THE MERITS (OR OTHERWISE) OF BLOGGING AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL IN PR…

One aspect of public relations is to tell an organisation’s story to its publics, as well as maintain reputation and get their messages out there to their stakeholders, amongst many other processes. The word blog is a contraction of the term ‘web log’ which, over time, has been replaced with blog.

Blog has been defined as a website which individuals, groups or organisations record opinions, information etc. on a regular basis. Blogs usually include images, videos and links to other websites to keep them interesting and as interactive possible. In short a blog is a way of telling people what you think; one might argue it’s a form of storytelling. In PR we aim to influence opinion and behaviour via different methods of storytelling, therefore surely a blog is the perfect communication tool for PRs?




In January 2011, according to the blog tracker Technorati, a mere 7.4 million of the massive 133 million blogs had been updated in the past 120 days. In other terms roughly 95% of blogs were essentially abandoned and left to fall into the deep web. Interestingly enough, blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants! However this could be due to the fact that it’s a lot easier to walk away from the internet than it is to leave a three dimensional destination! It seems that in 2011 people began spending a lot more time blogging than in the past years, yet according to Technorati, 60% of the blogosphere is made up of hobbyists, thus leading one to question the credibility of blogs. Technorati found that only 8% of bloggers’ blog for a company, 18% are professionals and 13% are entrepreneurs. This demonstrates that only 39% of bloggers can be considered moderately credible and it’s arguable that only 26% are experts in their sector. Also roughly three-fifths of bloggers are male; therefore it seems the blogosphere is androcentric. These figures demonstrate the objectivity of blogs, yet there is no way of limiting the number of hobbyists. However these figures still do not affect the merits of blogging in PR as it can be a very beneficial communication tool, although challenging to master, as I will go on to discuss.

Business blogging can be extremely beneficial to develop corporate image and branding as well as serve a strong platform for public relations activity. Blogs invite two-way communication, therefore gives an opportunity for feedback which can be invaluable information; you can also surreptitiously gain public opinion without having to use the information you receive. Blogs can also be used as a form of press kit with all information in one convenient location for all stakeholders. Not only this but blogs can be used as an archive of company heritage, enforcing brand heritage as well as informing.

A public relations blog can be an advantage to an organisation in crisis as it allows quick communication with a wide range of stakeholders; employees, consumers and journalists alike. Mass communication is constantly evolving; hence, organisations need to be on top of their game. At a touch of a button bloggers, journalists and the mass public can put their opinion of an organisation out there for a global audience to read and respond to. It is crucial for companies to anticipate these reactions stakeholders may have to crises. Having a PR blog at times like this can give organisations an opportunity to take a pre-emptive approach to their reputation.

Corporate blogging has become more and more popular in the business to business sector demonstrating that blogging can be a beneficial tool in business. However, it seems that many corporate blogs fizzle out due to these few reasons, again, according to Technorati. Blogging can become hard work, especially corporate blogging as one must ensure that the blog is live and constantly moving forward and being updated. Consequently, for the blog to be successful one must spend a lot of time with it. It’s important to blog regularly to make your readership want to come back and visit again. Not only must you be a regular updater but it’s also essential to say something interesting. Secondly, one must ensure that there is one person in charge as chief blogger to guarantee consistency. Cutting corners and having a blogging committee is likely to have a negative impact. Thirdly, one must carefully calculate the things readers want to see on your blog as it is easy to get it wrong.

Blogs are essential in modern day communications, even though credibility is questionable, they allow a platform from which companies can engage and be proactive in terms of conversing with their many stakeholders, whether its employees, journalists or consumers, it’s there for everyone to access.  The benefits of blogs as a communication tool in PR outweigh the negative points of veracity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Johansmeyer, T., 2010. Five Reasons Why Corporate Blogs Fail. [Online]
Available at: http://technorati.com/business/gurus/article/five-reasons-why-corporate-blogs-fail/page-2/
[Accessed March 2012].

Piombino, K., 2011. State of the Blogosphere 2011: Fewer company blogs, more hobbyists. [Online]
Available at: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10022.aspx
[Accessed March 2012].

Quenqua, D., 2009. Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest. [Online]
Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/fashion/07blogs.html?_r=1&ref=technology
[Accessed March 2012].

 Roltgen, W., 2010. Using Blogs for Public Relations. [Online]
Available at: http://wendy-roltgen.suite101.com/using-blogs-for-public-relations-a216956
[Accessed March 2012].