Blogs are powerful: Blogs are disruptive
NetcomsThe now infamous iPod battery saga owes it's high profile to blogs...
Joel Cere, EMEA Vice President, Netcoms writes: "Since the power to reach and influence is no longer confined to the broadcaster, the press release or the journalist, blogs can have a disruptive effect on the way companies communicate. Armed with a well linked blog and a RSS feed, any consumer has now all the necessary firepower to instantaneously broadcast views on a planetary scale. More and more companies are finding out that bloggers can help make or break a reputation.
The iPod’s controversy on battery life was brought up by two brothers who were frustrated by Apple’s customer service answers. They vented their anger on a video clip and posted it on their blog. It acted as a firestarter for a raging debate among iPod owners until Apple issued a formal clarification statement, extended its product’s battery life and introduced a replacement program. (http://www.iPodsdirtysecret.com/)
Blogs are becoming too big and powerful to be ignored. They put consumer satisfaction under increased scrutiny yet provide an opportunity to engage at a deeper level with consumers."
His main tips are:
1. Know your audience
Include blogs in your communication mix, if only to listen to what consumers say about you and your competitors.
2. Breach the trust gap
Bloggers will be naturally suspicious of any sales pitch. If you want to work with established blogs, make sure you are open and honest about who you are, why you are contacting them, what type of relationship you are looking for and why you value their opinion. Do not take bloggers for granted. Heavy handed or sneaky tactics will backfire and you will turn an advocate into a fiery opponent.
3. Engage in genuine partnership
If your brand is fortunate enough to have bloggers praising its merits, treat them like you would treat journalists. After all, your devoted blogger may have a bigger following than your favourite daily paper.
4. DIY with caution
A blog could help give a personal dimension to some activities your company is engaged in. Think CSR for example with a diary of your teams’ efforts in a developing country or generating buzz around product release with your engineers reporting their progress and sharing some insights with aficionados (Microsoft’ employees write more than 700 blogs on these topics).
Equally, blogs can be effective in strengthening or raising an executive’s profile (http://prplanet.typepad.com/ceobloggers/) or helping assess authority in a sector
posted by Jen @ 3:17 pm
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