‘Ghostblogging’ Law Firms Risk Their Reputations, Consultant Says
Law firms should encourage their lawyers to write online content—by creating financial and career advancement incentives, and by making sure the top lawyers lead by example, according to a law firm consultant.
A professional editor who guides lawyer’s contributions and edits content is also a good idea, according to Jordan Furlong, a Canadian legal consultant writing for Stem’s Law Firm Web Strategy blog.
But don’t go so far as to hire professional writers to create blog content under lawyers’ names, Furlong advises. “The whole point of a blog post is that it’s personal and authentic,” he writes. “What is published under your name and your photo must come from you. Avoid ‘ghostblogging’ in the law unless sincerity and trustworthiness aren’t important reputational assets to you.”
The same advice doesn’t apply to law firm e-newsletters, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds; those “can and probably should be manned by professional communications staff,” Furlong says.
Also see:
ABAJournal.com: “Are Ghostwritten Lawyer Blogs Unethical?”
