Corporate Blogging Done Right
Posted March 6th, 2007 by Char Lyn
Bill Marriott (yes, that Marriott) is new to corporate blogging, but he’s done his homework and listened to the right people. After reading just a few of his posts, it was obvious that the blog was a well planned initiative to provide his personal touch to as many customers as possible. The buzz his blog is getting proves he’s managed to accomplish that in just 2 months. Many of our clients ask how they can create the same kind of magic in a corporate blog. Here’s the short version of our response.
1. Have a plan and a purpose, and state it in your byline.
2. Stay focused and on topic, within a post and through the blog.
3. Set an editorial calendar, but stay flexible enough to address issues that pop-up.
4. Don’t be afraid to take a stand, as long as you mean it and will follow through.
5. Be honest—if you are tempted to bend the truth in a post, write about something else.
6. Proofread—your readers will appreciate it.
7. Don’t spill company secrets. Ask yourself if the content could get you or the company in trouble BEFORE you post it.
Bill is doing all of this beautifully. And he manages to be inspirational at the same time. (I see a book in Bill’s near future—probably full of blog posts). Bill, if you’re reading this, I only have one suggestion. Don’t end every post with the same “on the move” line. It’s okay for a customer you only see once in a while, but for those who read every post, it will start to get old fast.
