I heard an interesting quote recently: “Every organization is now a media company.”
Unfortunately, I can’t remember who made the statement (a little help, anyone?), but the implication is clear. Given the new tools we now have at our disposal, organizations now have the ability to publish their own content. Tell their story directly to their target audiences. Be the media, in essence (side note: Although organizations can now publish their own content, the news media still plays a huge role in the PR/communications process, and in society at large. More on that in a future post).
The first step, for most companies? Starting a blog.
We all know starting a blog isn’t all that hard–it’s maintaining it that’s tough. But, you’d be surprised how much content you can extract from your existing processes, tools and resources.
The key? Start thinking like a publisher. That’s what’s really behind the comment above. To be a media company you need to start thinking like a publishing company. Here are a few tips:
* Think USA Today not the New Yorker. My point? Your posts don’t have to be 5,00o-word manifestos. In fact, I think longer posts actually work against you. Your readers typically don’t have a ton of time. Shorter the better. Sometimes just a couple paragraphs is all it takes to grab your reader’s attention and make your point.
* Make sure multimedia is in the mix. Photos, video, even audio. It all adds to the depth of your blog. Plus, it “warms up” the blog and humanizes the authors. Ultimately, you’re trying to start conversations–sometimes you need to try some different media to do that.
* Take advantage of industry events and conferences. I never travel anywhere without my Flip. Why? Because when I’m at an industry conference or trade show, I capture interviews I use as blog content for the week ahead. It requires minimal prep (crafting questions) and is easy to execute. And, most people are flattered to be interviewed “on camera.”
* Phone it in. Most execs don’t have a lot of free time to blog, right? Try asking them to phone in their post to your voice mail. Or, if they travel, ask them to write a post or two on the plane. It’s downtime for these folks anyway. Take advantage of it. Get creative. It’s all about maximizing time.
What tips do you have to share? What’s worked for you–either with your personal blog or an organizational blog?
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LikePerfect timing for discussing in my class.
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LikeI love your concise tips and agree with Gentry on keeping a blog schedule. It helps keep everyone straight, including yourself--deadlines and consistency are crucial to success.
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LikeThanks for the advice. As a new blogger, i haven't truly made the switch from writing for magazines, for example, to writing for the web -- so i am still writing long, and structuring the blog entry like an article. Some people like it that way, but the challenge for me is the time it takes to do. My goal each week is to write shorter and take less time doing it. These tips reinforce that direction.
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LikeShari: Thanks--I think you're right. It is David Meerman Scott.
Kasey: I'm right with you. More companies are integrating video into the mix now, but still, it seems like a big missed opportunity for most folks.
Sonny: Length of posts is something I stress with all my clients. I think most of the time, people feel the need to write paragraphs upon paragraphs, when in fact what most folks want is what you so aptly referred to as "snack-worthy" posts (love that).
Richie: We all need a little motivation from time to time, right? I'm sure you'll return the favor in the not-so-distant future... ;)
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LikeArik - There are excellent thoughts to help crystallize the idea of thinking like a publisher. Being able to make and re-purpose organization news allows us to provide useful content for our readers. I know my organization needs to do a better job with our 2 year-old blog, but these ideas have revved up my thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
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LikeThe biggest point that's stuck out to me lately is your first one on length of posts. Chris Brogan made a similar point in a recent newsletter that talked about the 'snacking web' and how readers are looking for those short 'snack-worthy' posts that they can quickly read and contribute to.
Definitely something I'll be adhering to more as I look towards the future of my blog.
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LikeArik, it seems you and I have been on the same page lately when it comes to stressing the importance of multimedia - whether for blogs or organizations.
What better way to capture your audience that to put up visuals. We loved pictures and images as a kid - things haven't changed.
I'm not taking a big leap here, but I'm going on the record and saying that video content will be the focal point the remainder of the year and especially in 2010. I think organizations and people will begin to realize how easy it is to shoot a quick 2 minute video and throw it up on their site. Quick, easy and has a huge impact - why not use it?
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LikeArik, I was looking for my copy of David Meerman Scott's New Rules for Marketing & PR, and can't find it, but I'm pretty certain he was the source for your quote about organizations thinking like publishers.
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LikeFor our organizational blog, I've always found it useful to have a schedule posted so everyone knows who is supposed to be blogging and when. Although we haven't yet accomplished it, I would like to have more formal budget meetings (similar to those editorial boards have) to develop compelling content for the blog. This could be a little on the micromanagement side, but I think it helps give the posts more structure and value when authors know ahead of time what they need to be working on.
On my personal blog (the newest of which I just started up this week), the most work I do with it is research for a while before I try to make a post. After reviewing other smart bloggers' work and developing an idea, I write the post.
The most important thing about blogging - I think - is making it relevant to readers and making a connection with them. Once that is established, it's easier to start an exchange of ideas with them.
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