To blog or not to blog?

The September edition of QSR magazine challenges businesses — quick-service restaurants, specifically — to think about whether or not a corporate blog might be a good addition to a marketing plan.

I am not going to tell you what a blog is — I trust that if you’re reading this, you’ve got some sense of how these crazy old intertubes work. The article does include a brief description, though, so if you’re not sure, give it a read.

I’m in a kind of ornery mood today, so I’m going to pull out some of the key points of content from this article and support or refute them one by one. Join me, won’t you?

… according to thenewpr.com, which tracks corporate blogging, almost 300 corporate blogs authored by CEOs and other personnel in a leadership position were up and running as of February.

I wish there was more substance to this quote, because I don’t know whether or not to believe it. 300 seems like an unfathomably low number if they’re talking about all industries, or even about foodservice in general. If it’s referring to blogs run by quick-service chains, though, it’s a respectable figure. I also question why they’re only looking at CEOs and other leader types (more on that later).

Decide what the purpose of your blog will be.

A-men to that. Directionless writing is like directionless driving — gets you nowhere. It’s critically important to have a handle on the intention behind starting a blog: do you want to promote a new product? build excitement about an upcoming event? offer insider tips to loyal customers? and so on.

Determine if a blog will reach your desired audience.

If your customer base is largely senior citizens in rural areas with no access to the internet, blogging probably shouldn’t be a strategic priority for you. You should also give some thought as to how the blog will mesh with your existing website and other corporate branding initiatives (boosting your blog on your website can help to drive traffic to the blog, but there could be a mismatch if the two properties have radically different styles/tones/audiences).

Set quantifiable and strategic goals for the blog.

Absolutely. It’s a marketing property, just like flyers and coupons and ads, and also a communications vehicle, just like media releases and speeches and newsletters. If you find that you have to adjust your goals down the road, that’s fine — but it’s important to have some goals in the first place.

Make sure you and your business are prepared for your blog’s response.

You might find that a new blog is a bit of a “ghost town” until it gets known and circulated among your customers, fans and critics. But if you’re lucky enough to have some posts that really strike a chord with your audience, you could find yourself inundated with views. Make sure you’ve got the IT infrastructure in place to handle that demand. Nothing is more frustrating than being sent a link, or discovering it through one of the several content ranking sites, only to click through to a broken page! Let’s not do that to each other.

You also have to be prepared to deal with content-based responses. How will you manage comments and other feedback (an option you have to leave open, or, honestly, there’s no point)? Blogging fosters a dialogue. Do you know what you’ll say, and how you’ll say it? And who will say it?

Just because it is a corporate blog does not necessarily mean that top executives are the right people for the blog.

Can I get another a-men? Some businesses are blessed with tech-savvy leaders that know how to write well, have a universally appropriate sense of humour and the time to dedicate to blogging. Some, not all. If it doesn’t feel like a natural, authentic way for you to communicate, it’s probably best to wait until it does. In the meantime, find the funniest, smartest, tallest person on staff and give them the job. Did I mention that I’m six feet tall?

The article goes on to talk about the importance of keeping a blog regularly updated, and cautions about the dangers of posting content that borders on libel. Those seem like fairly obvious points, but ones worth repeating, because I’d hate for you to be left wondering why no one is visiting the blog you update thrice-monthly, or why that important supplier has sent you some menacing legal letters.

I do recommend that you read the article, and if you have any questions that it doesn’t answer, just let me know. I could go on all day …