Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to DevelopYour Business Online

Chapter 18. Five Starter Moves: Should Blogging Go Next?

In our Five Starter Moves^[93] discussion so far, we've talked about framing the idea to our organization and about listening/hearing. Now, let's talk about blogging.

I ask this question because I believe most people advising organizations about social media go straight for a blog as their first option. I'm going to step out and say that maybe a blog isn't a good first choice. Why? Because I think that blogs are fairly substantial steps and that an organization might feel really exposed if its first attempt at clearing its throat is an onstage a cappella moment in front of thousands.

Why not start with a tumbleblog or a posterous account? In fact, an organization could even do a stealth trial of the feel of blogging by doing a few throwaway tumbleblogs that aren't about the organization. Start with something that appeals to those who might be asked to blog. If they're into Texas hold 'em, cool. See if you can get them to post once every few days about poker.

Find some blogs that you'd want your organization to emulate in tone, style, and/or content, and subscribe to those in the reader, too (at this point, you might consider adding some folders to the reader, one for "listening" and one for "blogs"). Add a mix of related business blogs and maybe even some fun blogs to read, like poker blogs (to use my previous example).

Blogging is fun, empowering, and a great way to build the face of an organization, but it's also some people's ...