When I spoke to the OWL group last week, there was some conversation around corporate blogging. The substance of those conversations were mainly around the lack of understanding about blogging-specific to organizations taking the leap .
In my speech I referenced a study from Forrester Research that I found on Lois Kelley's blog. You can look at her post here. The study brought to light what's wrong with corporate blogs. Namely, they're bad.
Here's what I think is wrong with many corporate blogs, and how to make them better:
- The sites are too institutionalized. It's as if risk is the black plague. If HR (for an internal blog), Communications, and Legal are hovering at every turn, you probably are just writing press releases. Which, as we know, kills conversation. My recommendationis to embrace risk and change the world. Stop playing it safe. And by the way, your organization will make more money too.
- Many corporations are afraid of community. A consistent refrain in my conversations last week with the OWL folks revealed organizations being fearful of negative comments from employees or customers. My recommendation is to remember that your organization is already being talked about, so why not be in front of the conversation vs. behind it? Employees and customers might be inspired by an action like this.
- Organizations just want to be hip. Someone at a conference told the CEO to get into social media, and an edict was formed. It made for good talking points, but lacked commitment and desire. My recommendationis to not start something you don't really want to do. Stakeholders get real suspicious of fashion.
- The wrong person is doing the writing. Without guidance on the why and how, a blog can be a very stale affair. My recommendation is to consult with us and take a look at this post from Nina Simosko on communication. She gives a wonderful example of effective writing in a blog.
- No passion. I've been asked by more than a few people about where I find things to write about. It's an easy answer to give; I'm very passionate about what I write about. Therefore, it runs through me like a raging river. Shouldn't every organization have a similar state of mind and heart? My recommendation is to check the pulse, go back (if needed) to where you started, and then reignite the passion.
