The social web is gaining ground and your organization is scrambling. If that sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re probably not alone.
Now more than ever, organizations must be knowledgeable and agile at identifying pieces of the social media puzzle that would be of value and make good business sense to them.
And there are ways to layer Web 2.0 onto an organization’s existing communications and marketing efforts, including using wikis and corporate blogs.
 |
|
photo entitled ‘The Conversation’ sourced from Flickr via catcetera |
Is a blog for you?
Before deciding to start an external blog consider the following:
- who is it for (target audience)
- what do you want to share that will be compelling (content)
- will there be enough valuable content to keep it fresh
- are you prepared to have a dialogue with your audience
- who will be the resource(s) to manage
- how will this presence enhance an existing business development initiative (or create new ones)
- will you have a social media policy ready
Also, if you’re still leery of taking the blogging plunge, you may consider starting off on a smaller scale: micro-blog on Twitter.
I’ve seen a couple of effective corporate Twitter accounts used by large organizations: @TELUS (community/CSR), @RogersHelps (customer feedback/support).
Conversation
As you research, filter through the hype and determine how / whether or not to embed a social media strategy into the mix, you will be compelled to look at how well you engage your audience. Be prepared to listen a lot and to be responsive.
What has your tribe/organization done to start the conversation?
autom8 
You make great points regarding businesses and blogs. A blog really isn’t for every type of company and there are some key aspects that need to be considered before jumping into it which you list very nicely. I think another point to add would be commitment. For a blog to maximize its effectiveness and benefit a company, there needs to be constant activity. Time commitment as well as overall commitment to research, writing, editing, trending topics etc. It can be a full time job somedays. The conversation is what it’s all about and a company has to be prepared to compel and intrigue readers to a certain degree. You Autom, are always willing to engage your readers and compel them with questions, not only on your blog but throughout your social networks. Good for you.
Spreading the wealth is another option to make the task of blogging less daunting — recruit help. You can invite colleagues to join in with posts from other areas or perspectives within your organization. Inviting guest bloggers is also an option. There’s also no shame in getting professional help. Hiring a writer to interview colleagues, clients, and partners for posts is perfectly reasonable as long as the identity of the author is transparent.
Great stuff Autom! Much appreciated.
Good suggestions, Autom. Many businesses are very concerned with how to start. I like the examples because they show specific purposes, not an attempt to “boil the ocean”. There is really good payback available from a specific focus.