Make Your Blog Sparkle and Shine in the New Year – Part 2

 
In my last post, I gave you five tips about preparing your blog so that you can maximize its reach, effectiveness and visibility. Organization is key to a well-maintained blog, but the most important element is content. Content makes or breaks a blog.
As you celebrate the New Year with friends and family, remember that, like the best holiday parties, the best blog content is authentic, unique, entertaining and interesting. Here are some tips on how to vary your blog posts to keep readers engaged and mesmerized.

1.      Tell a story

• Personal stories might include a “day in the life” of the managing partner
• Historical stories might include an attorney’s perspective on a past trial or case
• Expert or mentor stories might include how an industry guru helped steer your career
• Celebrity stories might include how an actor’s lack of preparation made his life difficult

 2.      Showcase your clients

• Address common problems your clients face
• Write case studies about a client’s success
• Video interview a client – keeping it short (no more than 2-3 minutes), you can provide authenticity and credibility for both you and the client
• Do a written or video Q&A with a client on a particular topic
• Write about how your most satisfied clients have benefitted from your service
  • What do they have in common?
  • How can other clients incorporate those lessons
• Include relevant testimonials with links to clients’ websites or blogs in your posts

3.      Highlight events that your firm and firm leaders are participating in

• Blog about sponsorships and events as soon as you register for them
• Blog about your preparation leading up to it, why people should stop by, who they can  connect with, etc.
• Blog “from behind the scenes” while you are at industry events and tradeshows
• Blog after events and give readers your take on the value of the event

4.      Spotlight your staff

• Do a virtual (video) tour of your offices
• Show readers where and how you work
• Interview staff Members and write “did you know” interesting blog posts about key team Members

5.      Develop a series of “how to” blog posts

• Turn “how to” posts into short 2-3 minute videos and post them as vlogs
• Do a series of “what not to do” blog posts to showcase the flip side

6.      Recycle other blog posts, articles, whitepapers, presentations and materials

• Update one of your own older posts with a new one that provides new insight and value to readers
• Write a blog post about an industry leader’s blog, adding your own spin on the topic or intelligently arguing against the writer’s opinion or advice (remember to be respectful)
• Include PowerPoint presentations on your blog by embedding links from Slideshare
• Convert a PowerPoint presentation into a series of blog posts, with each slide as a post (the slide can be the image), and then explain the slide as if giving the presentation
• Turn a whitepaper into a series of blog posts
• Convert an article into one or more blog posts

7.      Write about best practices in your industry
The keys to quality content on a blog are variety, authenticity, education and entertainment. It is just as important to keep your readers entertained, using videos, stories, cartoons, animations and infographics, as it is to keep them informed. Let your blog sparkle and shine in the New Year!

Becca Fieler is an Online Marketing Specialist for BizActions, a Thomson Reuters Business, serving as a strategic partner in the planning and implementation of electronic communication and marketing initiatives. She develops and oversees comprehensive programs that present marketing strategies and solutions to diverse audiences, including attorneys, accountants, banks and credit unions, human resource companies and other professional service providers.

Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com