This week I was particularly drawn by Colin Becker’s article on his experiences as a guest blogger. He details the process he went through to write a guest article. He rounds off the piece with this comment:

“Would I do it again? – you bet!”

Recently we used a number of guest bloggers to help cover an event. From my side of the fence, I would also employ the tactic again. We generated much more expert content than we could have done on our own, and what’s more, many of the bloggers linked to their content on our site (links we wouldn’t have otherwise received). If you are interested, read more on my thoughts on guest blogging.

News highlights

The psychology behind corporate blogging: why companies don’t get involved
Some great tips here on what to avoid and some of the obstacles. Such as just republishing the information of others. Or the fact it’s cheap mean organizations wonder whether there’s any value in it.

A guest blogger’s perspective
Asking someone to guest on your blog is a great way to boost content and your network at the same time. The blogger has the opportunity to share their expertise in a new space. Everyone wins. Just make sure the match is a good one and the remit is clear!

Ten “Must Haves” for a corporate blog
Here’s a good quick list of what should be present on a corporate blog. Build credibility and use a pic of each blogger! Also make sure you come up with a posting schedule. I know I keep listing these kinds of posts, but these points do need to be hammered home.

Message Matters in a Corporate Blogging Strategy: remember empathy
The human touch can go a long way, according to Your PR Guy. Think of the human interest angle and ditch all the stats and numbers. Bear this in mind when you blog.

Twitter #3 social networking site, according to Compete
In its ranking of top social networking sites, Compete.com puts Twitter just below the big hitters of Facebook and Myspace  – both of whom dwarf all competition. Flickr and YouTube are nowhere to be seen – I guess they are not classified as social networks.

TwitterSheep – see the profile of your followers
Ever wonder about the demographics of your Twitter followers? TwitterSheep is a great tool to see how they describe themselves. When it comes to pushing the word out there, use Twittersheep to see who are the main influencers in your space.

15 Fortune 500 Companies That Really Get Corporate Blogging
Apologies if I’ve highlighted this post before, but it really does a good job of explaining the ingredients that go into a successful corporate blog. Everything is covered here, from Adobe employee blogs to behind-the-scenes look at news coverage on the BBC. If you want to learn from the best, check this out.

Tweet This, a WordPress Plugin for Twitter
Make it easy for your readers to instantly add your blog post to Twitter. This plugin also handles URL shortening. I’m all setup so give this a try below, if you like.

The future of advertising (a presentation)
Advertising connects people with companies. Sounds like what social networks do now. This great Slidecast covers how advertising will change as mass media subsides and we become more connected.

We don’t need a Social Media ROI model (The bamboo raft)
Aaron Kim isn’t suggesting that we shouldn’t measure Web 2.0 activities, rather that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. One approach: “By setting aside an innovation bucket and establishing a portfolio of parallel innovation initiatives, you can hedge your bets and improve your overall success rate.”

Web 2.0 Case Study: Barack Obama’s Use of Social Media
An interesting article on how the Obama administration made use of social media. They utilized their own site in conjunction with popular social networks with one overarching strategy.

B2B marketers starting to embrace social media
Gino Cosme points to some interesting articles around how the B2B world is utilizing social media. The tone is often different. As Paul Gillin points out:
“You won’t find a lot of playful repartee and trivia contests here. These blogs are intended to communicate useful information and reinforce their authors and their companies as authorities in their fields.” Notable differences when applying social networking to the B2B model.

Have passion and care about your users: Gary Varnechuk
The inimitable wine TV star goes to town on what you need to succeed in a Web 2.0 world. Big point: if you don’t have a passion for what you do, give up. It’s hard work to keep at it and succeed – now more than ever. Although he doesn’t talk about corporate blogging specifically, this is all relevant stuff. If you’re in the mood for an inspirational video, check this out.

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The thorny subject of ghost-writing on corporate blogs gets a lot of coverage these days (because we, the blogosphere, love controversy), but there is little mention of guest blogging, ie. getting a respected blogger to post an article on your blog. If you run a corporate blog, this is a great way to generate great content and attract good quality, on-target links.

Who should write for you?
Ideally look to the influencial bloggers in your industry. If you have a PR department, they may be able to help you locate who these people are. If not, check Google Blog Search, Technorati or poke around on Twitter. Many trade/industry journalists now blog (either as part of their magazine or on their own). If you’re lucky enough to have an ecosystem of consultants – think of tapping this crowd. They are knowledgeable, they understand the market, and often welcome the opportunity to align themselves with suppliers.

What’s in it for them?
Check out this post from Colin Becker, an expert blogger recently asked to guest. A big selling point is the exposure. Blogging can be a thankless task and at times you feel like you are the lone voice in wilderness (believe me). From a bloggers perspective, it’s great to be able to get the message out across a new network (and hopefully pick up some new readers in the process). A guest blogger will also often push their bio and the link back to their own blog. Great for their self-promotion and SEO.

What’s in it for you?
It’s tough generating regular content to keep a blog going, especially if you are tapping experts within your organization (who are often among the most in-demand individuals). Using guest bloggers can ease the load. By pulling together experts to guest blog, you also help position your blog as a vehicle for thought leadership in your given field. The blogger will also usually mention that they are guesting on your blog and provide a link. This is great for your self-promotion and SEO.

Any pitfalls?
Make sure you pick experts who are at least aligned with where you are coming from. For example, a Michelin-rated chef may be an inappropriate choice for a fast food chain. Beyond that, remember that your guest blogger is writing under your masthead: make sure you don’t tie yourself to someone with a reputation for shoddy business dealings. Make sure you check them out and ensure the match is a good one.

You may incur the wrath (or at least questions) from your PR department. This recently came up for me in conjunction with using guest bloggers to cover an event. The question was “why shouldn’t we ask them to post on their own blog?” This made sense given that PR is interested in the external exposure. For my part, I knew that we would get more content by asking them to blog for us than they would otherwise generate for themselves (for the reasons above). Also, the content generally will end up on the expert blog, even if it just a reference pointing back to their post on your corporate blog. For our event, one of the bloggers actually even took the step of adding the content he wrote for our blog to his RSS feed so his audience could pick it up that way.

You will need to monitor the content to make sure it adheres to your blogging guidelines (even if the blogger is well aligned with your business). Make sure they are adding value and not just seeing it as a promotional tool for themselves. In addition, I’d recommend adding a blurb (either at the top or bottom of each post) that makes it clear the content is from a guest – not someone within your organization.

Find guest bloggers now!
So, if you have blogs that you are struggling to maintain or are looking to increase visibility, think about reaching out to guest bloggers. Just make sure the match is right and you have an editorial process in place.

Oh, and BTW, if it’s not clear already, I’m available to guest

David Caolo offers some great tips as much on writing as on blogging. Don’t over-edit in the early stages, be prepared for inspiration from anywhere and setup a writing den, are gems in this list.
Tips for consistently good blog posts

News highlights

Twitter will remain online free for all (Which? News)
It looks like there will not be a paid ‘pro’ version of Twitter. So how exactly will it generate revenue? Ads on twitter.com could force people onto 3rd party clients. Ads in Twitter feeds could force people off the network, full stop.

Crowdsourcing journalism: but can corporations play a part? (Recovering Journalist)
This list focusses on grassroots use of social networks to go beyond what was previously available through traditional media channels. Would we ever get to a stage where corporations could create similar environments (say, to challenge existing industry analysts)?

Twitter Is What You Make It (NYTimes.com)
A great post if you are new to the medium. Number one rule of Twitter: there are no rules. As Ewan Williams (the creator of the popular microblogging platform) points out, you really can use the service for anything.

Why Do Corporate Blogs Usually Fail? (HighTalk)
There’s a common thread through this post: stop talking about yourself but comment on your customers/industries: “To be successful corporate blogs need stop focusing inward and start to look outward.” I’d argue this isn’t necessarily true for technical blogs. For instance, experts that normally publish academic papers could well find an audience in the blogosphere. Still the core point is a good one: remember a blog is as much Media as Marketing.

What Corporate Blogging Isn’t (Comm Unplugged)
We see countless blogging tips but here are some major pitfalls to take into account. Don’t just copy, don’t just talk and make sure there is some light moderation. All good tips, although some of these are still contentious (eg. whether some form of ghost-writing can be legitimate).

Social Media Consultant or Snake Oil Salesman?(WebWorkerDaily)
Looking for a social media expert? Here are some pointers. Particularly interesting that there is a strong focus on blogging and Twitter: from the corporate perspective, these initiatives are currently hogging the limelight. Will they remain popular as time goes on?

Corporate Blogging Emerging in Pakistan
Last week we heard about the growth of blogging in Africa. This week a side we don’t normally hear about Pakistan: 1.9 million blog readers, and growing. Main point here: bear in mind this is a global phenomenon.

Your blog on the newsstand?
Aaron Kim on a move to present blogs on a different medium – namely paper. There are a number of projects that are taking the online world offline.

How soon do search results come to a new blog?
Douglas Karr of Compendium Blogware claims that according to their stats, it takes around 60 blog posts to start seeing a good level of traffic come through to your blog. So, don’t be discouraged in the early days of your corporate blog. Keep working on your craft and eventually the rewards will come.

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Cornelius Puschman is undertaking some interesting research into corporate blogging and computer-mediated communication. He’s published his formidable bibliography. Great if you’re looking for academic literature around corporate communications… now where’s that extra time I put aside for reading?
Read more

News highlights

Why Should I Create a Business Blog? | Chief Ingredient, Inc.
A nice concise round-up of the key features and benefits of corporate blogging. Kind of techie but does offer benefits like ‘easy social networking’.

Would You Trust This Blog? – CopyWrite
CopyWrite goes to town on the issue of blogs and corporate trust.

Fibre optic cable to pave way for corporate blogging – Business Daily Africa
“Borrowing from the West, far-sighted private sector CEOs and government leaders are gradually turning to corporate blogs to connect with their constituencies, further strengthening an emerging culture of openness.” the corporate blogging revolution is making strides into the developing world.

Company Blogs: Most Valued Social Media Tool | WebProNews
When considering different social media tools, blogging generates most leads. 31% of respondents (by far the highest percentage) said they find corporate blogs critical to their business.

Setting Strategy, Goals and Targets for your Corporate Blog
Goals for your blog: mission, vision and objectives. Do we sometimes forget about these?

Fanboy.com ” Blog Archive ” Social Media “Experts” are the Cancer of Twitter (and Must Be Stopped)
A contrary opinion on those providing info and building networks on Twitter. The service is so open it really can be used for anything. I’m sure this debate is going to keep on running.

TwtQpon Helps Retailers Push Coupons Across Twitter
This service helped Dell make a $1 million over the holiday season. I’m sure we’ll see more in this line of innovation: companies using Twitter to communicate direct marketing messages. Obviously measurement of the results of this approach is also key.

Twitturly – cagedether’s Twitter Linking History
See which sites you’ve linked to and how viral these are ie. total tweets for each link.

181 Free Twitter Buttons, Badges, Widget and Counters to Help You Find Followers
If you link a corporate blog to Twitter, why not let your users know? This is a great collection of some of the best buttons and badges out there. This is my fave.

Twitter improves service and base; next steps, revenue
SFGate in San Francisco covers the rise of Twitter as a serious communications tool and the moves over the next few months to turn it into a profitable enterprise.

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This week, there continues a flurry of posts offering advice in the wake of Forrester’s report on the lack of trust in corporate blogging. The rub here is how to maintain transparency and fair-mindedness on a blog that on one level is a corporate communications tool.

Meanwhile, a web communications researcher within Daimler, the German car maker, has been looking at whether blogs follow the Gartner Hype Cycle. Early indications suggest a correlation. Is this what you see on your corporate blogs?

News highlights

IBM Social Computing Guidelines
IBM takes Web 2.0 transparency seriously: they even publish the social media guidelines all employees of IBM are asked to adhere to. A great template if you manage social media or corporate blogs

Magpie – advertising on Twitter feeds. Is this a good thing?
Would you let ads be ‘occasionally’ inserted into your feed? Seems to me like this conflicts with Twitter etiquette, but monetization models around Twitter are only going to increase.

Top 25 Ways to Tell if Your Social Media Expert Is a Carpetbagger
Social media experts are springing up everywhere, but how can you weed out the fakes? Here are some pointers, although I’m not convinced on all of these, especially the points around blogging. Eg. personal blog posting frequency.

Corporate Blogging is not the same as Blogging
Short post that raises one important question: ‘Do you blog to inform or to express [yourself]‘? My question: can you do both?

Is a CEO blog is right for your company?
Business Blog Advice discusses the thorny subject of whether or not it makes sense to let your CEO pen a blog.

Blogging obstacles: views from a seasoned IBM blogger
If you feel the blogging devil on your back, or suffer from blog writer’s block, Aaron Kim has a few words of advice for you. Don’t treat a blog post like a magazine article, but rather like reading and writing emails. Dip in and dip out, but just keep on posting.

Blogging strategy – pick experts and use social media for distribution
Pivotal Branding offer a few words of advice on maintaining a corporate blog. “If you have a blog and its not generating the interest you are expecting, try tweaking your approach. If you can make your content more personal and accountable, you could turn that extra web page into a community of loyal customers.”

Corporate blogging follows Gartner Hype Cycle: Daimler research
According to a PhD student researcher, the Daimler blogs follow the Gartner Hype Cycle when measured against Technorati authority. It would be good to see some more research around this before jumping to any conclusions.

Top Five Rules for Creating a Successful Video Blog for Business: MarketingProfs
As more and more companies are producing multimedia, a blog can be a great outlet for some of this content, particularly video. Brent Altomare of video production firm Groovy Like a Movie offers his top tips for producing content. Remember to be yourself!

How Obama Will Use Web Technology
There’s a lot we can learn in the corporate world from the use of social media in Obama’s presidential campaign. This looks set to continue into the presidency, including the ‘fireside’ chats on YouTube.

Writing tips from writing coach Joanna Young
Looking to perfect your P’s and Q’s? Keep up with Joanna Young’s tips on bold writing. (I’m sure she’d have a thing or two to say about my mushy prose).

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