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The growth of blogs has been astronomical. Is it worthwhile
for your organization to be part of it?
There
are more than 100 million blogs out
there in cyberspace.
 These,
of course, cover everything from intense computer coding to pictures
of kittens. But more and more of them are focused on the activities
of corporations.
Which
means that blogs are, for many people, serious marketing tools.
Some
companies, like
Southwest
Airlines, Lenovo, and
Starbucks, have sophisticated corporate blog strategies and
multiple staffers who contribute. Ad Age now estimates that
20% of the Fortune 500 have a blogging strategy in place. And blogs
can offer a number of communications benefits that may not be
available from other sources.
Blogging about your business or industry can help position your
organization as an expert in the field, particularly if you focus
your blog on offering research, tips, and other resources. Many
companies have also discovered that internal blogging is a way for
groups to keep members updated on projects faster than by reports or
e-mail.
Blogs
are also a valuable public relations tool, and many top blogs are
routinely quoted by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and other
major news sources. (Here at BrainPosse, we were very flattered
when a prestigious trade publication picked up information from one
of our posts to be used in an article.)
And
perhaps most importantly, blogs are a source for two-way
communications between an organization and its audiences. As well
as dispensing information, blogs can track reaction to products,
ideas, and outside news reports. Starbucks, as part of its recent
“reinvention” process, has a blog called “My
Starbucks Idea” that invites suggestions from customers and then
reports on how the company is acting upon them (most frequent
suggestion: Free WiFi).
Blogging provides a remarkably fast way to gather comments,
typically from more outspoken people who would be telling their
friends what they like/don’t like, rather than telling the company
itself.
This
interaction can have its risks, however. During hearings about
airline safety in April, Southwest Airlines was raked over the coals
by congress for its plane inspection policies. The Southwest blog
was lit up by people writing in to say how the hearings had
destroyed their faith in the company, and many signed their posts as
“ex-customers.”
However, a number of people noted their admiration of the airline
for keeping the posts live and taking the heat, and a number of
still-loyal customers also wrote in to express support for the
company.
The
comments about safety are still there, along with
not-always-flattering news clips from ABC, CNN, and others. The
most current postings are back to covering new flights, music in
Austin, and ground crew efficiency.
Did
Southwest blunt some of the force of the negative news with the
candid and transparent approach of its blog? Likely so, because
news reporting is very different in the internet age.
Traditional public relations wisdom suggests that when a negative
news story appears, one of the worst things that a company can do is
respond to it, because it prolongs the life of the story. When a
negative story runs, it impacts the people who see it that day, but
gets buried under the mass of messages that come the next day.
But
with YouTube, newspaper and magazine archives online, and other
sources, a negative story can remain alive for months or years,
replayed or re-read at any time. Which means that the rules of the
game have changed. You can’t ignore a negative story and expect it
to go away.
People now seek out what the company’s response might be to the
negative report. And that’s also a game changer—because with
blogging and other tools, the organization has the opportunity to
provide detailed information about a situation, rather than what the
reporter might have been able to get just as the story was
breaking. Blogs are helping Southwest, Starbucks, and others better
manage messages by getting more of their story told.
Since
most companies aren’t involved in a major news story, a blog has the
simpler function of being a faster, often more personal, version of
its newsletters and other communication. The one key difference is
that unlike a quarterly newsletter, blogs require constant attention
to remain relevant.
Remember our figure of blogs in existence—100 million? It’s
estimated by Technorati that only about 15
million of those are updated with enough regularity to be
considered active.
So if
you’re going to blog, here are a few things to consider:
1.
Plan your updates. A blog is a publication. Successful
publications don’t work from week to week—they have long-term
editorial calendars that allow them to work on stories months in
advance, so they’re not staring at a deadline with nothing to say.
And if a blog isn’t updated regularly, people simply stop visiting.
In fact, if you don’t
think you can regularly contribute, don’t blog. And remember, once
you start, it's a regular part of your job.
2.
Understand that you’re opening yourself up to criticism.
Many organizations struggle with messages that aren’t under their
control. But part of the value of blogging is that the messages are
more credible if people from different sides weigh in.
3.
Have multiple people post. Again, blogging is contributing
to a marketing conversation. Different voices add interest.
4.
Remember you have more flexibility than conventional journalism.
Because people are continually posting and the messages are getting
adjusted and updated, blogs are great for floating ideas and getting
feedback. It’s not just about news.
5.
Use
the tools that have already been created, but give your blog its own
custom look. There are plenty of free blogging tools
available, but avoid using a standard template if possible.
Customize graphics so that your voice has its own unique feel and
reflects your organization.
6.
Watch what the experienced bloggers are doing. If you’re not
used to the open, conversational approach to blogging, you’ll have
to learn. Look at what others are doing. You’ll get ideas—and the
hang of this new form of communications.
Is it
worth it? We think so. In fact, we’ve been blogging with
BrainPosse for more than a year, and have a resource of more than 70
articles on marketing that are now instantly available to our
clients and prospects. We refer to them regularly, and they provide
proven information to help our clients’ business.
If
you haven’t seen these, take a look.
And
if you’d like to know more about blogging,
get in touch with BrainPosse by clicking
here or calling (865) 330-0033.
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