Blog vs. Website

There was a spirited conversation about the use of blogs vs. websites this weekend on the solomarketing list, with fellow bloggers Grant Griffiths, Jonathan Stein and Ed Poll getting into the act. 

Blogs have been shown to be great tools for driving web traffic to you – if they’re updated frequently, they are likely to get many more ‘hits’ on internet searches.  But blogging isn’t necessarily for everyone.  Blogging is effective if posts are consistent and address issues that your audience is interested in learning about or commenting on.  To be effective and consistent takes a commitment to posting on a regular basis – otherwise the benefits of blogging can get lost. 

If visitors to your blog stop seeing new content, or content they’re interested in, they are likely to stop visiting your site.  The search engine results will continue to be high only as long as the blog is being updated.  And of course, you must consider whether your target audience is searching on the web in the first place.

Blogging is just one marketing tool in the lawyer’s toolbox – along with networking, direct mail, a website, brochure, speaking engagements, writing articles, etc.  Like any other tool, you must consider first what result you want to achieve and then decide which tool or tools are likely to be most effective for achieving that outcome.  Some work better for different purposes than others.  Sometimes using more than one approach or tool to increase the chances of achieving the desired result is advisable.   But, just like using other kinds of tools, if you aren’t willing to invest time and effort to learn how to use the tool properly or consistently, you might be better off using a tool you’re more comfortable with.

Of course, I’m all for blogging, and I know it gets great results, and I’d love to broaden the blogging community, but I also think it isn’t (and shouldn’t be) the only tool in the toolbox. Spend some time thinking about what you want your marketing to produce – think specific results, and give some serious thought to who your target market is – before you choose a tool to accomplish the task.  And make sure you’re prepared to use that tool to your best advantage.