Why CEOs and executives must work harder to blog successfully than mere mortals

In the past year, I've had many conversations with CEOs, Presidents of companies, and other senior executives about the new rules of marketing and about blogs in particular.

I've always wondered why these senior executives have so much more trouble creating a popular blog than mere mortals. Why, in most companies, is the most popular blogger a product manager or junior marketing person? At first I had thought it might be because CEOs and executives had less time to devote to blogging or that they relied on underlings to do first drafts of posts. While both of those may be true in some cases, that wasn't enough of an explanation for the relative lack of really good senior executive bloggers in most companies.

Last week, I keynoted the General Catalyst Marketing Summit. GC is a venture capital company (Brightcove, Kayak, HubSpot, and many other interesting startups). In a brilliant move, GC brought together the senior marketing people of more than 30 of their portfolio companies for a day of discussions and best practice sharing. Todd Defren also spoke at the summit, and talked about the difference between "Influence 1.0" (shouting about your product) and what he calls "Participation is Marketing." Todd is an excellent speaker and I was honored to share the stage with him. We were saying the same things but in different ways.

So with Todd's help, it finally became obvious to me why most CEOs and corporate executives make poor bloggers. CEOs are used to being the most important person in the room. When CEOs are in a meeting, everyone defers to them. At conferences, people clap at CEO speeches even if they suck. CEOs talk about their company, its products, and nothing else. CEOs happily ignore email and phone calls because nobody expects a personal answer back. CEOs direct others to do their work for them.

These are precisely the things that make for crappy blogs.

CEOs and executives expect that the world will stop everything and pay attention and The Wall Street Journal will write about them as soon as they put out their first blog post. The posts they do write shout: “look at me!” CEOs don’t comment on other people's blogs or link outside their own little world. Yeah, a few ass kissers might comment but unless the CEO is saying something interesting, the blog will fail to gain traction. Then the executive will quit blogging.

There are notable exceptions like Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems.

Great bloggers participate. They link to other bloggers. They comment on other people's blog real estate. They blog because they want to, not because they have to. They talk about things other than their own products and services.

Attention corporate executives: check your ego at the door if you want to be a successful blogger.

Comments

[Todd Defren]

Hi David - Thanks for the kind words. Following you on to the stage was daunting but I was glad to re-connect with you, and, to bolster the points you made during your keynote.

Totally agree on the CEO Bloggers point. I wrote about this a few months back, too:

http://www.pr-squared.com/2007/12/open_letter_to_ceo_bloggers.html

CEOs really ought to think long and hard about blogging, and most importantly, need to LISTEN/PARTICIPATE at other industry blogs for a good, long while before dipping their toes into the water.

[Jean]

Here in France we have a great example of a CEO who is also a good blogger : Michel Edouard Leclerc (CEO of E.Leclerc, one of the leading supermarket company).
He is blogging at http://www.michel-edouard-leclerc.com/blog/
and gives many business analysis.
He also use his blog to communicate about his company and I think that's very efficient, especially during crisis they could have to face.

[Mike]

Great advice David.

That's one of the main reasons people read blogs, not for information, for advice. Not how to, but how did you.

CEO's don't usually give advice, the give directives and, as you said, that makes for crappy blogs.

[Emile]

Good advice, not just for CEO's. As a new blogger, it was hard for me to get out of my trainer/coach head and get into a conversation. I think the challenge for me has been remembering my role as a blogger. Still working on it but your post reminds me that my focus should be more on participating and facililitating, less on lecturing.

[Benny Greenberg]

First I just wanted to say - The "New Rules" Book opened my eyes to many of the things I have always thought were they "proper" way to do things, yet the "status-quo" of marketing, PR and related industries seem to be too big to get out of their own way.

Your book as pushed me out of the older mold and has really allowed me to focus on the "share the wealth" strategy.

On the CEO and bad bloggers...

It just might be that "share the wealth" strategy that stops them from blogging in the first place. I think many of the old-school "Leaders" just believe that information needs to be kept internal and the less others know the better. “Our business is our business” seems to be the rule of thumb with them. By blogging I believe they feel they are sharing information with the competition and that is an old-school “no no.” What they do not realize is that most of their competition is thinking the same way they are and are just not out there reading their blogs anyway. But by sharing the information and bringing it out on a one-on-one level with your clients, members, constituents - you are making yourself a "real person" not a corporate "head/mouth" and with that you will only make your end-user - whatever that user is - comfortable. When your customer is comfortable with you - closing that sale becomes simple.

And on a more interesting note, as far as the CEO and the Blog - I wonder - even at this advanced point on the web - just how many of them still just DO NOT KNOW!

Thanks for making me "realize!"

Ben
yattitude.wordpress.com

[Brian Fuller]

Even if they had the time and ability, I'm not sure CEOs should blog at all. Their expertise is in the minuscule details of running a company. OK, that might make a good management blog, but that doesn't necessarily lift the company brand. The other expertise should be a 30,000-foot view of his/her industry. What CEO is going to want to give up real insight into that industry if it's key to his or her strategies and tactics?
Todd's advice (read and participate in other blogs) is much more practical for a CEO.
In the end, I think more and more companies will start to realize that the company is the medium is the message: they are the publishers and networks today. That means hiring ex-journalists (to your point last week,David, about the former TV reporter) and building a solid news and information segment to their overall marketing strategy.

[Liz Pearce]

We went back and forth on whether or not to make our CEO our primary blogger, and eventually decided to give everyone at the company who wanted it the opportunity to blog. Each person has something different to contribute - it's a little bit of a blog post buffet. Here's a recent post from our CEO: http://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/?p=45

Do you think this makes sense as an approach to blogging, or would you advise limiting the number of different posters for a more consistent voice?

[Tim Dempsey]

D: I like the phrase "participation is marketing" It is further etymological evidence of the inexorable transformation from the 'dragnet' marketing days (awareness, consideration, preference, action, loyalty) to the era of what I call "PAR: presence, authority, reputation."

Best to you and yours....

[John Bradley Jackson]

Why do I Blog?

I get asked this question a lot. Yes, it takes a lot of time and brain cells, both of which I have a very limited supply. To blog regularly requires tons of research, fact checking, writing, and editing. It is hard work.

I don’t blog for the money—my blog is free. I don’t measure my success by the number of visitors to my site, yet I have many. The answer is that I blog to help people.

And I suppose that sounds a little high-minded. But, of all things that I do, including teaching at a university, running my own company, consulting with entrepreneurs, writing books, and speaking at conferences—-blogging has the biggest impact of all.

Blogging is my way to share with others who know me and with others who I will never speak with or meet. Some like to call this “thought leadership”— which is a very uppity term. For me, it is the best way to communicate clearly with my target audience—people who want to learn more about marketing, sales, and negotiation.

Because I blog, I have been invited to speak at conferences, quoted in the national press, and have been interviewed on MSNBC. My motivation is not fame, rather it is the desire to teach and help others.

Certainly a by-product of my success as a blogger includes book sales, paid speaking engagements, and consulting. This helps me pay the bills, which is important with two kids in college.

Seemingly every day my phone rings, or I get e-mails from people who I have never met before; they read my blog and want to share an idea or ask a question. That interchange is a thrill to me and its own reward. This is why I blog.

How about you? Can you think of a better way to connect with your target audience?

[David Meerman Scott]

Well said John. Obviously you're a CEO who has passion and that makes the best blogger!

David

[Lorynne]

I'm impressed that these CEOs even understand the value of blogging. I consult for a number of large companies on their marketing strategies; when I bring up the idea of blogging they don't see the value in it. These large companies are fearful of interacting with their target clients via their websites and usually opt for document style webpages. How does one sell the concept to big companies headed by individuals who are so afraid of the advancements in technology?

[Liam Ovenden]

Hi David,

Love your stuff - in fact am about to release an e-book because of you! Anyway...

Had to laugh/cringe at this post. Have just started a blog, at least partly due to (OK mainly due to) the carping of my Marketing Director to do so, and although it's early days, I've fallen into many of these traps.

Thankfully, I am happy to take on board your advice and in fact am thouroughly enjoying blogging, reading blogs, and commenting. Now I just have to do more of it.

I have started to arrange my habits around making time for these (to be honest, very new) tasks in my very crowded day.

I don't want to spend my time and headspace on a blog that sucks so I'm once more delighted to come across your timely and practical advice.

[David Meerman Scott]

Liam,

Good for you. Like a drug problem, admitting the situation is the most important thing. I've checked out your blog and think you'll do just fine. And you're commenting here so you pass that test. Good luck.

David