Publishing, the Great Equalizer
One great thing about maturing in your career is becoming comfortable with the fact that there are people who are smarter than you are.
Alexa, get Jeff Bezos on the line.
This maturity, combined with the humility required to ask the right questions, opens one up to the unlimited possibilities of continuous learning. Increasingly, I’ve been seeking out smart people and asking them how they’ve built their success. This led to a conversation with Linn Freedman of Robinson+Cole, who for three years running has been JD Supra’s top cybersecurity blogger. Her experience, encapsulated in this recent post for Attorney at Work, is a good illustration of what it takes to succeed as a publisher. These types of conversations, along with the research that I do as part of my ghostwriting for firms, has reinforced for me the benefits of writing and blogging, particularly for women and those in small firms. Good content, delivered consistently, finds its way to the top, unencumbered by stereotypes. Many of JD Supra’s most well-read authors--across multiple practice areas--are women. In cybersecurity, women took five out of the 10 top slots in the 2018 Readers’ Choice awards, which is worth considering given that it is not known as a practice area dominated by women. Blogging is also a significant equalizer for those in small and midsize firms. With consistency, many authors from less well-known firms compete more than ably against those in national brand-name firms. Yes, writing takes time. But it’s a muscle worth developing. And when your writing or content strategy hits a wall, it’s worth getting a second opinion. I’ve learned a lot by studying those who do it well. And I regularly work with a professional who challenges me to continuously improve my product and distribution. Bill Gates’ “Content is King” essay dates to 1996, but the maxim has been true for much longer, of course. Put its power to work for you.
--stet-- Susan Kostal is a legal marketing consultant and content strategist located in San Francisco Bay Area. Find her monthly column on Attorney at Work & check out more great content here.This post originally appeared in Susan Kostal's Legal Marketing Bits & Bites Newsletter. Sign up here.
