Social Media Domination

John McTigue posted a great comment on my last post, These are the Stats that Make Your Day:

I don't think it matters how many people you "assign" the task of blogging. It has to be a passion for it to work and gain traction. Readers know whether or not you believe your own BS, and they will only subscribe if they believe in you. So a few passionate bloggers can easily blow away an army of keyboard pushers.

Some companies do assign blogging as part of their job requirements. If you're in PR or Marketing, I think blogging should be a prerequisite of your employment. I'm not sure I'd even employ someone anymore for Marketing and PR unless they have a knowledge of Social Media and Search Engine Marketing.

As for other employees who may find blogging uncomfortable or who lack the passion for it, I would still encourage and reward them for blogging.

When those employees are customer-facing, I think it's especially important. Blogging about support, sales and other client-facing issues can relieve some of your workload by communicating with clients through a mass medium rather than answering 1:1 phones and email all day.

For employees, blogging presents an opportunity to be a face in the organization - providing them with a medium to lead and get the spotlight. Building a personal brand within your company can be great for your career. Additionally, building a personal brand outside the company can help, too!

With that said, if an employee lacks the passion for blogging, I personally believe you're hurting your corporate blogging strategy. Others disagree with me... even within my peers... but I believe the analytics speak volumes about who is driving traffic and conversions within an organization.