Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Social media should be an interactive conversation with the audience. However, all too often companies broadcast at the customer or prospect. Blogs are a prime example of this. A corporate blog can be a powerful tool and a great source of information for companies that have embraced the medium. However, corporate blogs face a variety of challenges including having a reputation for being both dry and uninspired, and being used as vehicles for advertisements and product peddling. A corporate blog is a balancing act between engaging content that attracts a large audience and one that fits the personality of the company.

Blogs have proven to be successful for companies that want to broaden their marketing reach and achieve a level of corporate transparency and intimacy unavailable just five years ago. Successful blogs provide a peek behind the corporate curtain and valuable insight into the company's industry, not just its products or services. A blog can also create a conversation through the topics to engage visitors and keep them coming back.

This takes a lot of work. It is not as simple as going to WordPress or TypePad and pouring out your thoughts, posting, and expecting the masses to come. The investment required to maintain blogs can be significant. One must take into account the IT costs, resources to develop topics and write each post, marketing the posts, monitoring and gauging visitor reaction, and more. Because of this many blogs are not given the time and attention it takes to create a truly successful communications platform for the company.

A recent Forrester Research survey of American readers showed that corporate blogs are the least trusted information source available, trailing behind emails from known contacts, consumer product reviews, and search engine results. To the lay person, the format of blogs makes them uneasy and they see the information as lacking a checks-and-balance system. Building credibility is key.

Blogger credibility is hard to come by but there are some simple steps to help.

1. Make the content relevant to the audience and industry trends.
2. Offer information and advice that highlights the blogger's expertise in the matter.
3. Do not promote your product or service. If people are reading your blog they likely know what you offer and, if interested, they can click over to the product information section of your site.
4. Quickly respond to reader comments and use these comments to keep the discussion going.
5. Respect your readers and be transparent. Your readers are entitled to know where the information is sourced and why you are discussing the topic.

Transparency is huge. Companies that fail to achieve transparency will suffer crippling backlash, such as being labeled as sellouts and losing trust from customers and supporters. Trust is hard to win back, so it is essential to incorporate transparency practices into blog strategies. Bloggers should avoid information known or speculated to be inaccurate for the sake of being controversial or to attract attention. This can ultimately dissuade the reader from returning to the blog. If publishing questionable information is necessary, successful blogs will make it clear that it's not validated or confirmed.

Many blogs have made the mistake of providing news that only serves the company's agenda. This content is not very effective in starting a conversation, engaging reader interest, or attracting return visits. Blogs are about sharing information, but are also about starting a conversation. Encourage and embrace dialogue and you too will see how traffic will grow.

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About the Author: Steve McAbee is president of Wunderkind Public Relations. Follow Steve on Twitter at @wkprsteve.