Compendium Blogware

The financial situation of domestic car manufacturers has generated a lot of headlines the past month or so. This past week, both GM and Chrysler got bridge loans from the U.S. government. Both made posts on their corporate blogs to mark the events.

Blogger Jeff Nolan at Enterprise Irregulars points out the stark contrast in the tone of comments on each post and hits the nail right on the head.

... Fastlane is much more respected in the automotive world as a blog about cars on GM’s site, whereas the Chrysler blog is simply a marketing exercise. The distinction is subtle because technically both are marketing tools but the Fastlane blog has substance that is conspicuously lacking in the Chrysler blog.

This brings up an important point: blogs are a long-term investment in the real. Proponents of good corporate blogging strategy drive home the principle that a blogging initiative will fail if your content is nothing more than a dumping ground for press releases.

Over time, content expressed in a real voice will be viewed as credible by the blog's readership. If it is nothing but a conveyer belt for marketing messages, you won't be taken seriously. That's why Chrysler's thank you note got crumpled up and thrown back in it's face, metaphorically speaking.