The majority of advice out there is written, re-written, borrowed and stolen from other inaccurate articles out on the web. Misinformation spreads like a disease on the net. Other advice is written by professional bloggers who are adept to putting out publications, but do not depend on their corporate blog to drive conversions on other products or services.
These blogging publications sell ads and some make quite a bit of money doing it. As such, their personal business doesn't depend on the accuracy of the information that they are sharing, only the quantity and popularity of the content.
Additionally, you'll find a world of social media experts out there - some know how to implement open source blogging engines, some are graphic artists selling themes, and others are search engine optimization experts who know how to properly structure and write a blog post. Very few of them are trying to run a business off of their blog utilizing it as a strategic marketing tool.
If you're going to read a post on corporate blogging advice, make sure the source actually has both experience AND their business depends on the accuracy of the advice. Compendium Blogware's success depends on how well the strategies and platform assist our clients' business. Not only do our customers succeed in their strategies, a majority of them actually upsell their engagements with us.
Watch where you get your advice from. Look for real-world examples rather than blanket lists of business blogging tips. Don't believe the hype!
Posted by: Rodger D. Johnson on Monday, December 1, 2008
Harsh words. But true in a more general sense. Folks have to watch what kind of information they get from the Internet, period. Not just about corporate blogging. I recently wrote on choosing the right name for a business blog. While choosing the right name may not in itself create conversion, it is one component of a larger blogging strategy. Getting that name first secures that much needed cyber real estate to build from. Follow the recommendations I give and the blogs name will be sticky. Might even spark a conversations. Done right, it will forever velcro itself to one's mind. That's damn good advice. Great post, by the way. Hope it ruffles feathers.
Posted by: Lorraine Ball on Monday, December 1, 2008
Too often a corp. exec makes having a blog be a corporate goal. When the goal should be, build brand awareness, improve customer feedback, increase on line sales, and the blog is the means to the end, not the end in itself. Good corporate blogging should support the corporate communication goals, not the other way around.
Posted by: Angela Connor on Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think that good ideas CAN come from non-practitioners. I think you certainly offer good advice here because you can't believe everything you read and it is important to consider the source. More and more people are touting themselves as "experts" and that can create issues, particularly for those who want to get started immediately and are eager for advice, or a golden ticket that will lead them to success. That in itself is the wrong approach to corporate blogging. There is no golden ticket. I won't question your percentage though, since you do have a Google alert for the term. I recently wrote about corporate blogging based on a panel discussion I attended at the Internet Summit in Chapel Hill, NC two weeks ago. I'd be curious to know if it falls in your 99%.
Posted by: Douglas Karr on Tuesday, December 2, 2008
It's not a limb, Angela. I think there are some great resources out there. But quite honestly, I have a hard time finding them. Even sites with great ideas seem to miss the boat on much of the value that corporate blogging can provide a company as a strategy. Lorraine hit the nail on the head - many folks make the blog the goal and NOT application of the business goals by leveraging blogging. It's why so many corporate blogs fail.