Is blogging a good mediation marketing strategy?
January 24, 2008 · Print This Article
I get asked this question a lot.
My typical answer: For most mediators, no. For mediators who’ve set a solid marketing foundation, the question gets answered as part of the right mediation marketing groundwork. When you know what you want to accomplish with your mediation marketing, and for what audience, then you’ll know if blogging is a good ADR marketing strategy for you and your ADR business.
But don’t just take my word for it. Ask Lorelle van Fossen, whom I met at a bloggers conference last May. She’s one of blogging’s high priestesses (deservedly so) and she calls ‘em like she sees ‘em. Lorelle’s answer to the “should I blog” question is worth reading in full at Why Blog? Here’s an excerpt:
I’m often contacted by companies who tell me they need a blog. “So how do I get a blog?”
“Why do you think you need a blog?”
“Everyone’s got a blog. I need a blog.”
No, you don’t. Not everyone nor every business needs a blog. Should they? Maybe? But do they need one? Absolutely not.
Don’t blog unless you have a specific purpose for blogging. Don’t blog as a marketing strategy unless you’re ready to make the commitment. Otherwise, blogging becomes another casualty of the Opt and Dropped trap.
Do you need a blog? Only you can answer that. Do you need a web presence? Oh, yeah. Maybe a blog should be part of your presence-building strategy, maybe not. Let me know if I can be of assistance in figuring out what’s right for you.
Copyright © 2008 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.
Thanks for the don’t-do-it-because-everyone-else-is advice Tammy!
As a somewhat addicted mediator-blogger, here are the signs that you may be harboring an inner-blogger: (1) you write, which does not mean pennning emails by the dozen or texting; (2) you are guilty of pinning people against the wall at parties to give them your thoughts on conflict resolution, mediation, litigation, truth, justice or the American way; (3) your children, grandchildren, friends, etc. are not interested in the unsolicited advice you can’t help yourself from giving; (4) you READ ALOT about mediation, legal and justice issues; the social psychology of conflict; or your area of mediation specialty; and, (5) you have a tolerant life partner, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc. who won’t mind completely losing your attention for an ADDITIONAL 5 or 6 hours week.
Here are the benefits: (1) you publish your own “work”; you do not have to rely on others to do so; (2) you “meet” the best people who are also blogging in your area of expertise; (3) you enter into a high level conversation in your area of expertise and so become much keener, more sophisticated, savvier, and all around better at how you think about what you do for a living; and, (4) people get to know you in your market so long as you are providing them with good counsel about something they are vitally interested in.
Here are the detriments: it is very time consuming and if you aren’t somewhat of an obsessive writer, you are likely to lose interest.
But there’s nothing to lose by throwing up a blogger.com blog (it’s free!) and giving it a spin.
My best to you and all your lucky readers Tammy!
Vickie
Hi, Vickie, thanks for sharing what you have found it takes you to succeed with a blog.
Readers, for prior MediatorTech articles on the subject of how a blog may be helpful and what it takes to build one successfully, try these:
Do Prospective Clients Care that You Blog?
ADR Blogging as Courtship
Making an ADR Blogging Commitment
2008 is the year of the mediation blog!
Why? Because the rules of the game have changed.
It’s still true that you need to be passionate, or at least curious, about your topic, and be comfortable writing. Happily, meeting those requirement isn’t too hard.
There are numerous online resources for learning to create original blog content. One of my favorites gurus is Darren Rowse over at http://www.problogger.net. He has a great series of articles for new bloggers. And, there are plenty of reasonably priced, easy-to-work with editors who can hone your writing until you get the hang of it.
There are so many choices for blog topics and formats the hardest part about starting might be picking one. For those who shy away from offering opinions your blog can be a clearinghouse of relevant information to your niche. One of my members writes a summary of law cases that impact mediation. You might run a ‘question and answer’ blog. Your blog is limited only by appropriateness and your imagination.
Best of all, the marketing rules have changed. Very narrow niches are in for blogs. Having a very tailored message directed at a small target group can successfully attract readers (who then become clients). If this interests you, google long tail theory or keywords to learn more.
I just finished a similar post on why mediators should blog over at MediationMensch.com if you’re interested.
Blogging is a powerful communication and marketing tool that mediators are foolish not to investigate it fully.
Dina Beach Lynch
MediationMensch.com
ADRPracticebuilder.com
Dina,
I quite agree that blogging can be a powerful marketing tool for mediators and, as an occasional commenter here at Mediator Tech, you’re likely aware of the many posts I’ve written to that effect, including several from the last three years that showcase Darren Rowse’s work, of which you’ve now become aware. Indeed, my mediation marketing book also covers the power of blogging as one marketing strategy.
I’m sure you’re aware that the data suggests more than half of all blogs started are abandoned within 3 months because the would-be blogger realized blogging that converts readers to clients actually takes some work, discovered they didn’t like writing as much as they thought, or found that they hadn’t set a proper marketing foundation from which to craft a blog that really works. The list of possible reasons is a long one.
My post above is a cautionary note that we not sell a bill of goods to mediators in an attempt to sell our own services to them. It’s easy to be enthusiastic about blogging and it’s seductive to use that enthusiasm to get mediators to buy our marketing services. I’m sure you’d agree with me that we wouldn’t want to fall into that trap.
Other mediators who blog, particularly those of you who’ve been doing it for a while, anything you’d add to this conversation?
Hope you don’t mind me putting in my own two cents here, Tammy.
I think you know what an advocate I am of blogging. For me as a mediator, it’s a natural extension of my interest in communicating and connecting.
It’s funny that you should make this point here though, since it’s an issue I’ve been wrestling with much myself lately. For those of us who blog, it’s easy to be passionate about the benefits blogging holds. And equally easy to overlook how difficult maintaining a successful blog can be.
The internet is a virtual junkyard of abandoned blogs — blogs started by good-intentioned people who quickly realized that blogging is demanding work.
I think Vickie Pynchon, who commented above, presented a humorous but realistic view of what blogging requires.
As a consequence, I no longer routinely recommend blogging as a marketing tool these days to people who want to establish a web presence. Unless you’ve got discipline, love writing, and are willing to make the commitment of time and energy required, blogging’s not for you.
I’d add a few additional caveats and thoughts about blogging.
First, if you want to blog as part of a marketing plan, remember that it’s only one part of an overall marketing strategy. You still have to do lots of other things — networking, cold calls, developing marketing materials, creating business opportunities — in the real world.
Second, blogs are not just about marketing. It’s also about relationships. I view my blog as a social networking tool first, a marketing tool second. I’m more interested in the great connections, allegiances, and friendships that have resulted from my blog. It’s an extension of my real-world networking and in many ways more fun, since without suffering jet lag or travel expenses I can meet people around the world. If you neglect this aspect of blogging, you’ll be missing out on most of the fun. One mistake I see new bloggers make is fail to connect to other bloggers, since they can help your blog thrive and gain readers. That requires work — building those important connections with fellow bloggers. You can’t succeed as a blogger alone — you must depend on community (sound familiar, mediators?). And cultivating those good relationships is critical. And takes time. So remember that you’re not only going to be investing your time in writing but in building online connections.
Finally, do not expect to make money from your ADR blog. One thing that I know disappoints a number of bloggers I’ve talked to over the years is little traffic to their sites. Some people launch a blog expecting to get thousands of unique visitors a day. When that doesn’t happen, they get discouraged and stop blogging. The truth is that few blogs are going to generate enough traffic that you can make any meaningful money from running any of the numerous ad campaigns such as Google or Amazon on your blog. Many visitors to ADR sites are turned off by ads anyway or simply tune them out — I know I do.
The overall lesson is, be realistic. Do your homework. Assess your commitment level.
If you’d like to blog, we’ll be happy to welcome you as a fellow blogger. If not, we always welcome you as a reader — and most of the fun, as you can see, is in the comments, where anyone, especially you, can join in!
(Sorry, Tammy, that was way more than two cents.)
I’m doing the same, Diane…encouraging mediator clients to consider blogging as just one of many possible social media marketing approaches, and urging them to think carefully about whether it’s the best mechanism for them.
Otherwise, what a waste of their time and good marketing energy.
I love that you put in at least 5 cents’ worth, Diane!
Hi, Tammy!
I’ve been following your blog and I’ve just ordered your book.
I see this additional advantage to blogging. As a new mediator blogger, I want to make the literature about negotiation and mediation more accessible to lawyers, primarily, but also to lay people. Most lawyers don’t have (or make) the time to research or read, for instance, in the disciplines of social psychology, neuropsychology, etc. And we know from brain research that when we write about something we read, the chance of remembering it ourselves is much, much greater. (But, it’s really not all about me.)
Tammy, thanks for being so inspirational.
Best,
Nancy
Hi, Nancy, and thanks for taking the time to comment. I like your point about increasing our remembering when we write about something we read…that resonates with me because it’s certainly been my experience, too.