Can I interest you in a used blog…

In a recent survey by internet marketing company, HubSpot, it was revealed blogs rank as the most useful of all the wrenches in the social media tool box. 75% of those surveyed said blogging was useful, critical and/or important to their business.  

In this report respondents spent an average of 10% of their lead generation budget on blogging/social media which resulted in 8% of their leads. Now this is more impressive than the percentages would lead one to believe. Here’s why, corporate blogging audiences think you’re a liar.

Forrester VP, Josh Bernoff revealed in a post on the Groundswell blog, and commented here,  only 16% of online consumers who read corporate blogs say they trust them.  For the same reason we don’t a used car salesman when he hocks the latest features on the 1989 Chevy Caprice, we have a tendency to look skeptically on the CEO of Phlomax when he blogs on the wonderment of their wonder drug. 

Often times corporations use their blogging platforms as a pulpit to sell splendiferousness and fail to actually engage their audience in conversation. In failing to seize the opportunity to humanize their company and engage their audience corporations turn their blog into an advertising channel. By a show of hands who trusts advertisements…anyone? Bueller?

As the professional world continues to embrace blogging, especially Small Businesses which generate almost 15% of  leads from this medium, it is important to develop a rock solid blogging strategy. Why do you want to blog (hint: because everybody else is, is not an acceptable answer)? What are you blogging about (hint: blogging only about your product = used car salesman)? Who is the best person to represent the company in the blogosphere (hint: it is NOT an Bobby the Intern)?

Remember the best blogs are built around a shared point of interest, so look at your company, product,  partners, consumers, etc. and strive to develop a blogging strategy that touches upon all of those influences that impact your company and your audience.

Forrester: People don’t trust corporate blogs…

As a tenured social media consultant I felt it important I address this important revelation with some pointed analysis: Yep!

According to a Forrester study, only 16% of corporate blog readers trust them. Unfortunately tis number isn’t all that shocking. Too often corporate blogs are hijacked by overzealous PR consultants who  fail to understand the value of social media. In my experience a good number of corporate blogs are the result of a PR person saying you have to a blog ’cause “everybody’s doing it.”

Even company’s with the best intention can end up with a ghostwritten executive blog, take for example Company A. Company A had been working with  PR Lady Inc. for several years and one day PR Lady says you need an executive blog. Being a shrewd man Mr. CEO says he doesn’t have time to write a blog and even if he did it just wasn’t his thing. Rather matter of factly PR Lady explains that no  CEO actually writes their own blog, just like no one writes their own press releases. So for the next year PR Lady Inc wrote monthly blog posts, signing them Mr. CEO and no one read them. Â

Unfortunately I’ve walked into this situation on multiple occasions. Often times the corporate blogosphere fails to understand that the true value of blogging is the conversations that it creates between executives, employees and their customers. To this end I recommend that first-time executive bloggers stick to two rules:

1.  Post with consistency.Â
2. Don’t talk about your company or your product.

Now the second point may seem counter intuitive but here’s the thought process. When developing a blogging strategy, I recommend finding an area of focus, within your market, that impacts your customers’ business. This will allow for the creation of engaging blog posts and help position the blogger as a thought leader in the market. Just as important, by establishing these boundaries it takes some of the pressure off of a first-time blogger, freeing them up to develop a voice that can actively engage their audience. Â

Moral of the story, customers don’t trust marketers, they don’t trust salesmen and they certainly don’t trust PR-speak. So if your corporate blog has any semblance to any of the above, your time and resources would be better spent elsewhere.