During the past few weeks, I’ve posted bits and pieces of a “blogging 101″ paper I put together for my employer. Below is another part, focusing on who should author a corporate blog. Much of the below is common sense. What I’d be interested in, is your take on the final part — the role of an agency. (Keep in mind, the audience for the below and previous is an agency.)
Blogs are very personal. Like instant messages and personal communication, they are one-on-one. While a particular client may be appropriate due to its industry and who it wants to target, if there is no individual or group who will champion it, then blogging is not for them.
As an agency, we can suggest topics, review and edit posts for potential negative impact and grammar, monitor comments and the blogosphere, but we should not âghost post.â If we do post to a clientâs blog, it should be under our own name. And, at times, that is okay. It can offer a fresh perspective. However, most of the posts need to come from the client to ensure its authenticity, credibility and purpose.
Blogs are viewed as personal, even if from a company. So, high levels of genuineness and transparency are required.
Client personnel who could blog include the company/association president, VP of marketing and sales, technical manager, sales manager and even a field sales person.
However, who has access to blog should be controlled to monitor/regulate posts. All posts should be funneled through one or two people at the client, plus the appropriate agency contact. The reason for the agency oversight is because, like other forms of communication, it is the agency’s responsibilty to be current on the latest trends, tool and issues. That’s why the agency is hired.
– Mike
Technorati tags: blogging, corporate communications, marketing
