Comments on: Communication Issues and Corporate Blogs http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/ Thoughts on online community strategy, community management, blogging, social media, Yahoo Pipes and open source. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:59:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bryan Person http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-83668 Bryan Person Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:04:04 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=915#comment-83668 Dawn: Thought I'd share the social media guidelines I created for LiveWorld employees. http://budurl.com/LWSMGuidelines I think they're pretty straightforward, and that they help guide employees in their online content creation on blogs and social networks. Essentially, when employees are writing/commenting about company-related matters or industry issues, they need to identify themselves and their company affiliation. And if they're blogging on their own sites, they need to put a disclaimer that their opinions are their own, and don't necessarily reflect the official views of the company. However, as we point out in the guidelines, employees should always be mindful that their writing/comments/etc. can be considered a reflection of their company. After all, remember the Robert Scoble example. As much as he would say that he wasn't an official spokesperson for Microsoft, he was certainly a de-facto one. He helped give Microsoft an online personality and voice that it had lacked. So, the "official" vs. "opinion" content can't always be so neatly separated. Many people naturally lump these two categories into one, and it's a reality companies need to consider when drafting social media guidelines for their employees. Bryan | @BryanPerson LiveWorld Dawn:

Thought I’d share the social media guidelines I created for LiveWorld employees.
http://budurl.com/LWSMGuidelines

I think they’re pretty straightforward, and that they help guide employees in their online content creation on blogs and social networks.

Essentially, when employees are writing/commenting about company-related matters or industry issues, they need to identify themselves and their company affiliation.
And if they’re blogging on their own sites, they need to put a disclaimer that their opinions are their own, and don’t necessarily reflect the official views of the company.

However, as we point out in the guidelines, employees should always be mindful that their writing/comments/etc. can be considered a reflection of their company. After all, remember the Robert Scoble example. As much as he would say that he wasn’t an official spokesperson for Microsoft, he was certainly a de-facto one. He helped give Microsoft an online personality and voice that it had lacked.

So, the “official” vs. “opinion” content can’t always be so neatly separated. Many people naturally lump these two categories into one, and it’s a reality companies need to consider when drafting social media guidelines for their employees.

Bryan | @BryanPerson
LiveWorld

]]> By: Suggested Reading - Jan 23, 2009 « Sazbean http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-83458 Suggested Reading - Jan 23, 2009 « Sazbean Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:31:37 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=915#comment-83458 [...] Communication Issues and Corporate Blogs (Fast Wonder) [...] [...] Communication Issues and Corporate Blogs (Fast Wonder) [...]

]]> By: Jason Mauer http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-83373 Jason Mauer Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:49:39 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=915#comment-83373 Good point about the hosting, John. Microsoft has a couple sites (like http://blogs.msdn.com/ ) for employee blogs, but I decided to host on my own domain in large part because of the perception of it. I wanted to make clear that the words were my own. (And if things get ugly, I know I have control over my own site.) Along with that was the decision around how much personal stuff to mix in with work-related posts. In thinking about it, I found that the blogs I enjoyed reading the most were the ones that weren't just about the latest service pack or techie tip, but covered the gamut of that person's interests. Scott Hanselman (http://www.hanselman.com/ )is a good example; he has had some great posts about his time in Africa, his family, or his dealings with diabetes that I've found very interesting. Besides getting to know the person better and learning something new every once in a while, I think this also helps to clarify that these are your words, not your company's. Good point about the hosting, John. Microsoft has a couple sites (like http://blogs.msdn.com/ ) for employee blogs, but I decided to host on my own domain in large part because of the perception of it. I wanted to make clear that the words were my own. (And if things get ugly, I know I have control over my own site.)

Along with that was the decision around how much personal stuff to mix in with work-related posts. In thinking about it, I found that the blogs I enjoyed reading the most were the ones that weren’t just about the latest service pack or techie tip, but covered the gamut of that person’s interests. Scott Hanselman (http://www.hanselman.com/ )is a good example; he has had some great posts about his time in Africa, his family, or his dealings with diabetes that I’ve found very interesting. Besides getting to know the person better and learning something new every once in a while, I think this also helps to clarify that these are your words, not your company’s.

]]> By: John Norris http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-83322 John Norris Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:40:35 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=915#comment-83322 An alternative is to have the blog hosted on a non-company associated site. Perhaps a site associated with the industry or vocation. One would still need to make sure (using the ideas you noted) that the everyone knows the author is speaking for themselves only. An alternative is to have the blog hosted on a non-company associated site. Perhaps a site associated with the industry or vocation.

One would still need to make sure (using the ideas you noted) that the everyone knows the author is speaking for themselves only.

]]> By: Inside Network Redux » Blog Archive » Bookmarks for January 21st, 2009 from 00:56 to 13:09 http://fastwonderblog.com/2009/01/21/communication-issues-and-corporate-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-83061 Inside Network Redux » Blog Archive » Bookmarks for January 21st, 2009 from 00:56 to 13:09 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:00:59 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=915#comment-83061 [...] Communication Issues and Corporate Blogs at Fast Wonder Blog: Consulting, Online Communities, and So... - [...] [...] Communication Issues and Corporate Blogs at Fast Wonder Blog: Consulting, Online Communities, and So… – [...]

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