Beware the babbling blog

As he sat on the park bench, chatting up any stranger that happened by, Forrest Gump was fond of saying that “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get.” As the Internet continues its evolution, Forrest could offer the same observation about a trip down what was once known as the “information superhighway.”

While Web sites were once considered little more than an electronic brochure, today everyone from multi-national corporations to the neighborhood kid who cuts grass or scoops poop has set up a site to provide instant, anytime access to products, services, pricing and, most importantly, contact information. And while visual appeal remains important, ease and speed of navigation has – for most visitors – become what separates the worthwhile from the worthless. (Isn’t it amazing how quickly we’ve become impatient?)

Another component of this evolution is the desire to use the Web to develop more than just a “hit and run” relationship with prospects and customers who visit. (Like, perhaps, posting a humorous, monthly newsletter ... hmm). One of the more popular methods of seeking to build such a bond is the emergence of easy-to-establish, no-fuss, no-muss web logs, a.k.a. “blogs.”

As any reader can tell you, a blog is generally the stream-of-consciousness writing of the site’s sponsor on whatever happens to be on his or her mind that day. Personal blogs often serve as electronic diaries where individuals do what they used to do in those decorative books with the tiny locks and even tinier keys. Hopes, dreams, feelings, are mixed with mundane recitations of daily activities for the world’s consumption.

Business blogs, on the other hand, generally seek to showcase an organization’s personality by sharing a bit of intellectual property at no charge to the viewer. Such tools are particularly helpful for small businesses in competitive fields, where a brand-building blog could be the differentiator that helps get a business remembered when a buying decision is being made.

However, blogs can also be a very slippery slope when the contents inadvertently paint an unflattering picture of the sponsoring organization. How does this happen?

• You have nothing to say, but you say it anyway. Keep a file of things you might want to discuss on your blog. If the file’s empty, don’t write. It’s that simple.
• You forget the purpose. If you need an outlet to pontificate on the fortunes of your favorite sports team, tell a funny story from your last airplane trip, or bemoan how much money it took to fill up your SUV, then find a water cooler and a sympathetic ear. If it doesn’t reinforce your company’s brand personality, it doesn’t belong on your blog.
• Your writing style is inconsistent. Once you establish a certain “voice” for your blog, stick with it. You’ll develop a list of readers (a.k.a. prospects) who will seek you out because they know what they’ll get when they click on your latest entry.

The message? Before you stick your toe in the blog waters, make certain you have something meaningful to say that will build your brand, and the discipline to stick with it.