Recently, I wrote a blog for my company about how “Milwaukee is My Kind of Town,” basically extolling the virtues of our great and often underrated city. I was pleased when The Small Business Times decided to run it, as well, even though it was a little on the light-hearted side.
So, imagine my surprise when someone sent not one, but two blistering responses, ripping me apart because, in her opinion, my words about her apparent favorite singer were less than flattering. She attacked not only my words, but also my personality and, worst of all, my relationship with my wonderful wife of 30 years. I responded that my comments were made only as a joke, and urged others to write in future blogs what they like about Milwaukee. I resisted the urge to let her have it in kind for her attack on my family.
My point here is not to defend what I said. I don’t need to. That’s the point of blogs … they’re open and honest and fun. Which means I ask every client I work with who wants to start blogging: are you sure you really want to do that?
When a company opens a blog, it opens its corporate front door to anyone who wants to enter. Sometimes, these people don’t like you. Some of them are cyber-whiners, those odd little folk who just want a forum to blow off steam and spread their message, regardless of whether or not it belongs on your blog. Sometimes, they really don’t like what your company does or stands for.
So I advise clients to sit back and think, really think about why they should blog. And I strongly urge them not to make the biggest blog mistake of all: leaving their blog unattended. A watched blog can be a successful way of communicating and even selling to your audience. An unmonitored blog can become either a waste of your message or an open invitation to trouble. Did you know that the vast majority of blogs are abandoned within 30 days of their inception?
Never open a blog and expect your secretary or receptionist to be in charge of it, unless she or he is the best communicator in your company and fully understands the blogosphere. Never let untruths posted on your blog go unanswered. You may want to screen the postings before they are permitted to “go up,” to make sure they don’t violate good taste.
Blogging is fun and interesting. Just ask anyone who has participated in the Milwaukee Biz Blog. But don’t be surprised if not everybody who visits your blog isn’t your biggest fan. By all means, blog! By all means, be smart about it!
Steve Gardner is a public relations account executive at Johnson Direct LLC in Brookfield. Additional information is available at http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com.
