How Posting Online Can Result in Real Referrals and Clients

Attorneys often speak at panels, attend events, have successful case results, and even win awards. Since these experiences are a routine part of their careers, they may not recognize their significance or be reluctant to share them.

However, writing news stories about these accomplishments helps showcase attorneys' work, highlighting both their achievements and expertise. In addition to building trust and establishing rapport, posting about successes will also increase visibility for them, their services, and their law firm.

The same is true when an attorney writes a blog, whether it’s about an important legislative update, a guide on what to do if you need a lawyer, or something more specific that relates to their practice area. Posting online helps position attorneys as experts and boosts awareness of the services they offer.

How Blogging Can Lead to Media Coverage and New Opportunities

Let’s take the examples of two attorneys at a law firm who have successfully used blogging to expand their professional reach.

One specializes in employment law. This attorney recently wrote a blog on how the presidential election results could impact the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) ban on non-compete agreements. As a result, several different news outlets quoted and linked back to their blog. This exposure instantly multiplied their visibility and helped to position them as an authority on employment law.

The second attorney focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) in employment law and has a blog series where they explore the discriminatory impacts of such technology and the legal rights of employees or prospective employees. Through this series, they have established themselves as an employment lawyer specializing in AI, not only reaching potential clients but also other attorneys who may give case referrals, event organizers looking for speakers, and journalists looking for expert commentary. For example, their blogging led to a speaking opportunity at a major conference about AI and employment discrimination law.

These examples illustrate how consistent blogging can create a ripple effect, leading to media recognition, referrals, speaking engagements, and broader industry influence. Make sure what you’re writing about is impactful, however, as 71% of decision-makers acknowledge that less than half of the thought leadership content marketing they read gives them important insights.

Maximizing the Reach of a Blog Post

Once an attorney publishes a blog post, there are several ways to maximize its reach. Start by adding it to the law firm’s social media accounts. For example, to further showcase the attorney’s expertise on employment law, the firm could post a news story on their website sharing that the attorney was quoted as a legal authority by several media outlets. Then, the firm should share that story on social media, too. Next, encourage the attorney to share each post to their own social media accounts. This extends their reach, allowing their professional connections to see their media recognition as an expert in employment law. According to the American Bar Association’s 2023 Websites & Marketing TechReport, of respondents who use social media themselves for professional purposes, 31% report having had a client retain them either directly or by referral through their use of social media.

To keep readers engaged and to have a steady flow of content, attorneys should also consider writing a series of blog posts on a recurring theme. This approach reinforces their expertise over the years. By maintaining consistent thought leadership through blog series, attorneys can deepen their credibility and make their content more discoverable over time.

SEO and Journalist Discovery: The Long-Term Benefits of Blogging

Journalists will often search for experts in specific legal fields to provide facts, context and quotes for their articles. For example, the above-mentioned attorney specializing in employment has been quoted multiple times by online publications about non-competes, strengthening their reputation. The journalist may have never found this attorney if not for their online presence.

Additionally, blogs and news also provide great keywords for search engine optimization (SEO), meaning that when people search for an employment lawyer, or an explanation on the FTC’s ban of non-compete agreements, the attorneys’ content is more likely to appear in search results. Writing about past and upcoming professional events, including why the attorneys are attending or speaking, also increases discoverability, and those who are interested can plan to attend.

Around 29% of law firms with blogs reported gaining and retaining clients either directly or via referral from their blog. Of those respondents who reported maintaining their own legal topic blogs, they are somewhat more successful than the firms; 53% said they had a client retain them directly or via referral as a result of their blogging, according to the American Bar Association’s 2023 Websites & Marketing TechReport.

Start Writing and See the Results

Blogs give the attorneys a voice and help to establish them as real people in their own tone and style, moving beyond a simple description of accolades with a headshot on their firm’s website.

According to a study by Edelman and LinkedIn, about half of decision-makers became a client or customer with a company that they had not previously considered after engaging with their thought leadership content. Approximately 53% also did more business with the organizations responsible for creating the content.

By regularly posting blogs and news stories, attorneys will increase their chances to get more referrals and clients, maybe even requests to speak at events, or to be quoted in journalists’ news stories.

Start writing and sharing your expertise – you never know what opportunities may come of it.

Learn More About Communications with the Third Edition of the LMA Body of Knowledge The content in this feature correlates with the Communications domain in the LMA Body of Knowledge (BoK). Dive deeper and access the latest edition of the BoK online. The Third Edition of the LMA BoK showcases enhanced expertise across every domain, introduces new competencies in Client Services, Communications and Technology Management, features more advanced skills across all domains and broadens coverage of competitive and business intelligence skills. Plus, it emphasizes a stronger commitment to nurturing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the entirety of the BoK. Learn more.