Since the beginning of 2012, I have received calls from at least a half dozen large B2B technology companies that are in the process of launching blogs. Without exception, they are doing so with the hope of increasing traffic to their corporate Web sites. The B2Bs have seen the wisdom of social networking. And so, we are entering the era of "brand as publisher." There are many compelling reasons for companies to proceed down this path, but they must do so with caution.
Brand as Publisher
Magazines are well aware of the need for engaging, compelling content, but very few companies have the skills in house to create such content on an ongoing basis. And, even if they do, that talent is busy creating other marketing materials (when not stuck in a series of endless meetings). Even in the face of these facts, I see a lot of companies enlist their staff as blog writers without doing some basic checks to ensure that their people have the skill set or the time to generate quality content.
Protecting the Brand
Company blogs reflect on brand image. Unless you have the right structure, training, and staff time, the effort is destined to go horribly wrong.
The answer is to engage with a ghostblogger who has a journalism background and the editing skills to ensure that the posts are completed in a timely, professional manner. Importantly, however, the person you select must also deeply understand your technology and the trends within your market in order to create content that your customers and prospects will be eager to read.