There is a truth that you can’t avoid, that is your story being cut by traditional corporate communications. The story is diluted with every single layer when going through the “traditional” routes of corporate communications, thus, often delivering a watered-down product. Blogging is different.
Many organizations are still finding their voice online and corporate blogging is one way to achieve this. It is not surprising that they are still making mistakes. The secret to success is accepting that a blog is not a traditional marketing tool. So basically, what are Dos and DON’Ts in corporate blogging?
- Identify the corporate blog’s primary objective. Internals or externals?
- Know your audience
- Create blogging policies.
- Decide who should blog. CEO or employees or both?
- Use your company knowledge wisely by encouraging contributors within the company
- Embed thought leadership, connection with leaders, corporate culture, and branding
- Decide how to obtain feedbacks and handle them
- Engage readers and encourage them to contribute through comments and constructive criticism
- Make a mix of forums and blogs by allowing people continue the conversation in a more constructive forum.
- Trust bloggers and readers to go and find out for themselves the answers
- Provide time and long-term commitment to your blog
- Keep it short, fresh, consistent and professional.
- Update regular content
- Be structured
- Monitor frequently
- Have fun and enjoy!
- Say "We should have one but..." or “ We have no time to blog”
- Keep in mind that“build it and they will come” mentality. Because a blog will not magically generate traffic.
- Act like faceless corporation. As people don’t like interacting with organizations, corporations or machines. People like talking to people. So throw the "corporate" out the window.
- Make it a marketing blog. As people prefer to read something with personality rather than advertising posts. So marketers should think of yourself as an editor rather than an author
- Post all the robotic press releases and boring business jargon.
- Worry that their competition will read it and rip off their expertise and ideas
- Expect too much from your readers
- Give up!
Again, these are some guidelines, not rules. Make your blog unique, but do remember that it is likely to be a popular touch point for the people you want to reach, probably more so than other areas of your website. Use it to inform, educate, inspire and engage.
