Blogging for business

AHA Blog Post ImageBlogging has become a regular communications tool for organizations. One of the things that I have noticed is that when we work with the marketing department or agency of a client, there is a little bit of discussion over which area (communications or marketing) will develop and manage the campaign on Twitter and/or Facebook. There is never any discussion about the organization’s blog – it belongs firmly with the communications team.

Like any communications tool, blogging isn’t for everyone. It depends on the objectives, goals, overall strategy and, of course, the resources. It takes time and effort to produce a relevant, interesting and informative blog post on a regular basis.

A blog provides an opportunity to share relevant news and information, to educate and inform, to provide opinions and context within an industry and to clarify and correct any misunderstandings or factual errors, which could come from rumours or speculation. A blog can prove valuable during an issue or a crisis; and while it would be a positive to already have one up and running so that you have already created a community that reads the blog, starting one to share information during a challenging time that can provide reliable communications is appreciated – and read.

Depending on what the objective is, there are different types and styles of blogs. And some are a blend. Today we’re going to outline the CEO or President’s blog.

The CEO or President’s Blog

Typically this positions your CEO or President in a thought-leadership position within an industry or field. It also provides the opportunity to show the “human” side of your leader. These types of blogs work best with a CEO or President who is comfortable in the spotlight, who actively participates within your industry, likes to share her/his thoughts, opinions and ideas and who appreciates interaction and feedback. There are those who believe the CEO or President should write their own blog and, in a perfect world, we agree. However, most leaders don’t have the time it takes to do this. We have found that the most authentic and realistic way for this type of blog to succeed is to have regular meetings (which can be on the phone while the CEO drives to work) where she/he downloads ideas and key points and the post gets written in their personal style. The CEO reviews it to make sure that their thoughts and ideas are reflected.

There is some discussion about the authenticity of this approach, but in our experience it’s similar to having someone write a speech. It has to reflect the CEO or President’s thoughts, ideas and style, but it can be written for them. We always recommend that in the about section of the blog that this is explained or defined.

Think of this blog as your CEO or President having a column that is produced two or three times a week.
On Monday, we’ll visit the organization blog, the employee blog and a blended blog.

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