In a previous article, I talked about the importance of blogging for lawyers and law firms. Blogging is a cost-effective and easy way to marketing and spreading the message out about a lawyer or law firm.

Through blogging, a lawyer or law firm can show their knowledge about their practice area. They can also help legal consumers by providing information to them about the law. Make no mistake about it: Potential clients are more apt to hire a lawyer or law firm whose web page and blogs have rich legal content online.

Blogging can also help the search engine optimization of a webpage by helping to provide internal or external back links to a web page. If the content is insightful, other bloggers and legal information outlets might even share the content, cite it or link to it.

But lawyers and law firms can take this a step further. Through podcasting, the information can reach others in a different way. It can reach legal consumers who would rather hear the information than read it. The reality is many legal consumers would rather listen to a podcast than read the content.

Many lawyers and law firms spend money on radio advertising. They also might seek to be on the radio for interviews about their practice area. Through podcasting, a lawyer can reach many of these same individuals through their own podcast versus having to rely on a third party radio station that might charge an arm and a leg for frequent radio time.

The link to a law firm’s podcast can be put on the law firm’s web page. Podcasts can also be imported into iTunes or other syndication services for others to listen to online. This is convenient for legal consumers because they can listen to the content at their own pleasure versus having to tune into a radio station at a particular time.

Lawyers and law firms can conduct podcasts much like a radio segment where one of the lawyers comes online to briefly discuss a legal issue or topic. If the law firm blogs, a lawyer could discuss their recent blog article and break it down into more detail. Or, one lawyer in the law firm could interview another about a specific issue or topic. Bringing knowledgeable guests to the show is another option.

For many lawyers and law firms, they are reluctant to delve into podcasting. It takes them out of their comfort zone. It might even make them nervous at first. They are a lawyer, not a radio star.

But the reality is that podcasting is effective. Podcasting also is not expensive. There are lots of services online where a lawyer or law firm can affordably syndicate a podcast.

Even the equipment is not expensive or complicated these days. Podcast microphones and headsets are inexpensive and segments can be recorded on a laptop computer. With some services, you can even record a podcast by dialing in on your telephone.

Lawyers and law firms that want to set themselves apart should consider podcasting. Legal consumers may be more likely to reach out to you after they have heard your voice and gotten a flavor for who you are.

Podcasting will also help make you a better communicator if you make it a regular part of what you do. In other words, being able to say what you think into a microphone — freely and without a script — can only help you as a lawyer in terms of communicating with clients, other lawyers, juries and courts.