Creating fresh content for your law blog can seem just as fun as cleaning the gutters for most lawyers.  Client obligations, billing targets and filing deadlines take priority leaving your blog stale and lifeless.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Most bloggers piggyback on newsworthy information to tie their business to a story that is currently generating a lot of buzz in the news. Keeping up-to-date in your practice area and becoming the first to write about breaking stories will gain you and your firm major exposure.

Hubspot recently wrote about how to jack the news to generate marketing buzz and they shared some interesting ideas.  They stated that the opening paragraph of your blog post should answer the who/what/where/why questions about the news story.  This information can be easily found on the Internet or a corporate website. The second paragraph is your chance to shine.  This is where you share your expert opinion aka original content.  If you have a credible source or valuable insight share it here and you'll have the chance to newsjack at supersonic speed.

The early bird catches the worm when it comes to breaking the news.  Yes, you will have to get up in the wee morning hours when the sun is first rising.  It's even better if you live on the East Coast! Follow the news, blogs and journalists in your industry and set up Google Alerts using relevant key words.  It's also a good idea to cozy up to your journalist friends and perhaps they'll throw you a bone once in awhile.  

The key here is to be first.  It's imperative you are #1 so that you become the "go-to" person for everything related to your practice area.  As soon as people start hearing about news in your industry they'll come to your blog for the latest info.  Allow comments and encourage discussion. 

Create a strategy on how to quickly write blog posts.  Perhaps you can brainstorm with a fellow associate or have an assistant do a quick proofing.  Either way, make it simple so that you don't get hindered by red tape or a dragged out approval process. 

Following the news can be a great way to create interesting and useful content in your practice area.  Let us know how it works for you!