Do you know anyone who doesn't take to the Internet in order to make a decision? Whether it's somewhere to eat, a new pair of shoes, or - you guessed it - choosing a lawyer, the Internet is a completely normal part of the modern decision-making process. Optimizing your presence on the Internet is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using search engine and social media marketing to acquire new clients!

Despite the obvious importance of the Internet for consumer decision-making, did you know that 70.6% of lawyers don't blog (ABA)? This means that only 29.4% of lawyers are cashing in on the benefits that a blog can provide to their firms. Don't be part of the 70.6% -- here's why your law firm should be blogging!

1. Build credibility with clients before you even meet them.

When clients peruse your website, chances are they aren't going to be looking at the nitty-gritty technical details of the work you do. Potential clients are going to be looking for 3 things: (1) ideas and stories they can relate to to and understand, (2) indicators of your success as a lawyer, and (3) the answers to any initial questions they might have. That said, you want to make sure that your firm is producing content that sends the right signals.

Attention-grabbing content comes in the form of client success stories, an "Ask a Lawyer" series, and, in general, anything that makes your firm sound as if you're the right choice for a potential client. Having a blog gives you a place to display all of this information that may not be a perfect fit for your website.

2. Make friends with search engines.

All those buzzwords you hear marketers throwing around? Terms like, "search engine optimization," "inbound marketing," and "bounce rate?" Well, the importance of those ideas are completely applicable to lawyers, too! Having a blog puts your firm on the Internet in a whole new way. It allows more pages, more keywords, more opportunities for someone to land on your content, and more chances to squeeze information from these potential clients.

Every single day, millions of Google searches are conducted. Why not use these millions of searches to your advantage? If you have something important to share with the world, use your blog to turn that content into new clients.

3. Power your own social media.

Social media is one of those marketing tools that is really difficult to get away from. Truthfully, if social marketing isn't part of your strategy, your opportunities for growth are incredibly limited -- it's like a new take on word-of-mouth marketing for the modern day.

What good is social media and related marketing efforts if you don't have any content to share? Although sharing others' content is important, that doesn't do a whole lot for generating interest for your firm. Through blogging, your firm can expand the type of content you produce and, in turn, use that content to power social media and drive more interest to your work.

Does your law firm have a blog? Leave a link in the comments below -- we'd love to check it out!