News & Events

Where Do I Find Topics for my Blog?

You have the best of intentions when it comes to writing your blog. Perhaps you’ve set time aside on your calendar to write that post. You sit in front of the computer and stare at the screen with no idea bubbling to the surface demanding to be written. Where can you find topics to write for your readers?

Start by pulling over the yellow legal pad and write at the top “What am I asked over and over?”

Write the numbers one through six, one under the other so you’re using the whole pad. Now, without over-thinking it, write what comes to your mind first, then next, and continuing until you have six. Use as few words as possible to describe those questions. Keep it simple and quick.

Stuck? No ideas?

Think back to discussions with clients on the phone or in person, court hallway conversations, webinar Q & A sessions, or queries from strangers you met standing in line at the local coffee shop for your morning coffee. These conversations give you topics that are important to clients and potential clients.

As you remember these questions, you will realize that the questioners aren’t asking about a recent court decision or your latest brief on a discreet legal topic. They are asking about problems that affect their lives. Maybe they are buying a house and want to know about deeds available in Michigan. Or what is a will?

There are two types of blog topics:

First, are topics that are timeless, such as the difference between a legal separation and a divorce.
Second, are timely topics usually found in the form of an analysis of a breaking news story, which can be mainstream or industry-specific.

For example, the SBM Newslinks posts Michigan legal news every day. Some articles affect a particular business such as the report on the “Detroit Teacher Sick Out Closes 90 Schools.” “What could this mean for other Michigan school districts” is a timely approach. “What’s the difference between an at-will employee and one under contract?” is timeless.

Once you have the six topics, decide how often you will post your blog. If once a week, you now have six weeks of topics; if every other week, then you have 12 weeks of posts. Put your writing time in your calendar and treat it with the same importance you would a meeting with a client.

On your non-writing weeks, schedule a time to look for news that needs explaining for your clients. They will appreciate your analysis and be pleased that you are thinking of them. Don’t worry if it’s been done before. You have your own take on the subject written in the light of the concerns of your clients.

Now you have six to 12 weeks of blog post topics. As you work your way through your list and you get more questions from clients, friends, and acquaintances, you will find yourself adding to the list and never being at a loss for a topic for your blog.

Roberta Gubbins has served as the editor of the Ingham County Legal News. Since leaving the paper, she provides services as a ghostwriter editing articles, blogs, and e-blasts for lawyers and law firms. She is the editor of Briefs, the Ingham County Bar Association e-newsletter, and The Mentor, SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.

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