05/15/2007
Is this blog haunted?
Lately, the topic of ghostwriting has been the subject of a few posts in the little corner of the blogosphere where I hang out.
It all started due to a client blog written by staffers at Boston-area PR firm Topaz Partners and escalated from there. Investor's Business Daily also had a story. I followed the conversation on blogs and Twitter, but just haven't had a minute to write about it until today. You can go back and read all the relevant posts, and I urge you to -- some very smart folks had some very smart comments.
Here's my take. Ghostwriting, bad. Hiring people to write a blog or sponsoring a blog, ok.
As long as the person whose name is on the post is the person who wrote it, does it matter whether they were hired to write it? I don't think so.
Which is why I am the editor of a client blog and post there regularly under my own name. My client wants a blog, knows I understand the market and the products, and trusts me to build a good experience for the customers and readers. A good friend writes a blog that is sponsored by a major company, but the blog content is driven by her, not the sponsor.
I do not believe there is anything wrong with either approach. The key is of course that the person writing has, or has developed, expertise that makes him qualified to write the blog.
What isn't right is hiring professional writers to write for employees, whether the CEO or a product manager, without attribution. If your CEO doesn't want to write, find another way to connect her with your customers. For example, Bill Marriott records a podcast, which is then transcribed for the blog. Nothing wrong with that.
I've said it before. I'll say it again. Blogs are a communications tool, not a religion. As long as you are honest about what you are doing and why, please, please push the envelope. Try new things. Just be relevant, be honest and don't try to fool anybody. Do no harm and don't hurt the humans :-) And don't be afraid to f*** up. Tom Peters said it years ago, and it is still true - aim for fast failures. Rethink, retool and do it again.
Tags: ghostwriting, blogs, blogging, sponsored blogs
Posted @ 9:05PM in Blogging
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Comments
I like the message here and I'm right there with ya.
I think the real issue is honesty. This is supposed to be a medium where we can have authentic conversations, its hard to do that when you don't know to whom you are communicating. Otherwise, it's just the same-old one-way marketing scheme.
"Ghostwriting, bad. Hiring people to write a blog or sponsoring a blog, ok"
Hear, hear, Susan. Discussion on this topic seems to be never-ending. Like you, I believe disclosure is absolutely key.
Whether someone writing a blog on behalf of someone else is the best route from an effective communication viewpoint, well, that's another story. But nothing inherently wrong as long as the disclosure is there.
IMO whether a "hired gun" is a good or the best route all depends on the writing and the content. If you hire a subject matter expert, or sponsor a blog written by someone who is an expert or even just passionate about the subject, if the writing is good, thought provoking and engages the customers/"audience," then you have the seeds of a good blog.
It comes down to execution. I would far rather a company hire a great writer and develop an interesting, engaging blog, than put up something sparse or lame by the CEO or hire a ghostwriter.
The companies that think it is okay to blog via a "ghost writer" don't understand the basic premise of social media and especially of blogs. Those folks often equate writing blogs with writing speeches. Not the same. A big concern should be the erosion of the brand and of personal trust if/when it is discovered that the conversation was not from the "proposed blogger." I ask - "Is that worth the risk?"
A week late to this version of the party, but want to echo Eric's statement that the whole thing was a great discussion. Very constructive all 'round-- folks, read all the links Susan provided above.
The comments to this entry are closed.
Susan: There was a good discussion about the difference between a ghostwritten blog, where someone ghostwrites for someone else, who pretends to be the blogger, and a blog with staff writing, freelance or contract help.