On Blogging for Lawyers and Other Vertical Markets


Lexblog vertical industry software and services Lexblog is the big player in providing blogs for law firms and lawyers. Lexblog is a good example of taking a broad generic product category (blogs), wrapping a suite of services around them (niche content and SEO services), and going vertical to a specific market segment (lawyers).

The same formula can be applied to other products and to other verticals. You just need to know your vertical inside and out, which services they need, and how to tailor the offering specifically to suit your vertical. And of course you have to understand how to market to the particular vertical industry.

Vertical plays often are started by an insider … someone from that vertical industry. A case in point is Kevin O’Keefe, the Founder and President of Lexblog. He is a former trial lawyer who started Lexblog four years ago. From trial lawyer to online software-as-service provider … quite a transition.

I was interviewed at Kevin’s blog at Lexblog. The interview talks about how I got started using blogs and the benefits of using blogs if you are a professional or small business (as many law firms are).

One of the points we cover is about using blogs to establish a reputation as an expert. The great thing about blogging is that establishing yourself as an expert is something within your control. There are no gatekeepers to say whether you are an expert or whether you will be permitted to join the “club” of experts. It’s totally up to you … and how good a job you do at expressing your thoughts and ideas, and connecting with your community. That’s one of the benefits that blogs can bring to lawyers or any professional.

10 Comments ▼

Anita Campbell Anita Campbell is the Founder, CEO and Publisher of Small Business Trends and has been following trends in small businesses since 2003. She is the owner of BizSugar, a social media site for small businesses.

10 Reactions
  1. With blogs who needs Law Review? Who needs publicists and MSM? Publish yourself and make yourself a star

  2. Congrats on the interview! And is it just me, or in the past month has like every person on the planet gone “I know what I’ll do, I’ll start a blog!” I mean I know it’s gotten big over the last few years, but lately I’m getting all sorts of questions on setting up blogs.

    Plenty of business for folks like Kevin! (Maybe I should look into a cartoon blog business!)

  3. Hi Mark (Andertoons),

    There you go! A specialized blog offering for cartoonists!

    Actually, a special offering for those in “creative endeavors” would be a little broader, allowing you to tap into a bigger market. And it is not so far fetched as it may sound on the surface.

    I’m on a Board associated with COSE, a 17,000 member small business organization here in the Cleveland organization. They have broken down their membership into several categories and offer educational programs designed to meet the needs of each. There’s the home business network, the tech business network, the arts business network.

    The arts business network is for small businesses and entrepreneurs engaged in creative businesses that we typically think of as artists: professional photographers, potters, painters, musicians, cartoonists (not many of those) and others engaged in similar endeavors.

    There are several thousand in the arts network. So it’s not so far-fetched to think of providing them with software services designed specifically to meet their needs, as opposed to the needs of say, a manufacturing business that wants to blog.

    Hey, go for it!

    Anita

  4. Another interesting interview. I especially liked hearing how your reasons for blogging have evolved.

  5. Thanks for doing the interview Anita, most appreciated. We’re always looking for leaders in blogging and Internet marketing, like yourself, to speak with. Helps my lawyer audience understand the opportunities out there.

  6. Martin Lindeskog

    Great interview! Interesting to read about the evolution of your blog. I have done reflections on my blogging in my “annual blog report”. I have an idea to start podcasting / radio show segments again, but I have to catch up with the tech stuff with e.g., BlogTalkRadio, SolidVox and now the opportunity with video clips powered by LiveUniverse at my personal domain page.

  7. Hi Anita,

    It was great reading the interview.

    I have one question for you and those who blog – does blogging work as well for small businesses who sell products to other small businesses as they appear to do for service oriented businesses. The reason for the question is that we are tossing up whether to start a blog or just to comment on other blogs.

  8. Nice article. Too many people underestimate the power of blogs, especially when it comes to business applications. Blogs are not only for college students and housewives sitting at home!