I’ll let you in on a little secret: The pros make it look easy.
They post fabulous content on their equally fabulous blogs and then sit back and watch the praise and dollars roll in.
Most of their days then must be spent doing whatever they want, right?
Wrong!
Blogging looks easy from the viewing side of the screen.
The secret is that successful blogging is hard work. It requires strategy, commitment, skill, time, and a fair amount of learning from failure.
This secret may be the problem behind many corporate blogs. Instead of making an appropriate investment in the process, executives think it will be easy just to throw a blog online and wait for the payoff. Not surprisingly, the benefit never comes.
Corporate blogs offer the chance to communicate extended messages about your organization and create an open dialogue with current and potential customers.
A chance to talk with this targeted audience makes launching a blog seem like a corporate win, which it certainly can be. For example, check out the 10 Best Corporate Blogs in the World or 15 Excellent Corporate Blogs to Learn From.
But blogging can just as easily be a problem for your organization if it’s conceived and executed incorrectly. Check out these posts on 10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Blogging and 10 Elements Every Company Blog Should Have.
Trying to be authentic while adhering to corporate policies (which may not even be in writing) adds another layer to the problems corporate bloggers face. Read these Three Solutions to the Corporate Blogging Paradox.
Let’s Talk Nerdy!
What do you see as the positives and negatives of corporate blogging? What should managers do to help corporate bloggers succeed?
Real Nerds Read!
Check out these noteworthy posts on corporate blogging:
eayoung says
The positives is the news is being spread to people across America. It connects with people and give them insides on the company. Recent promotions or events always make it easier to read something when you are saving money. The negatives is “do people really care” what most companies have to say. I do not think coporate blogging is neccessary for most companies. For example, is any one interested in what ONG is doing to keep gas flowing? I think the best way managers can make blogging better is having articles specifically about things people are interested in or even have video blogging. Example, Lowes could post blogs about materials needed for a deck. I think those type of blogs would be more effective than blogs about the companies annual salary.
AustinClarkEnnis says
@eayoung Definitely; insider news travels much faster on the internet.
Ashelihud says
I see more chances of failure for Corporations involved in the blogging community. They don’t educate themselves on how to do it correctly and just become another washed out blog trying to appeal to customers. However as they say, bad publicity is still publicity. So no matter what they still get their company out into the light. If they just took the time and hired the right people to blog it could be just a money generator instead of a waste. For example me blogging on my trips helped shed some light on USA wrestling.
I think managers need to put some incentive to making good blogs and putting real effort into them. They maybe make it seem like another tedious job…which no one wants to do. If the writers also could see how big their fan base is they could know they are doing a good job or need to make it more exciting.
I love to twitter and when I follow companies they post the most boring things. I want to see coupons or deals, maybe exciting events!!! I think Bagel companies have really good posts and emails they send out to customers. It’s not too unappealing and not free stuff every time you see and post from them.
Nik T says
@Ashelihud I agree with you, they do need to put more effort into blogs. It is obvious when someone actually puts effort into something they do. I’m sure people enjoyed reading and commenting on your blog because you took it seriously, and took it as your obligation to inform the “outside world” about what really happens on wrestling trips and at tournaments.
Ashelihud says
@Nik T I saw on last weeks you wanted to read the blog. I believe they are still up if you google my name and type Poland blog. O dear….
Lnkeesee says
I think corporate blogging can be both a blessing and a sinker for their company. On one hand, there are some positive things about corporate blogging. The company can speak to their customers, the world and there “haters” to talk about any issues they have with the company, as well as tell them about new plans or ideas. By consistently keeping up with the blog the reader will view the company as consistent, and therefore gain trust for the company which would lead to benefits and opportunities for the company!!! But the negatives of corporate blogging are enough to scare me out of ever doing it. The risks of company secrets getting out, employees writing about their job or how bad the company is could lead to them getting fire which would mean fewer employees for the company. And if one thing is blogged that could be taken badly, it will make them look awful to their customers and the media which will lose that trust from the positive…which will probably not be regained. If the managers want the company to succeed they need to almost “walk on eggshells” while writing the blog. Making sure that they keep all parties views in mind so that nothing can be misconstrued. In doing so, this will mean that they need to put a lot of time and effort in putting a face to the company.
aschexnayder says
I think the biggest positive about corporate blogging is the emotional connection that a consumer can make with a company. This connection is the biggest reason that someone returns to a company, especially if they’re in a field filled with competitors. It also creates a positive brand image, if the consumer enjoys the blog. But, it’s really easy to create boring blogs, as several of the links describe. Things that are exciting to you, as an employee for the company, may not be so interesting to someone who is examining your organization as a potential customer. It’s also easy to make mistakes that may shine negative light on your organization.
I think the biggest thing for corporate blogging success is to not be tied to the subject matter that makes the most sense. Don’t be tied down to topics that directly relate to your organization- instead, be willing to talk about the industry at large, or individual’s experiences with your organization. Interview employees; describe a process that you do every day, but others may be fascinated by. Get theoretical about what you enjoy. But overall, managers should make sure that you’re blogging with a clear purpose. So many of Kenna’s links talked about making sure that you have clear goals for the blog, and every topic needs to relate to those goals- even if the goals of the blog aren’t direct connections to the company’s goals. As long as it shows your organization in a positive light and tangentially relates to your org’s purpose, you’re on the right track!
Nik T says
@aschexnayder I agree with you, from reading your post i got that you agree mostly with the industry expertise solution. I kind of went the other direction, but I think your suggestion for managers would be an excellent way to increase customer rapport.
Nik T says
I think a positive to corporate blogging is obviously building a relationship with your customer. You can figure out ways to better fit their needs with the product you offer, and in turn figure out which products aren’t doing so effectively and find a way to revamp or eliminate them. One of the big negatives to corporate blogging is the paradox mentioned in the “solutions to corporate bogging”. How to write something that is stimulating to readers, but doesn’t get you or your company in trouble. If you release valued information it could lead to a competitor using your innovations and surpassing you in your market. I think the solutions suggested would be very beneficial. Especially the ones about information ” how to’s” and the other option about focusing on customer needs. The second option would align with my original statement of the positive aspects of corporate blogging.
jai.grant says
@Nik T I agree with you Nik T, it is very important not to post information on a blog that a competitor could use. Learning how and what to post is a skill that can truly be beneficial to a company in the long run.
AustinClarkEnnis says
@Nik T Great point about building the relationship Nik.
anjenkins says
I think cooperate blogs are good in a sense that they let customers know more about a product or a service but in many cases the blog is left alone. Many times they just leave it to some intern to make up whatever he wants. To a consumer who actually cares about the product this can be extremely frustrating . However blogs are extremely useful if done the right way and kept up to date .
Ashelihud says
@anjenkins I totally know what you are talking about! They start it and it is in active since 2009. Clearly they don’t keep up with it. That is just tacky.
FReyes says
@anjenkins I also feel that corporate blogging is a great way market and promote a product. That is true, the right person has to manage and keep the blog updated. If the blog is just left alone, people would not return to the site and the company could lose future customers.
jcmalone says
I think corporate blogging is a great investment for a company IF the company is will to take the proper steps to make it a successful blog. A great corporate blog will have readers coming back, getting excited for new products, and generally interesting in the company. A bad blog could completely turn a viewer off from the entire company. In order for a blog to be successful I think there needs to be a creative approach to the blogging. For example the Fiskers blog, a scissor company, is a creative space where crafting ideas are talked about, it is cute and marketed towards a specific demographic. Also something I really enjoy on company websites and blogs is a twitter feed of the company’s twitter and/or employees tweets. It offers a more personal touch to the blog and gives it an instant update for viewers to look at each time they visit the site.
The thing about blogs for companies is that it shows the public what the company wants to show the public and presents it in a semi-formal way. Its not a news story or newspaper article but a simple blog. PR professionals are trying to sway public opinion by blogging without letting the reader know, and readers are genuinely interested in what the blog may be talking about.
jai.grant says
@jcmalone I agree, a blog can beneficial if the company is willing to make it a success. I like when I see a twitter feed from a company on their blog. It makes me feel like they are truly trying to keep their customers up to date on their products
KoriCasey says
@jcmalone I’m glad you mentioned Twitter! I totally forgot about that. Twitter is an excellent way to promote a product/company since there are so many people on there.
Lnkeesee says
@KoriCasey@jcmalone From what my friends say, twitter is very casual and a lot of them use it to not only to promote but also vent and I’d be afraid the company wouldn’t be taken AS seriously.
malexander says
@jcmalone I like that you pointed out the Fiskers blog. Blogging isn’t just about the operations of a company. A blog that provides interesting things to do with the company’s product is a great strategy. I think the same principle applies to food companies who blog about recipes using their products. They’re marketing their product to you, but not outright.
jai.grant says
Corporate blogging can be beneficial in many ways. It is a great way to connect with the company’s consumers, and a way to manage the likes and dislikes of the company’s products. Blogging is also a good way to introduce new products to audiences. Blogs can also be a negative for a company who has no commitment to their blog. For example, if a company blog has little traffic, then there must be something wrong with the layout of the website. For a company blog to be a strong and profitable website, the manager needs to make sure the blog reflects his or her company’s success. A strong online presence, through video or comments, could help a manager create a successful corporate blog, and help to maintain a great relationship with the consumers.
eayoung says
@jai.grant Im glad you mentioned videos, because that was the same thing i said that could help managers. Videos always catch people attention and make people interested in what is going on websites.
FReyes says
I think corporate blogs can be great for a company. I believe that blogs and social media can be successful with how businesses market and communicate with current and future customers or clients. Having said that, I do feel that these corporate blogs need to stay up-to date at all times. Also, there needs to be interesting and important information available on these blogs, such as current product information. Overall, I think that corporate blogs are beneficial to an organization when there is time and effort put into it.
JKA says
Corporate blogging can go either way by being a positive or negitive. Positive is that it is a great way to market your company and also get in touch with hopefully future customers. The negitive is that someone blogs something inappropriate that the company does not want to associate with but because its now out on the internet it means its their for life. Example how everyone tells us students to watch what kind of pictures we have on facebook.
Ashelihud says
@JKA It’s true. Anything on the web is a permanent foot print. A lot of people forget that or do not care and that is ignorance. It will catch up to you. Today is a period where there are no secrets. It’s only a matter of time before it can be dug up. I don’t think that corporations, well successful ones, would allow there to be any controversial material posted.
KoriCasey says
I think corporate blogging can be either a positive aspect or a negative aspect. The positive is that it gives consumers a more personal connection to the company and it’s a great way to get feedback from the consumers. It also opens up the job market a little more since a lot of companies are hiring professional bloggers these days. The negative aspect is the negative feedback a blog can get. Negativity can sometimes overpower positivity when people are researching a product. When consumers see negative comments, it can steer them away from that product.
eayoung says
@KoriCasey I never thought of the negative side can be feedback. Which you are absolutely right! One person can poision a lot of people’s mindframe. Most companies go through the website and remove the bad comments.
jcmalone says
@KoriCasey You make a very good point here. Negativity blasted all over a company’s blog, regardless of how great the blog is, can instantly turn potential customers away. It is not unheard of that company’s will have their employees leave positive comments on the company blog in order to generate a positive image. Also company’s have been known to create blogs about their company without telling the public that the company is running the blog. They do that to make it seem like an unbiased source is giving positive feedback on the internet.
aschexnayder says
@jcmalone@KoriCasey But when corporations are found out for doing the actions y’all are talking about, they get even worse PR. That’s the reason that the new disclosure rules had to be put into play: companies would pay a blogger to endorse their product, and not disclose that they were being paid. This created a whole backlash against endorsements at all.
In my opinion, it’s much better to leave the constructively critical comments up, or respond to a reader on an individual basis, rather than delete them. One of my favorite clothing websites, ModCloth.com, has a representative who responds to customers when they complain in reviews about quality or improperly fitting garments, and takes them through the return process. And, those posts are left up and public. I really respect that about them and their brand.
AustinClarkEnnis says
There are definitely positives and negatives to corporate blogging. Positives would include giving corporate the chance to communicate extended messages about their organization and as the article said “create an open dialogue with current and potential customers”. Negatives could include things like if the reader for some reason doesn’t like what they see, or read. Whoever would write the blog would definitely have to know what they were doing; and that’s what managers would have to do: make sure they have the right person blogging for the company.
jcmalone says
@AustinClarkEnnis I defiantly agree that the company blogging would need to have the resources to higher a person to be responsible for blogging. There are so many elements that go into a corporate blog that it cannot be a side project for someone, it needs to be a top priority. A poorly run blog could be very detrimental to a company’s image and reputation.
aschexnayder says
@jcmalone@AustinClarkEnnis I would disagree that they have to hire someone specifically for blogging purposes. Yes, it needs to be a goal, but I think a better way to manage it for a smaller company would be to have a team of bloggers. Then, you’re getting a variety of voices, without putting the pressure on a single person. The most important part, in my opinion, is that the expectations are clear and manageable for every blogger.
Lnkeesee says
@aschexnayder@jcmalone@AustinClarkEnnis granted if you hire someone just for blogging they could put their time and effort to make sure it is running smoothly and nothing is wrong. Maybe one person writes it and it is approved by a few members of corporate?
FReyes says
@AustinClarkEnnis I agree that corporate blogging is a positive way to meet potential customers. It helps to build business relationships too. I also feel that it is very important to have the right person manage the blogs and keep updated information at all times.
malexander says
@AustinClarkEnnis I agree that companies need to hire people who know how to blog. Even if posts come from employees, they need to be viewed by someone in PR because to the consumer, the blog may not come off how it is intended. Additionally, blogs are obviously meant to draw more customers in, so the company should be willing to put more effort (and money) into ensuring that blogging is done properly.
malexander says
To me, corporate blogging seems like just another way to spin the terrible things large corporations do by trying to give them a personalized, justified feeling. Then again, I am a critic of corporations. Corporate blogging, however, could be a good way to make the corporation seem less… well, corporate. Blogging to make the corporation seem more personal and in touch with the consumer is beneficial from the marketer’s point of view, but not necessarily good from the consumer’s point of view. Any PR professional would most likely say that the corporate blog is another way to boost the image of the company.
The Google blog is a great example of how a massive corporation is able to personalize its appearance. I’ve checked out their blog a few times because I am intrigued by Google and its operations. They have a diverse group of people posting on the blog, which makes their behemoth of a corporation easier to relate to. Corporate blogging can put faces to a company.
Connecting with customers is also important. If the blog allows for consumers to voice their concerns and opinions, it can enhance the relationship between the customer and the company. It is a way to find out what consumer wants and what they are willing to buy. The most important thing in successful blogging is to ensure the right people are doing it. Blogs shouldn’t be stiff and hard to read. They should be fun and upbeat. Ensuring that the blog has the proper “feel” to it is what may make or break the success of the blog.