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November 28, 2007 |
Tips from a blogosphere navigator
Five years ago, many people had never heard of blogs.
(OK, for some of us, you can make that two or three years ago.)
(OK, for some of us, you can make that two or three years ago.)
Now companies are finding that the "blogosphere" of news, opinions and chat can create real-time, real-life corporate communication headaches.
Just ask Southwest Airlines Co. about the recent Kyla Ebbert dress-violation brouhaha that took on a life of its own via blogs.
But it's difficult to know when, where and how to deal with this new media.
The first step, says Michael Robinson, is to take blogs seriously.
The first step, says Michael Robinson, is to take blogs seriously.
"Many companies don't give blogs enough attention. They do that at their peril."
Mr. Robinson, senior vice president at Levick Strategic Communications LLC in Washington, D.C., helps companies pinpoint "high-authority blogs" – those with loyal followers and enough credibility to move markets and influence public opinion.
Mr. Robinson, senior vice president at Levick Strategic Communications LLC in Washington, D.C., helps companies pinpoint "high-authority blogs" – those with loyal followers and enough credibility to move markets and influence public opinion.
"Blogs are an immediate warning system," says Mr. Robinson, whose firm specializes in crisis communication. "If you see an issue beginning to get blog traction, you know it's time to pay attention to it. You don't get to wait for the next news cycle or next day or next week. It happens in the blink of an eye."
Chip Babcock, a Dallas lawyer with Jackson Walker LLP, sometimes uses Levick to identify which bloggers to care about and which ones to let rant without much response. He says Levick is helping him on five current high-profile cases.
That's how he learned about blogs such as Scared Monkeys (on crime and culture) and How Appealing (a legal discourse followed by judges).
That's how he learned about blogs such as Scared Monkeys (on crime and culture) and How Appealing (a legal discourse followed by judges).
"Some blogs are becoming increasingly influential with people you care about – whether they're judges, potential jurors or other opinion-makers," says Mr. Babcock, who has represented Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil McGraw. "This wasn't the case five years ago. And I'd never heard the word blog 10 years ago, when I went to Amarillo for Oprah.
"Most people don't understand the blogosphere very well, including me, by the way," Mr. Babcock says. "But it's definitely something companies and lawyers need to worry about."
Ones to watch
A blog, or Web log, is a regularly updated journal published on a Web site to provide commentary or news. It usually allows readers to add their thoughts in an interactive format.
"It's the ability of anybody, anywhere to talk to anybody anywhere about anything," says Mr. Robinson. "You don't have to have a printing press or a license from the FCC. You have to have an Internet connection, and that's about it."
But forget the idea that all bloggers are just folks with nothing better to do, he warns. "There will always be people in their basements drinking Red Bull, eating Skittles and blogging all night long. But by and large, high-authority blogs have been battle-tested by time."
Technorati, a leading blog search engine, is currently tracking about 113 million virtual dairies. So how does a company determine which ones to watch?
Most blogs are narrowly focused, so each industry has its own virtual sphere of interest, Mr. Robinson says. It's fairly easy to come up with 10 blogs that your company needs to be monitoring routinely. How?
Search engines offer a start. "They'll tell you the most in-depth blogs."
Ask others whose blogs they follow. "It's like asking someone, 'What do you read?' "
His best suggestion: "Think like your customer or your client."
Dos and don'ts
Dealing with credible blogs really isn't all that different from dealing with traditional media, Mr. Robinson says. "Follow the axiom: Know 'em before you need 'em. You need to build a relationship and your brand with them so you can withstand an attack."
When should a company weigh in and interact with a blog?
"You'll know the when just as you do with traditional media," Mr. Robinson says. "The how is to be open and transparent and engage in a dialogue, not a monologue. I know that gives lawyers heartburn, but there are always ways to have that conversation within the bounds of propriety and legality."
The worst thing you can do is pretend to be someone you're not to get your company's point across, he says.
The online deception is called "sock puppeting."
Mr. Robinson says it's a terrible idea, pointing to the mess John Mackey, chief executive of Whole Foods Market, got into by using a fake identity and a Yahoo account to post messages for eight years assailing his competition and promoting his supermarket chain's stock.
Mr. Robinson offers other sound-bite advice:
- Take blogs seriously.
- Spend as much effort on new media as you do on traditional media.
- Don't be afraid of what you don't know.
"This world is changing quickly, and everyone is experimenting with it. Don't run away from the change; run towards it."
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