Flickr Image: flyzipper
Earlier this week during #PR20Chat, @BethHarte asked, “Should your personal true-self come out when you write for your company blog?” A great discussion followed, but perhaps my favorite comment was:
gbender26: You should behave like you would at an event where you rep your company. But without personality, blogs are boring!
That really simplifies things doesn’t it? When I blog for BurrellesLuce, I understand that, first and foremost, I am representing the company. I take my professional role very seriously and if you go back to my first Fresh Ideas post, you’ll find some good information about our services. I was, however, reluctant (or perhaps simply unsure of how) to let my personality emerge, while maintaining my professionalism.
Here are some questions/suggestions that have allowed me to grow in my role as a corporate blogger; I hope you find them useful.
Does your company have a social media policy? READ IT and if you were part of the team that helped develop the policy, read it again. Reading the BurrellesLuce Guidelines for Employees Engaging Online via Blogs and Social Networks, was the first step in allowing me to feel comfortable in my role as a contributor to our corporate blog. (If they’d like to see the SM policy, send an email to info@burrellesluce.com)
When in doubt, ask! Our CMO and the BurrellesLuce marketing team do a tremendous job of supporting company bloggers.
Trust your good judgment. As a PR professional, you understand what it means to represent your brand. Your good judgment is no doubt an important reason you are in your current role.
Look at other corporate blogs you respect. The Dix and Eaton blogs provide a terrific example of an engaging corporate blog, whose contributors understand how to integrate their “personal true-self.” I chatted with Chuck Hemann who authors Measurement PR-spectives, one of Dix and Eaton’s six blogs. He encourages those writing for corporate blogs to show your true-self. “Corporate blogs face an incredible challenge in building a readership,” says Chuck. While you may ultimately be interested in selling your companies services, use your blog as an opportunity to present useful information, not to sell. The bloggers at Dix and Eaton understand that writing as subject matter experts, does not preclude them from showing a human side.
Do you blog for your company? What are your thoughts on “Should your personal true-self come out when you write for your company blog?” What are some of your own suggestions for corporate bloggers or tips that have allowed you to be both authentic and professional when blogging?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tom O'Keefe. Tom O'Keefe said: RT @ValerieSimon: How to maintain your voice as a corporate #blogger http://budurl.com/k2j3 (my thoughts on the BurrellesLuce Blog) [...]
Hi Valerie – thank you very much for the kudos on the D&E blogs. I think we try hard to maintain a professional image, while also trying to demonstrate that there are human beings working here.
A couple months ago, I was hired by Engine Communications, a small marketing firm in Ontario, to initiate their social media campaign. I love to blog, and I’ve always let a part of my personality show through regardless of which blog I’m writing for (keeping in mind, it’s either my own blog or the one I volunteer to run–I’ve a sense of ownership over both of these, so I never really thought about pulling myself back while engaging). However, when I began at EC I played the internal tug-of-war with should I post personally or not. Eventually it just didn’t seem natural to try to ’sell’ something that wasn’t me. I don’t think a logo engages people online the way it might in other forums. Social media is all about the ’social.’ We’re always talking community around here, and community is made up of people. It’s a good thing to be transparent. I can totally see the flip side, but I really like the comment posted at the beginning of your blog–write like your boss is watching, and you should be fine. We have fun at work, so why not have fun online as well?
Valerie, thanks so much for the Dix & Eaton shout-out and for raising the question about how corporate blogs can weave in individual personalities. Social media poses a gray area for communications professionals, but we all need to keep in mind that social networking is about two-way communication and relationships, so it’s important for personalities to shine through (in a professional manner).
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Great points, Valerie. We have over a dozen bloggers writing for our agency blog, but we try to maintain a consistent, professional voice and also keep a good balance with our personal/fun sides as well. It makes the blog a lot more fun to read, and certainly more fun to write!