One thing I’m frequently asked is:
“But these lawyer blogs….they link to other law firms! That makes no sense! Why do they do this?”

And for some time, I haven’t been able to come up with a good analogy or at least a decent explanation. Until last night, that is.

I was playing with my puppy and had the TV on in the background. The show was Access Hollywood, NBC’s celebrity focused “news” magazine. I wasn’t paying any attention to it, until the end when the host was plugging a show that was on CBS. I thought “Well that’s weird. NBC’s show is promoting their direct competitor’s programming!”

That’s when the light bulb went on in my head. That’s it! Blawgs are kind of like Access Hollywood! People are watching the show because they want to know about celebrities and the shows and movies they are doing. But in order to get access to these celebrities, Access Hollywood needs to talk to people that are on shows that compete with NBC. The only way to get interviews with these actors and actresses is to plug their shows. So, although they have to give a mention to the other networks, they’re getting something in exchange.

Blawgs are in the same boat in a way. Attorneys look at other blogs and see that they have excellent content and points of view. Instead of just blatantly ripping off their competitors’ posts, they link to it. Sure, they’re taking the risk of pushing visitors (and potential clients) to someone else, but they get a lot more in exchange.

Another point: When you link to another attorney’s blog, even if they are in the exact same practice, you’re not handing them a client. Just like Access Hollywood doesn’t change your cable box to CBS. It’s a one-off.

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