In only eight months, the Social Media Law Student (SMLS) blog has had many successful blog posts.  Below is a list of our top 20 blog posts based on traffic (according to Google Analytics).  Some commentary is added below for a few reasons why the post may have been so successful.

In general, all posts were sited as sources in other blogs and have spread via web 2.0 technologies.  Furthermore, the countries leading law students on social media have contributed to this blog.  That will always help!

Your comments below for why you think a particular post has been successful would be appreciated.

Please click on the TITLE to see the actual post.

1. How Law Schools are Using Twitter

This post involved raw investigative research.  SMLS was the first to collect this type of information and provide it to the public.  It also helped that well known social media professionals recommended this article to their followers.  Including the founder and CEO of Seesmic Loïc Le Meur.  This post was linked to many other posts.

2. Blackberry Bold vs. iPhone

This post is a good source of information and has caused quite a debate in the comments section.  The prime reason for the success of this post is SEO.  When typing “Blackberry Bold v. iphone” into Google, we are #5 in the search result!  What a great way to feed a blog!

3. Colorado Judge Allows Twitter In Courtroom

This was a very popular post.  Primarily because we were one of the first blogs to report this story.  Being a cutting-edge source of information leads to success.

4. Food Lawyer Gives $25,000 for 25,000 Twitter followers!

Here was an amazing story.  A lawyer willing to donate to charity for Twitter followers!  This post was successful because it was Tweeted on Twitter on a regular basis.  Even though the lawyer never received the 25,000 Twitter followers, he still donated to a charity.  I was later able to meet up with him in Seattle for lunch.  A good guy!

5. The First Law School Seminar Paper on Twitter: Twitter and Employment Law Issues

This post was very popular.  For the first time in history a law student has written a seminar paper about Twitter and Employment Law.  Aside of being a rarity, this post is long.  The depth of coverage in the paper creates good SEO opportunities.

6. A New Twitter Service: TweetLaw

SMLS was one of the first to introduce this new service.  The Wall Street Journal picked up our story!

7. 60 Epic Sites

Here we were being honored as one of the top sites at the ABA TechShow.  The great title also helped this post.

8. What is Facebook?

Short, sweet, and to the point title.  Funny videos.

9. Does Top 10 Most Innovative Law School in America Get Social Media?

Top ten lists are always a good way to attract visitors to your blog. (David Letterman Effect) This post was also debated highly by legal librarians who have established a great online network.

10. Facebook in the Courts

A cutting edge story that people find generally interesting.  Appeals to a broad audience.

11. Social Media Best Practices for Law Schools (Part 1)

Laura has been doing some great work for developing best practices for law school on social media.  She is the face for this in the entire country!  Way to go Laura!

12. Top Twitter Applications for Everyone

Helps people with Twitter.  Send this on Twitter and watch the blog hits roll in!

13. Top 100 Twitter Feeds for Law Students

A top 100 list!  People enjoy lists!

14. Social Media Law Student Blog Featured in ABA Journal “Law Firm Websites That Work”

SMLS featured in one of the legal community’s most widely distributed journals.  That will help your posts any day!

15. What Career Service Office Advisors Should be Telling Students About Social Media [Part 1/2]

Where the fight between law schools and new technology exists.

16. Trials of Law School Uses YouTube to Promote Video

People enjoy YouTube.  They made nice videos to promote their movie.

17. New Social Networking Site for Law Students: Good Idea, Needs Participants

Josh helps to review a new social networking site.  Written well and the site was the first of its kind.  Another cutting edge blog post!

18. A New Social Network for Legal Community: JD Diversity

A new social network.  SMLS helping these new networks thrive!

19. Can Blogs Influence the Supreme Court?

Another great post by Josh.  This post was linked to in many other blogs which increased its’s popularity.

20. Social Media Best Practices for Law Schools – the website

This post is climbing fast!  Laura has created the social media best practices for law schools website.  This will change the face of the legal profession as we know it!

Here are some encouraging numbers.  About 64% of our visits are from organic sources.  This means visitors either directly visit the site or specifically search for us on Google!  Then a whopping 20% of our visits come from Twitter referrals!  This seems to be a healthy balance of sources promoting our blog.

Thanks to our 2848 readers and 63,276 Twitter followers!

Traffic Sources		% visits
(direct) ((none))		30.33%
google (organic)		23.80%
twitter.com (referral)		20.81%
stumbleupon.com (referral)		5.20%
google.com (referral)		2.15%

Related posts:

1. Why Some Law Schools Discourage Social Media: Student Blogging
2. Social Media Best Practices for Law Schools – Join the Discussion!
3. Social Media Best Practices for Law Schools (Part 1)
4. 10 Tips For Starting Your Law Blog
5. How to Get More Blog Hits
6. Stop Reading Our Blog Use Odiogo
7. Social Media Best Practices for Law Schools (Part 3)
8. 5000 Readers
9. Lawyer’s Guide for Engaging in Social Media
10. Social Media Law Student Microblog Posts and Links