Is this boring you all to tears yet? Apologies if so. Writing this thing's been interesting for me, I've realised that I'm very happy presenting when it's about stuff I've actually done. So the last few years talking about Honda and Run London and stuff has always been a laugh, but now I'm going back into traditional planner's territory - here's a theory I've got - and I'm always less comfortable with that.
Also, I'm conscious that the people who are actually paying me to do stuff right now (there are a couple, thankfully) are maybe reading this and thinking - what the hell is he doing? why's he not working on my stuff? - which somehow seemed less of a problem when I was an employee, no reason why that should be the case, it just felt like that.
Anyway, some further thoughts:
I'm going to include Jackie's point about McChronicles under the 'engagement is not optional' thought, because I don't think brands should only get involved in this stuff out of fear of bad things. There's lots of goodness to be tapped into too.
I agree with all your points about human-ness and authenticity and stuff, but I also think it's worth remembering that often a brands (and blogs) worst problem is hubris. They try to do too much, they think themselves too important. It's perfectly possible to create a great blog that's mostly functional, doesn't require deep corporate soul-searching and isn't a perfect expression of the brand. It's just useful.
Which brings me to a chat I was having with Ben this morning and I think this is my big revelation about blogs and brands and I know as soon as I write it down it will appear startlingly banal. But here it is:
1. A blog is no use unless it's interesting to someone (doesn't have to be a lot of people but it has to be someone)
2. So what's interesting about your business/brand?
3. If nothing - how do you expect to survive, irrespective of whether you blog or not?
4. If something, but you're not willing to talk about it - how do you expect to survive, irrespective of whether you blog or not?
5. If something, but you don't feel capable of blogging about it - just dive in. If it's interesting, and you're interested in it, you'll find a voice and a way.
See what I mean about banal? But I think that's really all there is to it. A blog only works if you've got something to say, if you've got nothing to say, you're screwed anyway.
I'd better finish this later, and do some real work now. I'll try and get the finished thing up on here tomorrow. Incidentally if anyone else is going to be there tomorrow, and is likely to blog about it, how about we tag it warc and engagement/attention ?
If you thought that was banal - wait for this.
If blogs are like conversations, and they need to be interesting to be read - perhaps we should employ the art of interesting conversation?
Know everything about something, and something about everything.
Ask open questions.
And listen.
Thinking about it, this may explain also why planners and blogging get on so well...
Posted by: Faris | July 04, 2006 at 04:36 PM