PlusOne - Musings of a marketer

I was reading Matt Cutts blog (something I get around to every few weeks) and saw a rather nifty post on company blogging.

Its all about what to write and what not to write on a company blog. Of course company blogs are an odd beast…needing to be both representative of the business, but also having the personality of the writer. However while he tries to link it to a controversial blog entry made by a Google blogger, most of his discussion is not related to company blogging at all. But the advice is good for all bloggers.

So these are the main points Matt makes in his blog post in bold. See his blog for his own expanded thoughts) and my notes after:

The easiest time to make a blogging gaffe is when you’re starting out - this is like anything new. Slow and steady till you find your feet. There is nothing more dis-spiriting than getting negative feedback on your intial forays.

Don’t criticize other companies or people. - This is a number one rule of sales and good practice on always being positive.

Don’t post when you’re angry - We all know what it is like saying something in the heat of the moment. Slowing the conversation down in the comments gives everyone time to take stock.

Learn which stories matter and which ones don’t - Is everything you write and every position or statement made important. If it’s not going to harm the company or your image, it might be just as well to let it slide

If you make a mistake, don’t clam up - sometimes it is worth making a correction, re-explaining something from a different angle.

Of course many of the above rely on people actually participating in your discussion…something not always so easy to achieve.  I think the majority of blogs post to the mute masses.

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