Found this article from today's Calgary Sun, on how companies are getting their feet wet with blogs. Was pleased to see that one of my favorite bloggers, Tara Hunt, is quoted throughout, with this final quote being my favorite: "I'm trying to break marketing. I'm trying to make it less about outbound messages and more about building communities.".
Of course Miss Rogue is right on, and she's working for a startup that is smart enough to not only let her embrace the community, but bring the company INTO the community. But I fear that many companies will instead look to bloggers as a liason between them and the community. A 'buffer', if you will. Rather than let them bring the company into the community, they will want the blogger to 'put on a good face' for the community.
Some companies, especially smaller ones and startups, are smart enough to realize the importance of joining the community, and see how incredibly beneficial their blogging can be. For many though, I fear they will have to change their entire culture in order to integrate blogs into their marketing communication plans as a true tool to reach out to their community.
2 comments:
Mack when you say, "they will have to change their entire culture" you hit on exactly the rub.
The mind set will have to change for the corporate culture to change. The corporate culture will have to change for the processes within the business to change - then we might see actions that allow a company to join the marketplace.
Till then a kind of D "msm" Z like what you suggest will be the buffer solution.
Good conversation, good posting - thanks for stirring the pot!
Exactly Michael, I think many companies are looking at blogs as a tool to 'pacify' customers, instead of as a way to join their community. The sad fact is, I don't think many companies want to take the time to get on the same level with their customers, because they can't track a quantifiable benefit from doing so. Until they can see a figure on a balance sheet that shows how much money can be made from such a move, they forego it.
Such companies get the (lack of) business they deserve.
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