Why a Building Full of Corporate Marketers Will Never Beat a Good Business Blogger

Mon, Dec 17, 2007

For the past five years (until recently) I worked for a Fortune 500 company, a medical diagnostic company to be specific. I witnessed a ridiculous level of marketing hypocrisy within this company. Yes, everyone talked the talk- “customer centric”, “customer focus”, “servant leader”, etc.. but rarely, did I ever see a legitimate effort to LISTEN to the customer. As I spoke to my colleageus at other large corporations (who were also part-time bloggers), they echoed my observations.

As I’ve transitioned into a full-time business blogger, far removed from the corporate world, I see a stark contrast and can’t help but reflect on the huge blind spot that large corporations have allowed to persist.

The company I worked for had an entire building of marketers but — the problem — these guys couldn’t even put a simple post-market label on a device without a two-week “blue folder” process.

I imagine the thought of publishing a highly personal corporate or business blog, which allows customers to interact, –praise, question, criticize, etc… would send an entire flock of corporate lawyers into a red-faced rant.

So, the company I worked for and many other large corporations remain stuck in old corporate ignorance while younger smarter companies gain market share.

The Red Carpet

A business blog which is truly dedicated to your customer or potential customer can be likened to a red carpet.

A blog, by nature, is not salesy. If it’s done right, a business blog is fun, personal, informative, controversial, compelling, but never pushy or salesy.

It welcomes interaction… it welcomes praise, questions, criticism and suggestions…

It speaks directly to individuals rather than the masses. For example, a good business blog vigilantly replies to blog comments and questions — directly to the individual.

A good business blog creates relationships with customers in a way that was absolutely not possible before.

A well-run business blog says to a customer or potential customer… “Hey, you are important enough for us to change.” “We want you to be a part of our community our mission and we are willing to take the first step.”

In doing so you’ve made your customer feel like a celebrity and have welcomed them into your checkout aisle with open arms.

The Future of Business Blogs

I’m confident that eventually most corporations will realize the opportunity they are missing. The groundswell of popularity with social media and business blogging will force reluctant experimentation by large corporations.

Yes, there are a few corporations that already “get it” when it comes to business blogging but the vast majority are buried in status quo so deep that it will take a fw years to even consider a business blog.

However, and this may be the pessimest in me… when they do get around to developing a corporate or business blog, I fear they will approach their market with the standard conservativeness and uninspired (read: LAME) marketing that will sink their social media ship before it has a chance to sail. Completely missing out on the real power a blog has in effecting new social media connections and casting their brand in a new perspective to millions of people who would’ve never heard of them otherwise.

In other words, when these corporations decide that it’s time to get personal — start a blog and “roll out the red carpet” — they will use the cheapest red carpet available, put yellow caution tape on both sides, flash a fake smile and glibly throw confetti as the startled visitors enter, recognize the charade, and then quickly exit, never to return again. At the susequent boardroom meeting, the VPs and Directors will look to the “old-guard” marketing staff for excuses and invent reasons why this corporate blogging thing isn’t panning out.

Then, ironically, after much debate and blame-storming, they will hire a small, savvy, smart 3rd party media group to come in and do it right for 3x the cost.

The Bottom Line

Blogs are about freedom — large corporations are about control.
Bloggers have trouble with boundaries of expression — corporations pay people six figures to control expression.

Thus, a business blog or corporate blog is somewhat of a paradox.

In the end, only companies with a genuine interest in their customer will get personal, roll out the red carpet and prosper.

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