Only two out of ten senior business executives actually write their own blog posts, according to an international poll of 750 executive bloggers that was published by Times of London journalist-turned-flack David Davis. I say ghost-written blogs are dishonest. Blogs are for people who have something to say and who know how to say it.
Bloggers have to walk the walk…
The bloggers in any company should be the people who
– want to blog,
– can make the time,
– are extremely knowledgeable about their subject matter,
– and can consistently make the content worth reading.
That doesn’t have to be the CEO, or the COO, or even a VP. It does have to be someone willing to write in his or her own voice, who will make a commitment to posting on a regular basis. That doesn’t have to be 10 times a day. But if you say you will post three times a week, that’s when you should post.
Ghost-written blogs are a sham
Of the 83% of respondents who said they “have advice” on writing their blogs, 48% said blogging is too time consuming and 39% said they have difficulty expressing themselves in writing. Yes, blogging is time-consuming. Next question?
Hiring someone to blog for the company is perfectly acceptable — as long as you let people know the name and credentials of the writer. There’s also no reason that only one person has to be the writer of a company blog. CEOs or other executives should contribute to a company blog when they have something to say. (Save the PR crap for the annual report.)
Ain’t nothing wrong with editing
Most of the 17% who said they wrote their own blogs said they first asked for advice from HR and communications colleagues. Nothing wrong with asking for advice: every writer can use another set of eyes. Editing is perfectly fine too, as long as it’s done to improve the writing and not just to let the lawyers and the flaks vet the copy.
The long road to transparency
Asked to describe a ‘ghost written’ company blog, 43% said it was “marginally misleading” and 44% found it “acceptable.” The other 13% found ghost written blogs either “a sham” or “totally misleading.” I’m with them.
Davis’ email poll involved interviews with 750 senior exec who publish company blogs in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. The respondents, 65% males and 35% females, work in a wide range of industries and financial institutions.
Related What’s Next Blog posts here and here.
via Mike Driehorst
If it’s a “corporate” blog, then I’d suggest that the blogger would have to be someone of authority, who can speak for the company. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing more than what Sun Microsystems has with encouraging its employees to blog. (That’s fine, but is different than having a corp blog.)
I wouldn’t be comfortable with ghost blogging for a client. At the same time, I do see where having a conversational writing capability may not be a strong suit for someone wearing a suit. So, a lot of execs who may be out of their comfort zone in blogging would rely on a ghost blogger.
I guess, as you note, the best solution — and best way to get a good voice for a company — is to have multiple authors. That way, there would be frequent blog activity without the heavy time requirements on upper management.
“speak for the company” about what? Although he identifies it as a personal blog, Robert Scoble’s blog is a Microsoft blog and he does speak for the company. He’s become the company’s most credible, and powerful, spokesperson.
Someone of authority does not have to be the CEO or another suit. Stonyfield Farms blogs, for example, are written by Christine Halvorson, who does a great job of writing about several different topics related to what Stonyfield CUSTOMERS care about. And she is identified as the writer.
As an editor for the Know More Media blog network, I understand the importance of fixing typos, adding in forgotten links, and enhancing posts in other ways. But I also can see the problem with doctoring the thoughts of a post so that they reflect ideas that are different from what the author orignially intended. I think that in general, “ghost blogging” is ill-advised. Why not just say what you really think, Mr. or Ms. CEO?
Dishonest? Definitely lame, but how is that different from CEOs having speeches written for them?
I agree, ghost blogs are bad, but I’m not sure that means they’re trying to deceive…just take a short cut to try and tap into the latest trend. They’ll suffer the consequences.
CEOs have to give speeches. They don’t have to blog. If they are going to blog, they ought to do it in their own words.
and yes, they will pay the consequences because it is always obvious when there is ghost writing or the over-involvemnent of flaks and lawyers.
B.L.,
I do agree that someone like Robert Scoble is a powerful and extremely credible in speaking as an MS employee.
However, as I’m sure you know, nearly every company has a marketing strategy, attempt to control its brand, official “position,” etc., etc.
I doubt if Scoble is in on the MS marketing meetings. While it is noble that he is allowed to speak his mind — as he recently voiced objections to what seemed like MS controlling a Chinese blogger — he is not an “official” spokesperson.
He certainly adds value to the MS brand, but he does not officially speak for the company.
So, in corporate blogging — as you would in other formal corp communications — you need someone or someones who really do “speak for the company.”
It helps credibility for a corp blog if that someone is in management, and has authority to take comments and can change things within that company if it’s warranted (based, at least in part, on comments to a corp blog).
The great thing about blogging is that there is a higher level of honesty — at least perceived and expected honesty — vs. other forms of official corp communications.
— Mike
I blogged about this topic this morning – you’ve got a great blog here BL.
I think what people find so objectionable about “ghost blogging” is the implied deception. Frankly, I think much of what’s been written by PR practitioners about this practice (calling it “a disgrace” and “shameful”) smacks of hypocrisy.
Look, many of us are professional marketing people who get paid by clients to craft messages that work on their behalf. Get over it.
Most of the companies in this world are small businesses who can’t keep a Robert Scoble or Christine Halvorson on staff (Stoneyfield Farms is a big business, btw, with 85%+ of the company owned by international Yogurt giant Danone, although the company is fierce in its adherence to independent operations). In small businesses, owners and managers have to wear several hats and may or may not have the skill set to provide a “company voice” through a blog and lack the staff resources to delegate the responsibility internally.
So what are they going to do? Shut up and avoid communicating or work with a consultant (either internal or external) to help maintain a dialog about their brand? I’d opt for some communications over none.
The key to me is disclosure. If a corporate executive (and the study was about corporate executives, not generic corporate bloggers right?) requires the assistance of a “ghost”, then they should make it clear that the blog is a collaborative effort.
As PR people, I’d think it would serve everyone better if we encouraged more blogging (albeit open and honest) rather than adopting the high-handed approach that seems to be advocated by so many in the blogosphere right now.
That’s my 2 cents’ worth anyway.
Mike Bawden
Brand Central Station
Time is exactly what most CEO’s don’t have. I do believe however, that in the next few years we’ll see a swing where big time CEO’s will learn that they need to open themselves up to the consumer.
But yeah, writing a fake blog for the boss sucks in many ways.
Back when I was a publicist in the early 90s, I represented a major family-owned New York City supermarket chain. When I asked the execs how much time they spent talking to customers in the stores, they looked at me like I had two heads. “Who has time?” they all said. “We’re too busy already!”
Today, blogging is a new form of talking to customers, and most executives whine that they don’t have the time. But customers are the reason they all come to work every day and listening to them is the most important job any executive has.
So I don’t accept the “I don’t have the time” argument against blogging. Make the time. Adapt or die. And make sure that any blog posts that are published under your byline are written by you.
BL,
I think you missed a zero. David stated 2 in 10 CEO’s that’s 20% not 2%.
Also, from experience with the coporate blogging survey, I wonder how many people actually answered that particular question.
I’d like to see more details about the survey before assuming anything.
John
BL,
There is certainly an amount of dishonesty involved in ghost-writing a blog for a client. It is my opinion that this dishonesty is overcome with the implicit permission and approval of the client to represent them.
Advertising Agents, Public Relations Agents, and any myriad of professionals such as lawyers or real estate agents are charged with “representing” their clients.
In legal terms that is referred to as “agency”. You probably already know this. Although the idealistic view of blogging is much as you describe, the realistic view of this phenomenon is that people do not have the time and some times the ability to represent themselves well in writing. Does this mean they have nothing of value to contribute?
Naturally, if one is blogging purely for the marketing purpose of communicating product or service benefits, it is a good idea to have transparency. If one is blogging to express opinion, again transparency is a good idea.
If one is blogging to engage in dialogue with targeted constituencies in order to raise awareness or even simply to influence Search Engine Rankings, I feel that ghost writing is an acceptable form of communicating through a blog.
It is the notion of having the tacit approval of the “author on record” that makes this ethically acceptable. Of course, that is just my opinion.
Dwight: This is a conversation about the dishonesty of NOT having the “author on record.”
BL, I don’t buy the argument of “no time” either. However, it’s reality.
Coming from a person who currently runs a corporate blog that is owned by a publically traded company… I can tell you that it ain’t easy trying to get the big kahuna to write something.
Never once did I think about ghost writing for him though, and he never asked. Then again, he’s only posted a few times in over a year or so.
Like I said, it’s going to take time for most of them to prioritize blogging into their duties.