The difference between Employee and Corporate blogs

The Wall Street Journal today published a story on employee/corporate blogging (apparently, they do not understand the semantical difference). The article is called "The Inside View," and I would link to it, but I can't seem to find the proper URL.

The article itself is the pretty standard, blogs give a human voice but also a scary loss of control, piece that we have read dozens of times over the past year.

Pro employee blogs: "Enthusiasts say such blogs by company employees -- sanctioned, if not sponsored, by the companies themselves -- put a human face on a corporation and provide a way to reach customers and counter critics."

Anti-employee blogs: "But the growing trend worries many corporate image specialists, who foresee a confusing array of corporate messages, some of which are so sanitized they lack credibility. Lawyers fear worse: that some employees' thoughts may provide fodder for plaintiffs' lawyers or give away company secrets or advice that a company prefers to sell."

I think the important thing this blog points to is growing confusion and lumping together of employee and corporate blogs. I would like to give my definition of a corporate versus employee blog.

corporate blog: A blog written as part of one's job, hosted by the company and serving as a representative voice of the organization (examples: Bob Lutz's FastLane blog for GM, Richard Edelman's 6 A.M. blog for Edelman [my company])

employee blog: A blog written by an employee of an organization that may or may not address work-related issues, is not hosted by the organization and is not viewed by the company as an official representataive. (example: millions of random personal blogs)

Then, there are those fuzzy situations like Robert Scoble at Microsoft or Steve Rubel (now my colleague at Edelman) whose employee blogs have grown in stature to the point where they are seen as voices for their respective companies

This is one of those square-rectangle situations. Just as a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not neccessarily a square; so to is a corporate blog an employee blog, but an employee blog is not neccessarily a corporate blog.

HOWEVER, while this distinction is important from a standpoint of liability and regulatory ability, consumers and journalist are not likley to confine themselves to "official" corporate blogs. In fact, blogs written by middle-management or customer-facing employees are likely to be seen as more credible than those of senior executives.

This makes developing a employee blogging policy, AND communicating that policy all the more important.

Corporate communicators are now dividing themsleves into three camps:
1. Those who see blogs as a potential vehicle to build relationships with and leverage the collective power of internal and external communities
2. Those who see blogs as a loss of control and a inevitable legal, public relations and financial disaster
3. Those who ignore and dismiss blogs as a passing fad

Conclusion: Those in camp three are totally missing the point, becuase blogs are here now so you better deal with them. As for camps one and two, I am sure you know where I fall, but that is not relevant. Regardless of whether you think blogs are a salvation or the devil, the way you deal with them ought to be similar. You need to monitor what is being said and you need to have strategic process in place to effectively communicate your story.

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Technorati Tags: blogs, WSJ, corporate, employee, scoble, Rubel, edelman, lutz

Comments

[Dominic Jones]

I have nothing to add to this piece, which is significant given that I ALWAYS have something to say.

So thank you for a well-written complete piece.

[Jeffrey Treem]

Dominic,

Thanks for the kind words. Next time I will write something vague and circumscript so that I can get your input ;-)

-Jeffrey

[Jeremiah Owyang]

There may be one other style that's missing. the Professional blog.

The Professional blog is a blog that is focused on an individual's career, and is specifically about this individuals craft and passion, with little 'personal' information, but does not represent a company.

That is where my blog falls (linked from my name above) and is completely different to my personal blog that is run separately.

[Jeffrey Treem]

Jeremiah,

Man I love semantics.

You are exactly right, however, I would imagine most blogs that are focused on an individual's career are what I would call employee blogs. Yes, they certainly are higher brow than most myspace blogs, but that is matter of opinion.

Remember, it doesn't matter if you talk about where you work or not, you are still liable for what you write.

And I would like to think that most most bloggers are employeed (at least for now).

If you also have a personal blog that just makes you an employee blogger twice over.

[Jeremiah Owyang]

I've grappeled with this very concept for some time, it gets gray in these here parts. I've put some thoughts on my own blog, and would love to get your feedback.

We both agree on your points and conclusions around the three divisions of corporate communciators --solid thinking.