The bigger question is, "Does social media make sense for marketing your practice?" I say, "Yes, definitely." However, you have to know how to use it to make it work for you. That's where I've found my clients fail in their online efforts.

Take blogging, for example. This requires a real commitment to posting; but beyond that, it takes a real reason for getting the word out. In other words, just pushing out content to make a splash for yourself isn't good enough.

You have to be more interested in the people you are serving than in serving your own public relations purposes. It's an opportunity to share information and connections (think LinkedIn) that can help your constituency reach their objectives. That's what I believe, and it's why I've decided to take the plunge myself -- not just with blogging, but also with the whole social media phenomenon. In future posts, I'll be sharing online strategies and tactics that can support your professional practice and help build your success.

In the meantime, are you ready to take the plunge? Read on for more about blogging...

There is still plenty of skepticism in larger firms about the value of blogging (or blawging as it is known in legal circles). Media savvy lawyers who would rather go online for their information are not necessarily the decision-makers. Some people are still arguing for the value of newsprint (huh?). Is that your story?

Big firms argue, too, that blogs attract the wrong market -- that general counsel and C-level management are not likely to be visiting a blog any time soon. And finally, where’s the ROI on the time and trouble it takes to keep up with a blog? Are the same arguments true for the solo or small firm?

Gerard W. O’Brien, who posts at www.lawfirmblogging.com, makes the case that blogging for lawyers is an easy way to get feedback on creative ideas. Better to be embarrassed in relative anonymity of a blog than when arguing in court or speaking in front of a room of VIPs. He goes on to say that, “Blogging is also a great way to expand your reach. As an estate-planning attorney, I often have the need for counsel in the states my clients had resided in. When you read other’s writings and communicate back and forth, you can get a feel for who you may and may not want to work with.”

James Beck and Mark Hermann, co-authors of the Drug and Device Law blog with 25,000 page views per month (http://druganddevicelaw.blogspot.com/), think blogging is a great idea. Former trial attorney and Internet marketing expert Kevin O’Keefe (Real Lawyers Have Blogs), CEO of LexBlog, Inc. (http://kevin.lexblog.com), would agree. He was so successful in marketing his small law firm on the Internet that USA Today said, “If O’Keefe isn’t careful, he may wind up giving lawyers a good name.”

Googling “law blogs Atlanta” confirms that blogging is certainly catching on in the Atlanta market. Below are just a few of the dozens of law blogs you will find:

Atlanta Injury Law & Civil Litigation Blog (http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com), published by Shigley Law Firm

Georgia Bankruptcy Law Blog (http://www.georgiabankruptcyblog.com) published by the Law Office of Scott B. Riddle

Georgia Law Blog (http://www.georgialawblog.com) published by the Law Office of Jack Clay, LLC.

Why not blog back?

What do you think?
Are you blogging now?
What's blogs do you follow?
Could you be missing opportunities by not blogging?