Think You Don’t Have Time to Blog? Think Again

One of the biggest challenges in content marketing and specifically corporate blogging is getting your employees to participate.  We’ve had this issue at OpenView, and I am sure you have experienced it at one point too.  (If not, please tell me your secret!)

Over the past two years we have utilized the following tactics to engage our employees with our blog:

• Create contests – Our contest was designed to boost participation and content creation.  Over the course of one week, each team was encouraged to write as many valuable blog posts as possible.  The winning team was based on a few metrics – average number of posts per person, number of page views, and quality (we had an external contact chose her favorite posts).  The winning team each received iPads.
• Commitment from higher ups – From the start Scott Maxwell has always stood behind the value of corporate blogging.  Since we launched the program, he has stuck to a regular schedule and is pushing everyone else to do the same.
• Reporting stats – Each week we share key statistics such as the number of blogs submitted, number of page views, and keyword ranking to each member of the firm.  And each Friday several firm members are itching to see who is the top blogger that week.  Many employees get a sense of pride knowing that their post was the most read in a a given week.
• Incorporate blogging into overall goals– Each member of the firm has a goal of blogging on a regular basis.  As a result, blogging is tied into our overall performance review and bonus structure.
• Use editors and freelancers – Since the start of our program we have always had another set of eyes on each post before it goes live.  Often times this gives some comfort to our bloggers since they know someone is checking for silly typos and mistakes.

Even with all of those activities, you may still have some tension on the blogging front.  We experience it from time to time as well.  More often than not you will hear the following excuses (and my thoughts on getting around the objections):

• I don’t have time to blog –  Most likely you do have time.  You especially have time if you tend to travel a lot.  Just last week I was waiting at the airport for a flight to a conference and I wrote a blog on my iPhone.  No wi-fi or 3G — no problem!  Turn to the handy pen and paper to write a full blog post or jot down some ideas.
• I don’t know what to write about – The most interesting blogs I find are typically how to information or an anecdote.  Write about your day-to-day activities or issues you face when trying to complete your responsibilities.  Still stuck?  Think about three-to-five keywords or keyword phrases that you can consistently write about and brainstorm a list of topic ideas.  Still stuck?  Set up Google Alerts on those keywords and review them to get inspiration from your industry.
• I am not the best writer –  That is OK.  Blogging is a lot less formal than other marketing or business communications.  It is OK to have a more casual tone.  Most likely someone in your marketing department is responsible for editing your content so don’t get hung up on your writing style.

What tactics have you implemented within your organization to keep blogger motivation and commitment high?  Please share!