Unlike official company blogs, unofficial third-party discussion over the Web offers another level of authenticity and transparency for the company that is being blogged about. Those seeking to post comments, topics and questions can do so on virtually any topic without the fear/disappointment that their blog posts will be filtered and/or altered by the company.
This doesn’t mean, however, that every unofficial blog will be a successful one. The success of InsideFacebook (the unofficial company blog for Facebook), for example, has just as much to do with the site’s full time contributor staff and buzz-building strategy.
So, how does a good blog look like? WebWorker Daily tells us that “a good company blog lets us know about new features, gives u tutorials, tips, and present us with useful information related to their product or service. It gives us a glimpse into what they do and why they do it.”
That being said, the following are some key considerations on how to ensure the success of any official/unofficial company blog:
- Content must be timely, relevant, investigative and exploratory.
- Is the blog telling readers anything new or is it simply outdated/regurgitated
content?
- Is the blog about a topic/issue that readers will care about or does it go off
topic?
- Is the blog thought-provoking? Does the content make others want to start
their own blog?
- Is the blog forward-thinking? Does it address the issues and implications for
future development and growth for the organization/industry?
Clearly, creating a successful blog is no easy feat. As a first time blogger myself, I am still researching and learning the ropes on how to best communicate, engage and interact with the only community using emerging media technology.
