Corporate Blogging Best Practice Hayden Sutherland Ideal Interface

What’s the Business Reason? Join the conversation Find out what is being said Provide an opinion Tell your story, Tackle an issue, Feed a Frenzy Promote (sell) product ‘Return of Investment’ is hard to prove Especially in the short-term Its not just a ‘Me Too’

Join the conversation

Find out what is being said

Provide an opinion

Tell your story, Tackle an issue, Feed a Frenzy

Promote (sell) product

‘Return of Investment’ is hard to prove

Especially in the short-term

Its not just a ‘Me Too’

It benefits…. Branding SEO Marketing Recruitment Market research Innovation Community building Access to customers

Branding

SEO

Marketing

Recruitment

Market research

Innovation

Community building

Access to customers

The 4 C’s of Blogging Content Community Consistency Clarity Source: http://www.slideshare.net/darmano/conversation-by-design

Content

Community

Consistency

Clarity

The 4 C’s - Content Create a service to your readers Be an original source of information News is not called news because it is old Share your knowledge Speak from experience Provide opinion Don’t be afraid of a little passion Add value

Create a service to your readers

Be an original source of information

News is not called news because it is old

Share your knowledge

Speak from experience

Provide opinion

Don’t be afraid of a little passion

Add value

The 4 C’s - Community Understand your different audiences Customer Relations Media Relations Get involved Listen Cultivate by asking Seek opinions, don’t just give them Invest time to learn what works

Understand your different audiences

Customer Relations

Media Relations

Get involved

Listen

Cultivate by asking

Seek opinions, don’t just give them

Invest time to learn what works

The 4 C’s - Consistency Post regularly One/two/seven/twenty postings a week? Stick to it (your audience will expect it) Be true - others care Find your correct voice(s) “ A blog is easy to start, but it’s hard to maintain”

Post regularly

One/two/seven/twenty postings a week?

Stick to it (your audience will expect it)

Be true - others care

Find your correct voice(s)

The 4 C’s - Clarity Communicate it clearly Make postings simple & compelling One topic, one posting Explain difficult / niche terms Industry, trends, slang - can alienate some Link to definitions if you have them Relate different topics to each other Multiple posters - is it clear who it is?

Communicate it clearly

Make postings simple & compelling

One topic, one posting

Explain difficult / niche terms

Industry, trends, slang - can alienate some

Link to definitions if you have them

Relate different topics to each other

Multiple posters - is it clear who it is?

It needs…. Transparency Authenticity Original content Commitment (from Senior-level down) Patience Humility & humanity Thick skin

Transparency

Authenticity

Original content

Commitment (from Senior-level down)

Patience

Humility & humanity

Thick skin

Transparency isn’t always cultural Source: http://www.blaugh.com

It may mean… Losing control Did you really have it before? Your market has changed, you should too! Receiving negative comments Are they truthful though? But: be prepared to stop comments that breach your policies on decency, libel, etc. Continuing a conversation until it finishes

Losing control

Did you really have it before?

Your market has changed, you should too!

Receiving negative comments

Are they truthful though?

But: be prepared to stop comments that breach your policies on decency, libel, etc.

Continuing a conversation until it finishes

Understand Identify & know your target audience Align subject with company aims & targets Position blog to focus on key aspects Agree content do’s and don’t Agree if comments are allowed (why not?) Have pre-prepared statements / responses to potential issue areas Agree who will blog (and who won’t)

Identify & know your target audience

Align subject with company aims & targets

Position blog to focus on key aspects

Agree content do’s and don’t

Agree if comments are allowed (why not?)

Have pre-prepared statements / responses to potential issue areas

Agree who will blog (and who won’t)

Your Liability Confidentiality - Don’t say too much Coordinate all announcements centrally Competitors will read your postings Misinformation is worse than none Be aware of Defamation (but fair comparison is fine) Plagiarism & Intellectual Property Theft Maintain a blogging policy Peer checking can eliminate most issues Companies are responsible for the statements made by their employees

Confidentiality - Don’t say too much

Coordinate all announcements centrally

Competitors will read your postings

Misinformation is worse than none

Be aware of

Defamation (but fair comparison is fine)

Plagiarism & Intellectual Property Theft

Maintain a blogging policy

Peer checking can eliminate most issues

Companies are responsible for the statements made by their employees

Implementation Define blog style approach, attitude, voice Agree posting schedule (and stick to it) Allow enough time to respond to comments - if you allow them Measure, measure & measure Monitor links to your blog from Technorati

Define blog style

approach, attitude, voice

Agree posting schedule (and stick to it)

Allow enough time to respond to comments - if you allow them

Measure, measure & measure

Monitor links to your blog from Technorati

… and have fun!

Hayden Sutherland hayden@idealinterface.co.uk find me at: http://press20.blogspot.com