spang (CMO) of Sheppard Mullin
Write a post in as little as 5 minutes Short + informal; not scholarly If you know a word processor, e-mail, and browser, you can learn in under 10 minutes. People with interesting thoughts are busy Blogs let them share your quickly and easily Better exposure than from article or speech
A Lawyer Blog-Convert
Editors feared me: always near to the wire Writing turns out to be easy Word should be so intuitive! Posts can be short - reference what I notice Or lengthy analyses or anything between
I found a voice
Simon Chester, Partner, Heenan Blakie and blogger (slaw.com and blog.colpm.org). Paraphrased from his comment at blog.colpm.org.
Sheppard Mullin
Avoid spam problem with main URL Search engines find most relevant site Blog branding matches main site
Risks
Ethics rules
Legal risks
Liable or defamation Copyright infringement
Davis Wright
Porter Wright
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP offers this blog for general informational purposes only. The content of this blog is not intended as legal advice for any purpose, and you should not consider it as such advice or as a legal opinion on any matters. The information provided herein is subject to change without notice, and you may not rely upon any such information with regard to a particular matter or set of facts. Further, the use of the blog does not create, and is not intended to create, any attorneyclient relationship between you and Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP or any individual lawyer in the firm. No such relationship will be considered to have been formed until we have had an opportunity to resolve any conflict of interest issues and have advised you, in writing, of the nature and scope of the legal services to be provided. Unless we establish an attorney-client relationship with you with regard to the particular matter, we will not treat any information that you may send to us, or submit as a comment to a blog article or entry, as confidential or privileged, and any unsolicited communications may be disclosed to other persons without regard to confidentiality considerations. Use of the blog is at your own risk, and the site is provided without warranty of any kind. We make no warranties of any kind regarding the accuracy or completeness of any information on this blog, and we make no representations regarding whether such information is reliable, up-to-date, or applicable to any particular situation. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP expressly disclaims all liability for actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this blog, or for any damages resulting from your viewing and use of this blog.
Attitudes to Overcome
Risk averse Precedent based Fear of failing Competitive
The first movers have moved. The second movers have moved? Whats next?
Think marketing and content, not tech How long did you wait for a web site?
References - Articles
RSS Resources You Can Use: Automated Web Surfing for Lawyers (Law Practice Today, Nov
2006, Mighell and Kennedy)
Is Your Blog Exposing You to Legal Liability? (law.com, 12/22/06, Savell) Bloggers Beware: Debunking Nine Copyright Myths of the Online World
(LLRX.com, Dec 2006, Biehl)
New York Law Firms Struggle With New Restrictions on Advertising (New York Times, March
2, 2007)
New ROI of blogging report from Forrester (1/25/07, Forrester) Final NY Advertising Rules are Atrocious
(1/8/07, Larry Bodine)
$20,000 of billable time used to maintain a blog (7/25/06, Larry Bodine citing Ed Poll article) Directory of Large Firm Branded Blogs
(3/5/07, Prism Legal web site)
AmLaw 200 law firm blog growth in line with law firm blog growth (3/6/07, Kevin OKeefe)