In previous posts, I’ve mentioned marketing your blog as well as the statistics on how attorneys are using “Web 2.0″. But there are other ways, other than blogging, to market your practice or your firm online.

As an attorney, you have at least one area of law that you specialize in and may consider yourself an expert in that field. One method of using your expertise to reach potential clients and other attorneys is to host a webinar. As the phrase implies, a webinar is a seminar presented on the web. I make webinars a part of my weekly work schedule and attend at least one per week. Some groups, like VA Networking, offer a regularly scheduled weekly webinar on various topics. Others will offer a series. For example, this summer I attended several webinars as part of the annual Hot Seminar Series by business coach Kelly McCausey. But if you don’t have the time to host a regular webinar, you can present them as your schedule permits. While there are a lot of free seminars available, if you are presenting on a specialized topic and have a specific target market, charging a fee for the webinar is also an option, whether its $10 or $100.

Another option, using modern media, is a podcast or “radio” show. If you have the time and the material, you can produce a regular weekly podcast or host a talk show. Otherwise, you could always do some research and see if any interview or guest host spots are available on other podcasts or talk shows and contact the producers with an inquiry. The great thing about podcasts is that they can be recorded when you have the time and then published on a regular day. By establishing a regular, consistent schedule, you stand a better chance of gaining and retaining listeners. However, by hosting a talk show, your listeners will be able to participate in the discussion.

If you’re not comfortable doing any kind of audio or video presentation, there are several print or text options to consider. Newsletters are one of the most popular forms, as we’ve seen in the recent ABA survey which indicated that 59% of those that responded to the survey are getting their online information via newsletters, second only to websites. Services like Aweber can be used to set up the newsletter template, the sign up form to be placed on your website, and manage your mailing list. Again, the frequency of the newsletter should be based upon what your schedule allows but however often you choose to publish - weekly, bi-weekly, monthly - the important thing, in addition to the actual content, is to be consistent and reliable.

In addition to newsletters, you can also produce an “ebook” (electronic book) which can be purchased from your website and immediately downloaded in PDF format by the purchaser. The advantages of ebooks are that they are completely within your control (and they’re environmentally friendly! No trees are killed in the making of an ebook.) Unlike publishing a paper book, there is no middle man and you don’t need to find someone to sell your idea to and rely on them to publish and promote it for you. Writing, creating, designing and publishing can all be done by you.

These are just a few of the many alternatives to blogging that are available to you when you’re trying to find ways to promote your business. And, as always, Advantage Virtual Assistant can help you with all aspects of the process, beginning with the research and ending with the publishing and promoting.

If you have any questions about the process involved in any of this or need some help getting your own webinar, podcast, newsletter or ebook produced, feel free to contact me via email April at AdvantageVirtualAssistant.com