[The latest in our series of Q&A discussions on successful writing in the business realm with recipients of JD Supra's 2016 Readers' Choice award:]

Ary Rosenbaum is an ERISA/retirement plan attorney and for many years has been one of JD Supra's most well-read writers. The Rosenbaum Law Firm helps plan sponsors reduce their plan cost, facilitate administration, and limit their fiduciary liability. He says blogging is not only exposure but it has helped him build relationships and grow his business at a fraction of the cost of most advertising.

JD Supra: How did you get started writing the firm blog?

Rosenbaum: It’s all about the relationships. The idea was to produce content that other retirement plan providers could use and in turn they would remember me and help me down the line. It’s also a great way to communicate and produce social media. 

What is your writing process? 

I write two to three blog posts a week. Sometimes I come up with my best material when I’m up at night. It’s a process.

What was your writing like when you first began and how have you grown?

I’ve always been interested in how to draw attention to yourself and keep an audience engaged. I wrote for my college and law school newspapers so my style was more tongue and cheek. So as for blog writing, when I first started my writing style was incomplete.

The biggest jolt was signing up for JD Supra six years ago — that’s when my blog really took off. Next week I’m speaking at a national conference in Las Vegas and without JD Supra and that kind of content distribution I would have been successful but not as successful. 

...blogging is starting the conversation with the audience. I enjoy taking big concepts and writing them in a language that people understand. 

Why keep writing?

It’s just about networking. The retirement plan network is so vast, there’s always a need to produce content. To me blogging is starting the conversation with the audience. I enjoy taking big concepts and writing them in a language that people understand. There’s so much value in it. 

How do you benefit from your writing? 

It’s all about visibility. It has allowed me to grow and expand my practice without having the resources to do it. There are so many people out there and services that want to take your money. Using JD Supra at the fraction of the cost of what it costs to buy advertising has helped me so much more than anything else. You can spend so much more money on advertising and you won’t get that kind of visibility. It’s a tremendous boost to my practice; it’s pushed me out there. 

It has allowed me to grow and expand my practice without having the resources to do it...

What does success mean for you as a writer?

Success means: how many people read my work. A blog that’s not being used is useless. Like any tool, if it’s not being used it’s just a tool; if you use it it can be so much more.

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[Ary was recognized in the insurance category of JD Supra's 2016 Readers' Choice awards. Follow and read his latest writings here.]