So today I gained a true appreciation for my role as, wait for it…. Blog Champion! Often when I say those words a little trumpet fanfare plays in my head, and I feel like I have a duty to serve and protect the DRPR blog, but not today. Maybe it’s the dreary weather but my focus strayed from our company blog and I realised all too late that I had in fact neglected to organise this week’s post!
Now, I’m sure this is a common scenario when it comes to business blogs. Deadlines, heavy workloads and perhaps even after-work drinks often lead people to dismiss the company blog as a secondary task. But be warned, this is a slippery slope!
Like all social media tied into business public relations, it is consistent contributions that reap rewards. Why not make it part of your daily schedule? With morning coffee in hand, check your emails, diarise important dates and tasks, log in to Facebook, log in to Twitter and log in to your company blog. Perhaps wait ten minutes for the caffeine hit to take full affect, and then write a thought for the day. Try to think of something relevant to your industry, a special event happening within your company, an international or local news story that relates to your industry, or any relevant issue that has got you thinking. It’s that simple.
The more human the voice of your company sounds, the more standing it will have out there in the realms of social media. It is after all, about having open and transparent conversations, sharing information and ideas and getting your company name out there as a voice of authority, interest or even entertainment.
Also, remember that social media such as blogs and twitter are supposed to be fun! Don’t take it too seriously. But most importantly, in order to guarantee blogging success, put in place a very dedicated and conscientious blog champion, and make them accountable!
So true Gill! It’s like with everything in life… very easy to let them slip away. Any organisation that wants action to be taken should make their team members accountable for specific initiatives and ideas. It’s the best way to move forward!
By the way, quite insightful for a last minute post… you managed to get the walk behind your talk!
Thanks Kim! I’m determined to live up to my name as ‘Blog Champion’. Maybe then I’ll get my hands on that shiny trophy above
According to a study made by blog search engine Technorati in 2008 only 7.4 million of more than 133 million registered blogs had been updated during the last 120 days. This means that most of the blogs once started with a lot of enthusism had been abadoned. Even some corporate blogs lack interesting news, well: news at all.
My recommendations:
a) A blog is a perfect platform for information and communication with your target groups.
b) A blog needs ongoing maintenance (in case of need: done by a blog champion).
c) If your blog cannot deliver daily/weekly/monthly news, please, please take it of the web. There is nothing worse than a blog with the latest posting from 2008!
Best, Veit
Veit,
I couldn’t agree more. Very insightful comments, thanks!
Wouldn’t it be nice if blogs that haven’t been updated in a few years were automatically wiped from the web?
Gill