I found this book called Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging by John Cass and it might interest you guys as blogging is one of our assingnment for the PR 393 unit but more importantly, blogging is becoming a major aspect of public relations for any contemporary corporate.
Blogging as you all know is accessible to everyone (who has internet access of course!). Thus, the line between producers and consumers (or receivers) of information is disapearing with this new communication tool as anyone can publish anything. As public relations students and future professionals, we have some advantages over other bloggers. These are our communication skills. You still don't know what I am talking about? Here's John Cass's list:
- "The ability to develop a relationship with other business people
- The ability to conduct a dialogue with other business professionals
- The expertise to look beyond the moment, and predict the future consequences resulting from any company actions
- Public relations people have to convince journalists and other stakeholders that their story is important. Public relations people sell their story on the value it will provide to the journalist's audience
- The media world has changed, news is delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the Internet is the reason for that change. Public relations professionals who are experienced in the pace of the news cycle have training, and discipline to keep up
- Most critically, when communications crisis arise that require delicate management, public relations professionals have the skills to manage the crisis. " (Cass 2007, 45)
However, I was surprise to read a few paragraphs later that Cass believe that despite all the skills that we have as public relations people, we are not the best people to write the corporate blog of our company. His justification is that the blog readers often seek and expert advice or opinion on a particular subject. Thus, he believes that the companies should hire an expert in their field of action to write their corporate blog. (Cass 2007)
To be honest, I found this theory a little bit surprising because I think that the experts would have the perfect answers that the readers are looking for but do they have the skills to present it in the right way? I don't think so ! The problem is that if the information is not well presented or the language used is not appropriate for the audience (i.e. too many technical or academic terms) will the readers even read it? Will they understand it?
I believe the public relations professionals should be the one writing they companies' corporate blog BUT they should not do it alone. An expert advice or opinion could be featured in the blog post when it is necessary then the readers would have what they are looking for and in a format corresponding to the companies' communication strategies.
I found this book particularly appropriate for me as I am working on writing some biographies of inspirational people that will feature on the freehands website (the volunteering agency I am working for). These biographies can be considered as blog content thus should I stop working on them since I am not an expert but the Marketing and Public Relations coordinator of freehands? I believe not.
Your comments and advices are the most welcome !:)
Alix
Reference: Cass, J. 2007. Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann
