Ghostwriting of CEO blogs. I though we put this one to bed a while ago, but I guess not. Okay, it seems that from Debbie’s post that some people think it’s okay and pretty much the rest of the Blogosphere disagrees.
I know CEOs are busy people, but they still manage to send e-mails to their VPs and such. That’s why Blackberries were invented. Once post a week, maybe two, that would be great. Don’t have time to put in the links? No problem, fine have your admin do that. No biggie. The idea of a CEO blog is that it’s an inside look in the the company. Not a filtered view of the inside look into the company.
I could never write with the perspective of the CEO and get it bang on. I’d miss the subtle tone and style that makes that person interesting. I don’t care how good a ghostwriter you might be, you are still a filter. Your persceptions will still colour the outcome. Sorry it’s basic quantum physics and a little anthropology/sociology theory thrown in for good measure.
Eric Eggertson takles this topic as well, not at the level of the CEO, more at the level of “should your PR firm write your blog”. Umm, no. Bad idea. Anyone who is paid to make you look good and put the best spin on bad news for you isn’t going to be a good blogger for you. There are awesome PR bloggers out there. I know lots, Eric is one, Steve Rubel, Joe Thornley, Jeremy Pepper. But I dont’ think, I hope they wouldn’t, blog for their clients. They might help their clients blog. Coaches the blogger and such, but writing? Nope.
The central issue here is one of perspective and transparency. Transparency, well I’m not going to go there, we know the drill, okay? Perspective is the important matter. That feeling, that passion, that insight. That is was makes the difference between a good blog and a great blog. You can’t get that from a ghostwriter. Personally, I think you’d be better off finding a sharp lower-level person on the company, or better several, to contribute to the blog. Make it a company blog, sure the CEO will chime in a couple times as week maybe, but the rest of the time, show off the amazing people you have in your company. Let them tell the world about their passion for what they do.
I think you’ll be happy with the results. Acutally, I know you will be.
Tris:
What gets passed over in the whole discussion of PR folks doing various writing work for companies is the massive streamlining of corporate employees that took place throughout the 1990s and into this century.
The blog in question is basically a news summary of activities the company has been involved in recently. Sounds like a perfect assignment for the in-house communications person. Oops! We laid that person off four years ago! Well, let’s get one of the engineers to do it instead…
The task is a reporter’s task. Most companies have thinned their ranks to the point that they don’t have a lot of staff reporters any more. Just some PR managers who outsource the work to … a PR firm.
Would the writing be more authentic if a project manager added the task to the 483 other things they’re supposed to get done? Maybe. But that won’t help the project move ahead.
I totally agree there are many times when it makes sense for employees to do their own communicating. But don’t ask busy employees to take on company-wide reporting tasks, just because the company decided they can’t afford paid writers any more. The job of researching and writing articles for an official company news source is tough enough for a professional writer to do. Offloading the work to project teams may be a good idea sometimes, but not every time.
Eric,
This is an exxcelent point yoou make an one that we hear from many companies that cannot or will not set up a company blog. They simply do not have the manpower. They want to enter into the medium, but as you say, they look down their roster of employees and the only one that even has any knowledge of the new Web 2.0 social medium is that intern with a myspace page. Somehow I wouldnt want to leave my company communication campaign in the hands of a kid that only has the fame of being a level 70 on WoW.
We often hear this from companies that want to enter into the blogosphere. This is why we offer expert and professional bloggers to our clients. It gives them options that they never before had with their current staffing. If they like the project, they can always hire a full time employee for the task,. We have seen this work as well.
Thanks, Eric– while I am not on the account team that built it, the blog in question– http://www.airhybridblog.com/– is exactly as you describe.
Unfortunately for those of us who want pat answers, the ghostwriting issue is not cut and dried.
I prefer the personal touch of a blog with an individual voice, but in this case a blog that functions as a more interactive extension of a corporate newsroom is working very well for the client’s image, and is reaching the audience of automakers, and investors that they seek.
Should a point of view/opinion blog be written this way? I don’t think so, but that’s not what this is. Should the PR/marketing counsel an executive on the content of the blog, even when it is written by the executive and in his/her voice? It depends.
The answer is never simple.
Dilbert weighed in on this just last week.
Hi all, Sorry late coming into this discussion. I’m not getting the comment updates. Anyway … Eric and Doug yes you are right and that is a problem. The lean and mean company has that shortage issue. And I think that a PR company can right an industry news blog, and maybe cover company news … I’d just spice it up with interviews with employees.