Business Blog Advice

Remember when people used to call the Internet a fad? “Oh, that Internet thing will never last. A bunch of connected computers … what’s the point?”

The same type of thing has happened with CEO blogs. A lot of folks “in the know” started out saying that CEO blogging would never take off, because CEOs aren’t the kinds of people who blog. On the other side of the fence, a lot of folks saw the communication potential of corporate blogs and urged CEOs to jump on board. And, of course, there were those early adopters — the CEOs who needed no invitation, and instead chose to jump in feet first.

CEO blogs are not new. Look at my post on the Birth of a CEO Blog and check out some of those dates. But CEO blogs have become much more popular in the last year or so, partly in response to the ongoing coverage I’ve captured for you below.

My favorite moment in CEO blog coverage? It came from USA Today writer Del Jones, who in 2005 said the following: “But despite all of the power and sway that awaits an early adopter, it’s going to take a brave CEO with thick skin to enter the blogosphere.” [You mean like these brave CEOs?]

Since that remark (and even long before it), a lot of people have said a lot of things about CEO blogging. And they continue to do so. But up until now, this commentary has never been compiled in a single source. That’s what I’ve tried to do below.

Here’s the ongoing evolution of CEO blog coverage. If it’s as interesting for you to read as it was for me to create, my time was well spent. Enjoy!

The Role of PR in CEO Blogs
(October 1, 2004)

The Blog Marketing Explosion
(October 5, 2004)

CEO Blog or Journal?
(October 18, 2004)

CEOs Refuse to Get Tangled Up In Messy Blogs
(May 10, 2005)

CEO Blogs and Why They Won’t Happen
(May 10, 2005)

Why CEOs Should Blog
(September 19, 2005)

Why CEOs Shouldn’t Blog
(September 19, 2005)

CEOs: Blog or Die
(March 17, 2005)

Should Executives Blog?
(January 31, 2006)

New York Times Encourages CEOs to Blog
March 8, 2006

Maybe Your CEO Shouldn’t Blog
(March 16, 2006)

CEOs and Blogging - Second Try
(March 18, 2006)

Most Popular CEO and Corporate Blogs - Any Good?
(July 22, 2006)

5 Good Reasons Not All CEOs Should Blog
(July 30, 2006)

Does Your CEO Blog?
(July 31, 2006)

CEO Blogging? Don’t Hold Your Breath
(July 31, 2006)

To Blog or Not to Blog - A CEO Question?
(August 1, 2006)

Is It Okay to Ghostwrite a CEO Blog?
(September 18, 2006)

Blogging and the Role of the CEO
(September 22, 2006)

Should Executives and CEOs Blog?
(September 25, 2006)

CEO Blogs Not Censored Yet
(November 10, 2006)

When Should a CEO Blog?
(February 22, 2007)

CEOs Should Blog
(March 9, 2007)

That seems like an appropriate way to end the list.

What Did I Miss?
Did I miss something noteworthy? A good article or commentary on the evolution of CEO blogs? Just drop me a comment below, and I’ll add it to the list. After all, this is our list … not mine.

~Brandon

Sony CEO Jack Tretton recently threw down a gauntlet that was immediately accepted, mostly by tech bloggers.

In a overwhelming fit of corporate pride, Tretton said he would pay $1,200 for any PlayStation 3 (PS3) still on the store shelves. The bounty was testament to Tretton’s belief that the PS3 was such a hot seller you simply couldn’t find it in stores.

Okay, so he is enthusiastic about his product. That’s probably something all CEOs can learn from. But here’s where Mr. Tretton’s judgment took a nose-dive (in this observer’s humble opinion). When some popular gaming bloggers creatively took up his challenge, Tretton belittled them by saying: “We have a new phenomenon as well in recent years, something we didn’t have during the PlayStation or PlayStation 2. And that is everybody is a journalist - if you have a PC, then you’re a journalist.”

In light of these amusing events, I have a few words of business advice for Mr. Tretton:

Never alienate your customer base. In the future, you should realize that the popular tech and gaming bloggers (A) are more connected with your customer base than you are, (B) influence the purchasing decisions of your customer base, and (C) often ARE your customer base.

What would have been a better way to handle these bloggers who accepted his challenge?

Maybe a good-spirited “Nice work fellas. You sure rose to the challenge.” Followed, of course, by a highly visible check-presentation ceremony where the CEO lives up to his words. Anything would be better than belittling somebody for accepting a challenge that you yourself threw down.

Corporate executives should never underestimate the power of influential bloggers, especially when those bloggers are closely connected with their core customer base. If you are wise, you will not dismiss such folks as being quasi-media. You will realize that they are, in fact, the new media. As far as your customers are concerned.
~Brandon

I’m working on a chronicle of CEO blogs from a media coverage perspective — early predictions that turned out to be false, that kind of thing.

In the meantime, I thought you might find this USA Today story interesting. It’s from May 2005, and it gives reasons why CEOs are resistant to getting “tangled up in messy blogs.” The article states that “it’s going to take a brave CEO with thick skin to enter the blogosphere.”

How accurate was this early prediction of CEO blogging? Not very. Quite a few CEOs and senior execs have entered the blogging world, with more each week.

But what do I know? I just make observations based on facts and data, not personal assumptions. I guess I’ll never get a gig at USA Today.

~Brandon

Next week at Philadelphia University, Christopher Barger of IBM will speak about blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and other elements of Web 2.0.

Event summary follows:
Catch Up on Web 2.0 for Business

A “how to” seminar designed for corporate marketing, communications and public relations executives. Hear details, examples and advice from professionals using the new Web tools that are changing business communications.

Learn more

A recent article at iMediaConnection.com talks about corporate blogging in general, and the blogs of GM, Sun Microsystems and Wells Fargo in particular.

One particular part of this article rings true for me, when the author states:

“The best corporate blogs shed their corporate happy talk and speak to people in the same tone and manner as if reader and blogger were shooting the bull at a cocktail party. There’s a reason for that. People are exposed to plenty of marketing prose and hyperbole in your ads. They don’t need more.”

Amen to that.

3 Big Brands Reinvent Themselves with Blogs

Corporate blogs have been in the news a lot lately. In the first press release listed below, the author seems skeptical that blogs will become mainstream in the corporate world. Is it just me, or does this run contrary to the fact that the author is writing a press release about corporate blogs?

I see people say this all the time: “Are corporate blogs hype, or will they become mainstream?” I’m not sure which Internet these people are watching. But on my Internet, blogs are at this very moment becoming mainstream.

Corporate blogs in the news (offsite):

Are Corporate Blogs De Rigueur, or Fading Fast? Utah Communications Experts Report From the Blogosphere

3 Big Brands Reinvent Themselves with Blogs

Blogging, and knowing how to do it properly

Christopher Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said he was intrigued by the idea of letting companies use Weblogs to disseminate important corporate information.

It seems he even has a favorite blogger. The chairman has invited Sun Microsystems chief Jonathan Schwartz to speak to the SEC about making company disclosures through blogs. Schwartz blogs regularly at http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/

Message to government: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

-Brandon

Related story: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061107/sec_ceo_blogs.html?.v=2

Alan Meckler, CEO of JupiterMedia, got some coverage recently for using his blog to openly discuss down trends in the company’s stock.

Regardless of where you sit on the blogging fence, you have to admire the man’s honesty. Just look at the frank, anti-sugar-coating manner in which he opens the blog post:

“Seeing your stock price get walloped is not fun when you are CEO and also the largest stockholder. Even worse are the numerous phone calls and emails directed my way to further explain the results.”

Being open about your company’s downs won’t magically turn them into ups. But it will surely change the way people perceive your company … for the better.

-Brandon

JupiterMedia blog post: http://weblogs.jupitermedia.com/meckler/archives/017187.html