Customer Reviews

The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right

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Like many others, I consider Debbie Weil one of my favorite marketing writers. My husband has a 2-inch thick, 3-ring binder of many of the previous columns and newsletters. Her writing is concise, focused, but never dull, and so are her blogs.

Debbie was one of the first to recognize the potential of corporate blogging, and it was a natural fit.

Debbie Weil's Corporate Blogging Book is an outstanding example of what a genuinely helpful non-fiction book should be.

It begins with a "fast read" chapter that gets your attention: "Top Twenty Questions about Corporate Blogging." She avoids ground already covered, and focuses on corporate blogging objectives and objections.

Those who want to introduce blogging to their firm will appreciate the way Debbie candidly addresses reasons for corporate hesitation, and shows how to overcome frequently-heard objections.

Debbie outlines a detailed plan for implementing a corporate blogging program that addresses corporate issues, rather than getting sidetracked on soon-to-be-obsolete technical issues or "fad of the moment" promises. Numerous examples, questions, quotes, and resources round out the package.

Frankly, I am astonished by the rapid growth of blogging and, especially, by the rapidly increasing adoption of blogging as a primary (not exclusive) medium for corporate communications, both internal and external. There are several dozen excellent books now in print that explain this phenomenon (Debbie Weil identifies many of them in her "Recommended Reading" section) and this book is certainly one of them. As I began to read it, I was immediately reminded of an incident decades ago when Vince Lombardi (the new head coach of the Green Bay Packers) met with the team for the first time and announced that he would begin with basics. He held up a leather spheroid and said, "Gentlemen, this is a football." It is widely reported that Max Magee then responded, "Coach, could you please slow down? You're going too fast."

Wisely, Weil assumes that her reader knows nothing about blogging. She begins with the basics. In fact, in the first chapter, she responds to the "Top Twenty Questions About Corporate Blogging." At this point, I presume to add that almost everything she says about corporate blogging is relevant to non-corporate blogging, with the obvious exceptions being information and suggestions with regard to creating an institutional blog mechanism. But even so, such mechanisms seek to attract and involve human beings and must thus be designed and administered with a full accommodation of basics.

With all due respect to the value of the FAQ section, each reader will have other questions and Weill is well aware of that as she begins her narrative with a "quick romp through the corporate blogosphere" (i.e. background and early development), addresses common fears about blogging (e.g. allocation of resources, contingent legal liability, loss of control.... "the mother of all fears"), determination of ROB (i.e. return on blog), tools and technology needed, and "making the case for blogging to the boss." Along the way, Weil includes (in Chapter 7) her "Top Ten Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog." Then in the final chapter, she shares her thoughts about "what's next," followed by a "Bonus Resources" section that, all by itself, is worth much more than the cost of the book. One man's opinion, its value is increased by a factor of at least ten if the material is absorbed and digested within the frame-of-reference established by the ten chapters that precede it. Suggestion: Read the entire book in chapter sequence, highlighting whichever passages catch your eye; then, after reading Chapter 10, set the book aside for a few days before you focus on the "Bonus Resources" section.

Many readers will especially appreciate Weill's provision of summaries of key points made by others such as a list of nine ways to use an internal blog suggested by Shel Holz (Pages 31-32) and the "Thomas Nelson Blogging Guidelines" (Pages 165-168) that, according to Weill, make clear "what the business reason is for encouraging [Nelson] employees to blog: to open the door and offer a peak inside one of the world's largest publishers." There is also an abundance of real-world examples throughout the narrative that illustrate the given key point, be it a "do" or a "don't."

Only after having read and then re-read this book did I conclude that, at least for me, the most valuable material is provided in Chapter 4, "A Baker's Dozen: 12 Plus 1 Ways to Use a Corporate Blog." Once again, as she does in previous and subsequent chapters, Weill inserts a brief and insightful excerpt from another source: Hugh Macleod's response to the question, "What's a Global Microbrand?" By the time the reader has arrived at #13, she or he should not be surprised by Weill's assertion that "blogs are the new corporate Web site" and there are still 140 more pages ahead that offer additional evidence of how effective corporate blogging for all organizations (regardless of size or nature) can help them to increase and enhance relationships between and among all their stakeholders.

Obviously, it remains for corporate bloggers to (a) determine for themselves which of the 13 are most appropriate, (b) cross-rank their importance to achieving the given business objectives, (c) create an electronic infrastructure, and then (d) broaden and deepen internal and/or external participation, with primary emphasis on convenience in terms of both connectivity and interactivity. If asked to select a single source for information and counsel on how to introduce and then sustain effective corporate blogging, my suggestion would beDebbie Weil's book.

I have to start with a disclaimer before going into the review of this book; I know Debbie Weil personnally and she interviewed me for the purpose of this book. That means I am biased but I will try to keep this as objective as possible.

Writing a book on corporate blogging is not an easy task. A lot of books have been written when the "hype cycle" on blogging was at its highest and not all of those books were excellent or even relevant for that matter. The author here had an even more daunting task; to write about a new medium but also try to explain how blogging works in a corporate environment.

I definitely think Debbie Weil has managed to write a business book on an activity that was/still is considered as something "16 year olds do" by most business communicators and professionals. Thanks to her extensive network of business people & leaders in the blogosphere she has managed to collect an impressive amount of case studies from the corporate world.

This is not a book about theories or the promise that sometime the market will be one huge conversation... This is about return on investment, CEOs who blog and explains the why and how of business blogging.

Next to case studies from a multitude of companies Debbie takes the time to guide the reader to the more down to earth side of corporate blogging. She dedicates a whole chapter to "how to write for a blog" and another one on the more technological side of the medium. But even if blogging is closely linked to the internet and technology, Debbie never falls into the bits & bytes trap; all is explained with business people in mind.

Debbie also asks the right questions and answers them. She is not a blind believer but knows how to filter the correct information on the topic from her multitude of sources. Of course she also talks from experience. Her online presence is very strong and her blog is a "have to read" for people in Marketing and Communications. She doesn't hesitate to cover difficult topics such as the loss of control in online communications, legal pitfalls and questions if all CEOs should blog (of course not).

In the last chapter titled "What's Next ?" she even gives a potential view of what the next steps could be in the "new media" adventure of corporations. She covers such topics as citizen journalism, Web2.0 for business and the end of corporate speak. The final add on to the book is also something that every company can use as a source of inspiration; an extensive collection of the most well know corporate blogging policies from companies like IBM, Forrester and Sun topped with legal resources, blog design guidelines and references to other books on the subject.

What I liked most about this book is that it is written by someone who knows how to talk to business people and covers the corporate side of blogging through case studies, examples and interviews of professionals who have a real experience on the subject.

My only regret is that Debbie Weil didn't go deeper into the subject of RSS or Really Simple Syndication. It is a difficult topic to explain, especially in a business context but it is the single most important tool for business communicators that I have seen appearing in my 13 year career. And because it is so linked with blogging I would have liked to see more depth in the chapter covering it.

There, I included a "negative" so this review turns out to be objective after all.

As a web designer and internet marketer, I've suggested my client's start a blog for the past 2 years or so but the response wasn't great because of lack of understanding and fear on the client side about what a blog is all about. I tried my best to educate, but it was challenging and time consuming. So when Debbie's Weil's book was published I ran to get a copy and devoured it.

She addressed all the concerns and questions my client's had allowing me to be better prepared. So with the new knowledge in hand, I approached one of my clients again and this time they said yes! I was able to address all their questions and fears much more effectively and I even left the book for them to read - which they did.

So if you've wanted to start a blog or are trying to convince your client's to begin one, I suggest you put The Corporate Blogging Book on your required reading list. It's that good.

-Leslie Trosset, Pres.
[...].

Yes, there's a flood of books on business blogging hitting the market, but each one is different. Debbie Weil's The Corporate Blogging Book is written for the corporate-minded person who isn't sure about the blog thing especially in a business setting.

The book tells it like it is and is exactly what its title says. The book opens with 20 comprehensive questions about corporate blogging to answer the busy executive and manager's immediate questions. Weil spends a full chapter on the fear of blogging, a persistent theme in business blogging.

The questions are the first of many "executive summary" style resources in the book. Weil provides summaries, lists, and narrative style content to help with scanning. Readers can read cover-to-cover, skip around, or skim and gain insight. With the table of contents, scannable content, and index, the reader can easily find the features of interest.

Quick read tips cover fears in blogging, ways to use a corporate blog (not just for external communications), ten tips for writing an effective business blog, blogging readiness assessment, what to cover in making the case for blogging to the boss, and a "Get Smart Glossary" so the reader won't have a blank look when someone uses a blogging-related term.

Those familiar with Weil's style through her blog and speeches will encounter the same style in the book: honest, straightforward, conversational, absorbing, and sharp. She answers every possible question that an executive or manager has about blogging including return on investment, making the business case for blogging, and how to overcome the common fears and doubts about blogging.

Even if a business hasn't decided to blog, understanding blogs from a corporate perspective is a must for organizations of all sizes. Whether or not a company blogs, people will talk about your company. Are you prepared to deal with the blogosphere (the world of blogs)? Weil shares examples of situations where the blogosphere created negative publicity for a company because of a problematic product.

Businesses can't jump into blogging like a personal blogger can. Weil covers the need for blogging policies, guidelines, and disclaimers while sharing a few samples in the bonus resources (like an appendix). With the book, the reader gets a clear overview of what blogging is and how it affects businesses. Further, it provides tools, ideas, and a plan for understanding and getting involved with blogging -- most important, it answers all of your questions about business blogging.

Having blogged for a year and having researched blogging for two-and-a-half
years now, I have a sense for when the social media stars are aligning. No
astrologer is needed to persuade me The Corporate Blogging Book is in the
right place at the right time in the social media horoscope.

I loved the conversational and organic nature of the book. Debbie's depth of
experience--combined with her impeccable research and flawless writing
style--make for reading that's insightful and well-toned. Practicing the
blogosphere adage that "content is king," Debbie's prose is simply
first-rate! This is very compelling writing with lots of great, practical
advice to which I can execute.

Nicely done, Debbie! You are a blogging rock star! I'll be dying to read
your next one!

I read a great book on the weekend called the, "Corporate Blogging Book" by Debbie Weil. The subtitle is, "Absolutely everything you need to know to get it right." Debbie is one of the pioneers of corporate blogging. She is not only an advocate but she explains the pros and cons of corporate blogs.

A section from the book:

"Blogs are a key enabler of this new way of talking with customers, employees, the media and other constituencies. Packaged, filtered, controlled conversation are out. Open, two-way, less-than-perfect communications with your customers and employees are in." "Listen, learn, debate, be willing to change, admit mistakes, be equals, with your children, be fair to others with whom you have an adversarial relationship. Acting like a dictator will get you nowhere."

She has top 20 questions about corporate blogging and in one of those she talks about the three most important things to know before starting blogging. One of her points is savvy bloggers read other blogs. My advice is the simplest way to do this is to subscribe to them. See instructions above. (One of my goals is to get over 1,000 people subscribing to my blog in the next three months, so please do it for me.)

One concept that she talks about is citizen journalist and citizen media. Blogs are a new media and it is run by the citizens.

"The word PR will be gone; the word blog will be gone. Your employees will be your ad agency and your customers will be your back-up ad agency"

by blogger Halley Suitt.

The book also has good examples of blogging policies.

I bought this book to educate myself more on how to approach clients with convincing ideas of why and how they should be blogging. I've been a blogger for years, but convincing small business owners of the importance of a blogging and social media strategy can be difficult. I recommend this book to my clients as well, as some are interested in learning as much as possible about the blogging world. It puts blogging into a perspective that is easily understood by clients. Great book.

As reviewed and posted on my blog [...] on 10/9/06:

Looking for a good book that effectively covers all the pros and cons of corporate blogging? If so, you can't go wrong with Debbie Weil's The Corporate Blogging Book.

Here are a few of the key points she makes:

* Choose the right topic and make it specific enough. She goes on to say that you've got to be passionate about the topic of your blog. I think this is one of the most common reasons why some bloggers give up. They're interested in a topic but not passionate enough about it to invest the time required to create a dynamic and interesting blog...one that visitors will want to keep coming back to.

* Don't assume your company's online discussion groups, message boards, etc., are a suitable replacement for a blog. They're not. It's like the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver. Both are important tools but they're used for different situations.

* Don't let your IT department build a blogging platform from scratch. There are too many free or inexpensive options to choose from. Use one of the existing platforms. Don't take the bait when one of your programmers says they can create something better...they can't, and it probably won't have the power and flexibility of the existing tools.

I often overlook the backmatter that comes in most books (e.g., appendixes and other items not deemed important enough to appear earlier). Don't skip the "bonus resources" in Debbie's book. I particularly liked reading the usability and design coverage; I've seen much of this before but it's good to read it again to see how you're doing, what you might need to change, etc.

One of the common promises of corporate blogs is that they solve the "transparency and authenticity" issue with many companies today. Debbie notes this as well. My only comment is that I'll bet most companies don't think they have a transparency/authenticity problem. Maybe they're in denial. Or, maybe it's the result of the Sarbanes-Oxley world in which we now live, but a lot of companies continue to be extremely uncomfortable with the transparency of a corporate blog. Either way, Debbie's book is a great tool you can use to not only determine if corporate blogging is an option for your organization, but also how to get a good blog off the ground.

Want to use blogging to expand your corporate presence or simply add blogging to your visibility in the marketplace? Debbie Weil has written an easy-to-understand book without jargon yet packed with practical step-by-step advise to guide you through the process of setting up an effective corporate blog. She's included sound research mixed with personal experience.

If you aren't the CEO of your company but believe blogging would be a great tool for the company, Debbie gives you the ammunition to convince the CEO to start a corporate blogging effort. I used my highlighter throughout my reading of this well-crafted book. I highly recommend it for the beginner or the advanced reader--whether you are not technical or a geek--everyone can learn something significant in this book.