Thinking About Starting a Blog? : Be Inspired by the 9 Main Purposes of This Blog

For my presentation in Washington, DC, in two weeks for the International Women’s Insolvency Confederation Spring Meeting, "IWIRC Talks Social Media" panel, I have taken a look back at the posts I (together with my law clerks) have written for my two blogs.  Here is what I have discovered about my writing.  Hopefully, this post will inspire you to blog about your craft, passion, favorite subject matter.  Let your enthusiasm be contagious.The purposes of a blog can be many fold.  I have found that I write mostly for the following purposes:Humanize Myself: I want to humanize myself as a lawyer/business. I am real person, not just a headshot.  I eat and breathe.  I have a family and a life, in addition to my legal work. Here are some such posts:

• Thoughts Behind Our 2013 Holiday Card
• My Son's Kindergarten Poster
• Go Confidently: What Is on Your Refrigerator
• To All Fathers: Happy Father's Day
• Integrating My Photography Hobby with My Law Firm Business Development
• The Influence of Walt Disney on My 12 Year Old Self

 Evidence Industry expertise:  As a person whose livelihood depends on rainmaking, I have always known that developing an expertise in a specific industry is important. For me, my niches include fashion, technology, media, real estate.  I wish I were even more laser-focused, but with bankruptcy work, the cases cut across many industries.

• My Response to Opening Night of Pittsburgh Fashion Week
• My Personal Recount of the Ports 1961 Fashion Show at NY Bryant Park
• Why Isn't That Louis Vuitton Bag Ever on Sale?  (one of top 5 posts of all-time)

Add value/inform: My lawyer coach Cordell Parvin has taught me that marketing should be “pull marketing” not “push marketing”. He says to create content that makes people want to be pulled toward you because you add value to them.  Writing this content comes easily to me because I always wanted to be a journalist and a professor.  Sitting at a Starbucks writing a blog post is down time for me.  Most of my posts over the last four years are of this nature.   I was ramping up my law firm and wanted to share was I was learning.  Here is a sampling:

• Using, Not Abusing PowerPoint: My Top 10 Tips
• Flying Solo: The Nuts and Bolts of Building A Solo Law Practice(one of top 5 posts of all-time)
• Are Your Business Meetings Productive: Lessons from a CMU Study on Collective Intelligence
• The Importance of an Elevator Pitch: If No One Knows What You Do, Who You Do It For and Why You Do It Better, How Can You Expect to Build Your Business
• Business Décor Brand Image: What Does Your Office Art Say About Your Business?
• The Art of the Elevator Pitch (one of top 5 posts of all-time)
• Top 10 Lessons from Maxine Clark's Build A Bear Workshop (one of top 5 posts of all-time)

Inform public and clients about local resources: When I consult my clients, I am obligated to let them know about the vast resources out there for entrepreneurs. Instead of giving them a flyer, we email them blog post links.  Here is a sample:Chatham University Center for Women Entrepreneurship: Assisting Women Sine 2005Need to Start a Business in Western PA: Read About Bridgeway Capital

• Inform and promote community interests: Ever since I opened up shop in my hometown, I have also written more posts about events or concerns that impact the community.  I write things about which I authentically care. Authenticity is important.

WV's 2014 Economic Outlook: Town Meeting with Attorney General's Office

• Promote outside events: A blog is a good way to SPREAD the word about external events, firm events, and about cool things your clients are doing.

Intellectual Capitol Presents: Where to Start: An A to Z Presentation for Entrepreneurs

• Promote firm events:

2013 Holiday Fair Celebrating Women Swimming in the Stream of CommerceDid you ever have a Grand Opening for your Business-Should you Re-Open your Business?

• Customer profiling:

Coffee Talk with Stan Muschweck of Standout MarketingWhat are Bloggers Saying About your Product or Service? Lessons Learned From Maniac Magazine's Megaphone MarketingBlue Tomato Design Firm: Salene’s Business of the Month

• Evidence legal expertise: I do write about legal topics, but not that much. The posts take more time to put together.  I should repurpose more of my legal writings; I had to research/write them anyway for various engagements.  In April of 2013, upon Cordell’s insistence, I decided to spin off into another blog www.steelvalleybankruptcy.wordpress.com focused on business bankruptcy (my niche).  That is where I post more technical posts.  The audience for that blog is different than the audience for this one.

-New Developments:Freedom Industries Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Following Historic WV Chemical SpillDragon Fire Inc. Running Out of Breath as it Files it’s Chapter 11Dance Moms Instructor Abby Lee Miller Filed for Chapter 11 Protection: Public Disclosure of Private FactsFat Lady May Sing for the Last Time: The New York City Opera Files Chapter 11-Technical:The Company You Own Files Bankruptcy: Can Creditors Still Come After You?Inside the Trenches of a Chapter 11: The Firehose of the First 30 DaysChapter 7 or Chapter11: Which Bankruptcy Option is Best For My Business?What the Heck is a Preference Action? Paying Off Favorite Creditors As a Business TanksCorporate Bankruptcy or Business Wind Down: Pros and Cons of a Chapter 7Inside the trenches of a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Preparing the Initial FilingWhat are the 5 Cs of Business Lending: Getting Financing in Today’s EnvironmentCall or email me if you want to talk more about getting your own blog started.   I will share my slides from my IWIRC panel as soon as we are finished!