Marketing your firm through individual weblogs

Don’t Forget the Brownies. Denise’s “Interview Tips“ almost make me reconsider my pledge to never interview for a job as a lawyer. Seriously – after reading this, doesn’t it make you at least think about going to work for Crosby Heafey? Employers gain a lot when their employees are allowed to have a personality – kudos to both CHR&M and Denise for laying it out there.

If there are any law students reading this blog, make sure to swing by Denise’s site and read up on what interviewers look for when you chat. [tins ::: Rick Klau’s weblog]

I posted the above to my own weblog last week, and thought it merited additional discussion in the context of marketing your law firm on the internet. What makes Crosby Heafey unique is not that they “allow” Denise to have her on weblog – it’s that they link directly to it from her bio. Anyone who happens to browse Crosby Heafey’s site will see info about Denise and be able to go directly to her blog. (Other law firms like Pennsylvania’s Buchanan Ingersoll have prominent bloggers – the head of their appellate practice maintains a site at http://howappealing.blogspot.com – but don’t link directly to those blogs from the firm web site.)

What I find lacking in so many law firms’ sites is the sterile, impersonal feel to so many of them. Denise’s weblog is an outstanding example of how one person in the firm can add some color to a firm’s overall image. The results may be fairly straightforward (a visitor has a better impression of the firm after visiting) – or dramatic (a prospective student elevates Crosby Heafey in their job search because they’re more impressed with the obvious “culture” at the firm as a result of reading Denise’s site).

There’s an element of risk involved in letting a lawyer maintain their own site, outside the control of the marketing department. On the other hand, that can be managed through periodic monitoring and a clear communication of objectives. I know I think more highly of Crosby Heafey as a result of Denise’s site – and am certain that there’s a potential for other firms to embrace the model.