Are There Any Good Professional Services Firm Blogs Out There?

Are there any good business blogs out there?

RainToday.com recently ran a webinar, delivered by Chris Garrett, on blogging for business. A question came in during the Q&A that I've been asked before: "What are some examples of good B2B professional services firm blogs?"

I've written previously about the business benefits of blogging, but which blogs might serve to inspire other providers as they consider starting a blog?

So I checked out the professional services firm blogging scene.

Frankly, I was surprised by the number of blogs that had been abandoned. (I considered a blog abandoned if its most recent post was more than 3 months old, although it was not uncommon to find blogs where the most recent post was 6 or 12 months old, or older!)

Before I share some examples of professional services firm blogs, I do so with the following caveat:

Yes, blogs are a solid vehicle for firms to extend their network, publish and distribute thought leadership, engage with clients and prospects, expand reach, strengthen brand, and build website traffic.

But you should think long and hard before starting  a business blog. It requires an ongoing commitment of time and energy to sustain.

So, with that out of the way...

What Are the Elements to Look for in a Strong Professional Services Firm Blog?

Here's my short list:

Consistency: Posts are published on a regular schedule. Very few firms will be able to maintain a daily publishing schedule. That's fine. I've seen successful blogs that post once or twice a week. I've also seen blogs that post only once a month, and that can work, too, especially if that monthly post delivers exceptionally high quality.

Tip: If you're in a firm with several partners/associates, consider a team blog with multiple authors. It's easier to sustain your publication schedule when each blogger is responsible for one post per week or per month. If you're solo, consider publishing posts from guest bloggers. This can help if you have a seasonal busy period (e.g., a tax accountant during tax season) or when you're on vacation.

Relevancy: Content resonates with the audience-issues, problems, topics that matter to the target audience are covered. Stay away from publishing only press releases or product information on your business blog. You can absolutely mention how you or your firm can help, but make your posts more about your reader and less about you.

Tip: In addition to demonstrating your expertise and sharing value, use relevant keywords in your posts-words your clients and prospects are searching for in search engines-to attract traffic to your site.

Design: Looks matter. Even if you publish top-notch content, your blog's appearance can diminish that quality content. A cluttered, garish, difficult-to-read blog can brand your firm as unprofessional. A well-designed blog can position you as trustworthy and knowledgeable.

Tip: Don't plaster your professional blog with ads, leave those for your hobby site. But do consider using your blog real estate to promote a free download of a white paper, research report, or case study in a sidebar banner.

Note: I didn't add interactivity to my short list, although it certainly warrants mention. One of the valuable benefits of a blog is indeed the ability for your readers to interact with you, such as by leaving comments, sharing links to your content on social media, and downloading your content. But I think many people get hung up on the number of comments their blog posts do or don't receive, and I have to wonder whether many of those orphaned blogs out there were abandoned because their authors weren't getting comments. It's likely that only a small percentage of your readers will comment. That's OK. A blog can be worthwhile without having hundreds of comments per post.

What about Those Examples to Inspire Your Business Blog?

I share the blogs below as examples of what a business blog can be. This isn't a "top blog" list, but it is a showcase of blogs representing a few industries (accounting, architecture, consulting, law, IT services, and marketing) that demonstrates the elements of consistency, relevancy, and design.

Industry: Architecture Firm: FXFOWLE Architects Blog: FXFOWLE Blog URL: http://blog.fxfowle.com/

What I like:

• It has an open, clean, and easy-to-read design.
• Multiple authors post regularly.
• It employs a great use of images.

(Thanks to tweeps Marjanne Pearson, @NextMoon, and Anne Scarlett, @AnneScarlett, for pointing me to FXFowle!)

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Industry: Consulting Firm: Accenture Blog: Accenture Blog on Insurance URL: http://blogs.accenture.com/Accenture_Blog_on_Insurance/

What I like:

• A team of two authors posts consistently.
• They use a blog series to publish valuable content. This helps with (1) consistency-delivers information in easily digested posts-and (2) relevancy-builds content around strong keywords.

Note: Accenture publishes a series of blogs targeting different customer segments.

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Industry: Accounting Firm: PriceWaterhouseCoopers Blog: PwC corporate reporting blog URL: http://pwc.blogs.com/corporatereporting/

What I like:

• This is a single-author blog (written by PwC partner David Philips); it works because Philips' voice and personality come through in his consistent (bi-monthly) and relevant posts.
• Philips' writing style works well to build and enhance trust.
• He is very clear about setting expectations for the blog's content and frequency of posting.

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Industry: Accounting Firm: McKonly & Asbury LLP, Certified Public Accountants Blog: Exuberant Accountant URL: http://www.exuberantaccountant.com/

What I like:

• Here's another example of a single-author blog (written by McKonly & Asbury partner Scott Heintzelman), which also works because the author's personality combines with consistency and relevancy.

(Thanks to tweep Michelle Golden, @MichelleGolden for pointing me to The Exuberant Accountant!)

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Industry: Law Firm: Foley Hoag LLP Blog: Law & The Environment URL: http://www.lawandenvironment.com/

What I like:

• An upfront purpose/ mission statement is stated ("to inform, update, comment and discuss legal issues regarding environmental law").
• They made a strategic decision to create an independent site "published by Foley Hoag LLP".
• It's a team blog with multiple authors.
• It has a regular publishing schedule.

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Industry: Law Firm: Crowell & Moring Blog: Government Contracts Legal Forum URL: http://www.governmentcontractslegalforum.com/

What I like:

• More than a dozen partners and associates regularly post.
• It is positioned as a topical (government contracts) news and commentary resource "published by Crowell & Moring".
• It's another example of making a strategic decision to create the blog on a domain independent from the firm's website.

(Blog found via Robert J. Ambrogi. Thanks!)

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Industry: IT Service Firm: Blue Sky Factory Blog: Blue Sky Factory Blog URL: http://blog.blueskyfactory.com/

What I like:

• It is updated regularly.
• It has multiple authors who have different voices and areas of expertise.
• A variety of posts is published-issue-oriented, tips, lists, etc.
• They make good use of images and videos.
• It's strongly integrated with other social media (Facebook, Twitter).
• They do a good job promoting their services without being obnoxious about it.

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Industry: Marketing Firm: The Search Agency Blog: The Search Agents URL: http://www.thesearchagents.com/

What I like:

• This blog demonstrates all the elements of a strong B2B blog-consistency, relevancy, and design.
• The firm created a multi-author blog as a platform to establish their thought leadership. In addition to becoming a successful platform, the blog also helped grow the firm's revenue. RainToday.com published a case study where you can learn how they created their successful B2B blog. (It's available free to members; non-members can get access by signing up for a free trial.)

I also recommend you check out the blogs of four of my favorite consultants, who are also contributing editors at RainToday.com: Trust Matters Blog by Charles H. Green, Selling to Big Companies Blog by Jill Konrath, Beating Feast or Famine by Michael W. McLaughlin, and Color Commentary for High-Fee Experts by Vickie K. Sullivan.

Finally, I asked Chris which blogs he'd share as strong examples. His list included:  chrisbrogan.com, ducttapemarketing.com, copyblogger.com, and ittybiz.com. (As Chris says, these are great because they offer advice but with personality and interaction.)

So, what do you think? What elements do you consider important in a business blog? What are the professional services firm blogs you admire? Please share in the comment section below.