Corporate Blogging. Risk vs. Reward
Blogging is an integral part of building your brand, and corporations now view blogging as a CRITICAL tool for many purposes, including marketing products and services, building goodwill and brand loyalty, putting a human face on the corporation, countering negative publicity, and simplifying communications with current and potential customers.
Consequently, business blogging is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. And here are just some of the rewards:
Brands that create 15 blogs per month average 1,200 new leads per month.
Social media sites & blogs reach 8 out of 10 of all US internet users & account for 23% of all time spent on line!
By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without talking to a human.
Small businesses that embrace blogging see 126% more growth in terms of leads than those that don’t.
Companies who blog receive 97% more inbound links to their website.
And, the only thing blogging costs you is your time!
So, the facts speak for themselves. Marketing data clearly shows that blogging is a critical piece of the inbound marketing methodology and directly correlates to better business results.
But you do need to do it smart, and you do need to manage it…. because there are RISKS associated with the REWARDS of blogging.
Employees who are set free to represent your company without intimate knowledge, training and guidelines in your corporate culture can present a significant risk to your image. And, aside from these unprepared or unhappy employees, what is stopping your blogger from inadvertently sharing confidential information or leaking sensitive financial material? Additional legal liabilities associated with blogging include; losing your key corporate messages, negative impact on your brand or share price, blogging neglect, and intellectual property protections- to name a few.
Training and guidelines for Corporate Bloggers is essential.
So, have you implemented a company policy governing the posting of company content on the internet? Or perhaps you have a filtering or approval process in place so no employee can unintentionally, or otherwise post potentially damaging content related to your organization? Do you have guidelines in place regulating what company information can be shared through social media?
While blogging may seem innocuous, after all, it is just part of your sales and marketing teams daily activities in which they are likely creating a multitude of great content, generating contacts & leads for your product and services. Right? Well, consider this, while they are creating these rewards, what if any, controls do you have in place to mitigate the risks?
Get a Corporate Blogging Policy in place.
Implement Corporate Guidelines for your Bloggers to follow.
Need help? Call Sarkany. We can help.