It's a blog-eat-blog world out there, and communications professionals have long since taken note. Survey after survey reaffirms practitioners' awareness of the importance of blogosphere
involvement, whether that means monitoring blogs or maintaining a blog for their company/clients (see Quick Study, p. 3). But those same surveys also reveal a different side of that story: The
profession is marked by overwhelming fear, exasperation and lack of knowledge when it comes to participating in these cyber forums.
Here's the good news: It doesn't take a rocket scientist to become engaged in blog conversations. In fact, being engaged doesn't even require the PR manager to own a blog at all. The following are
how-to tips for communicators on both sides of the fence: those who manage a blog and want it to be better, and those who don't manage a blog and don't have time to, but still want to participate in
this essential medium.
Those Who Can, Blog
- Manage time wisely. Blogs are like pets in many ways. They require time, attention and resources; likewise, you neglect them at your own risk. Because blogs are one of the latest,
trendiest responses to today's 24/7 news cycle, their service becomes completely moot if they aren't updated frequently. Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group, recommends that her
clients update their blogs two or three times a week; once a week is the bare minimum. If once-a-week posts still stretch resources too thin, then kill the blog and skip to part two of this
feature.
If you can accept the time requirement and commit to nurturing a blog, then it becomes an issue of scheduling. Horn recommends that bloggers fight the urge to write in the confines of attention
deficit disorders; in other words, interrupting other work to write manic spurts of commentary throughout the day will be reflected in the quality of the blog. Make blogging part of the daily
routine: the first thing you do over a cup of coffee when you get to your office, the last thing you do before you go home, the thing you have to do before you allow yourself a lunch break. Adhering
to some kind of schedule will make the prospect of regular postings much less daunting.
- Have a focus and stick with it. For many, blogging can have the same chemically addictive effects as some less-than-healthy extracurricular activities. They experience an urgent
desire to write, to scour the Internet for competitive postings, and resond to those postings. Horn urges clients to exercise self-control and focus. Define an area in which you want to have a stake,
whether it's media relations, measurement or some other PR discipline, and monitor the top three to five blogs in that field. Cut everything else loose.
- Link to other blogs. If the goal is to have the most informed and richest content possible, then linking to other blogs within your own postings is a good start. It informs readers and
underscores your "position" in that area of expertise; plus, it serves as a good networking mechanism for other bloggers who may, in turn, link to you. The only caveat: Make sure the URL you provide
as a click-thru is accurate, as there is nothing more frustrating than clicking for more information and landing on an "error" page.
- Be mindful of the big five - who, what, where, when and why. "It's a matter of good writing," Horn says, and she's right. The casual context of blog postings does not absolve the
communicator from the usual responsibilities of a good writer: providing accurate, well-rounded information that answers questions and has a purpose. Good bloggers will often pose questions or insert
opinions of their own to prompt informed conversations, but be wary of being too opinionated; your corporate blog is not the place to wax vitriolic on whatever is irking you at that moment.
Those Who Can't, Comment
- Identify two or three topics on which you would consider yourself an expert. Does your corporate have a stellar CSR program? Do you advise clients on media training or crisis
communications? Or, do you have insight into creating an ideal work/life balance? No matter your area of communications expertise, there is surely a battery of blogs that host topical discussions.
Find them.
- Once you've nailed down your areas of expertise, identify five "influential" blogs that cover those areas. Review these blogs weekly and, when it's appropriate, post an educated
comment that illustrates your body of knowledge. This gives your voice a presence in the most high-impact region of the blogosphere, and it requires very little time.
- Bring something to the table. Don't post just for the sake of posting; rather, post when you have unique insight, new information or relevant links. Otherwise, you will just be another
"me too" in a thread of commentary.
Contact:
Sabrina Horn, 646.688.0593, [email protected]