Blogging 101

Making the most of new innovated technology

2009 FoL Technology Showcase

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Understanding Blogging

Part 1: History of Blogs

Part 2: Business Blogging

Part 3: Presence in the Blogosphere

Part 4: Opportunity for Growth

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Part 1: History of Blogs

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• Website, formerly known as “web logs”

• First “blog,” Links.net (1994)

• “Online Journal” with Authentic self-expression • Custom design layout (Distinct voice and personality)

• An instant publishing tool to communicate with customers & stakeholders

The beginning of a Trend…

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• (2000s) Blog & Web 2.0– Empowerment of the Individual– Ease of authoring & publishing

rich-media (text, video, and audio)

– Social Networking (Basis for broad, open interaction)

– Organic growth and evolution of thought centers

– Platform independence and accessibility

• (2003) AdSense matches ads to blogs by content

• (2006) The Rise of Micro-blogging - Twitter– A newer form of blogging that

allows users to send brief updates– An entry could consist of a single

sentence, a fragment, an image or video

Blogging Advancements…

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Current Trends

Interactivity – Comments, “liking,” reposts, linking

Not just text – video, audio, photos, links, etc.

Remote usage – RSS, Post to Facebook, Mobile phones

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Part 2: Business Blogging

What is “Business” Blogging?

T yp e 1P ro B lo gg ing

T yp e 2C o rpo rta te B lo gg ing

T yp e 3B u s in e ss B log g ing

B re a kd o w n o f "C o m m e rc ia l" B log g ing

ProBlogging: Blogging for traffic and selling ads, affiliate links, reviews, etc

Corporate Blogging: Weblog published and used by the organization to reach its organizational goals.

•Streaming news from corporation

Business Blogging: Personal Blog from General Manager or CEO about their business

•“Only external” Focus on customers & prospects

Misconception! Business Blogging Corporate Blogging

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Benefit/Risk AnalysisBusiness Blogging Benefits:• Build Community with Better

Communication– Engage & Share knowledge

with larger/diverse audience– Positive Representation with

stakeholders and employees• Easy Web Publishing

Solutions lead to Lower Costs– Software is easy to use,

faster uploads, no lead time– Better financial alternative to

web presence• Higher Search Engine

Rankings (Link Popularity)

Business Blogging Risks:• Unfavorable Reviews

– Public Criticism over products and/or written statements

• Loss of Credibility– Libelous posts

• Cost of Maintenance– customers, stakeholders and

employees• Too Much time spent on Blog

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1. Regular Communication with Constituents – An informal, easily maintained method– Employees receive the same information at the same time

2. VOC Voice of the “Company” – Opportunity to welcome, educate, and inform visitors

3. Respectfully Monitor Employee Blogging– Have policies and guidelines to ensure confidentiality of

information4. Excellent Recruiting Tool

– “Potential” employees may be blogging too…– Learn about company culture, policies and interaction

5. Search for other Business Blogs– Check for aggressive competitors…Be Proactive

“What sets blogs apart from other online writing … is their dynamic nature (as opposed to static Web pages) and their voice (style).” – Susan Ward, About.com

Steps for a Successful Business Blog

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Part 3: GE Presence in the Blogosphere

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GE’s Footprint•Pre-Blogging Era

– GEnie– General Electric Network for Information

Exchange– Ran from 1985 to 1999– 350,000 users– Use of “Roundtables”

– Discussion area with message board and library for files•GE Internal

• Business Managers • Representative of GE Product

Line• Representative for Trade

Show/Event

•GE External• GE Reports

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Internal Blogs: Beth ComstockBlackBerryBeth, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

http://beth.ge.com/

What is the easiest part about blogging? - Understand your audience and the purpose of the blog

- Go for quality not quantity. Don’t feel obligated to write a certain number of posts per day or per week

- The best entries are ones that you are the most passionate about-Consider your role to be something like a "curator" of interesting marketing/commercial insights

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Internal Blogs: Ryan Graves

What is the most challenging?

-Staying focused can be very difficult

-Identifying the target, goals/metrics?

-Understanding the purpose behind the blog

-Giving them a reason to come back…

IT Buzz Blog, GE Healthcare IMLPhttp://wiki.health.ge.com/gehc_blogs/itbuzz/

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Internal Blogs: Matthew Benvie

What are your goals/initiatives?

-Taking lessons learned from our experiences

-Integrating those lessons into our overall media/marketing strategy for 2010 and beyond

-Creating a social media policy for the entirety of GE Aviation, so our employees can better understand the what-not-to-do's and what-to-do's when it comes to blogging

Oshkosh Connect, Aviation CDLP http://genet.ae.ge.com/home/OshkoshBlog/OshkoshBlog.html

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External Blogs: GE Reports

http://www.gereports.com/

Source for what’s happening at GE

Website in blog format

Share GE’s point of view in a no-frills messaging style

Multiple stories posted per day

Video and photos for an enhanced the experience

Broad audience – stockholders to employees to the media

Follow GE reports on Twitter

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Internal/External Blogging – GE PolicyImportant to understand the risk, reward and

reach of the information presented in a blog or social media forum

Benefits Risks•Great way to show expertise and perspective

•Online content will reflect BOTH the individual and company reputation

•Excellent communication tool with extended audience

•Content is readily searchable and can be accessed for a long time

•Posing questions allows for audience interaction

•Confidentiality can be compromised if non-public GE information is shared

•Presents a method of sharing best practices and presenting collaborative opportunities

•Quality of information is dependent on the individual blogging (not necessarily accurate or properly cited)•An individual’s position/opinion can be perceived as an “official” GE position due to affiliation with the company

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Avoiding Blogging PitfallsDo…

•Comply with GE Guidelines, The Spirit and The Letter and applicable copyright laws

•Raise any integrity questions or concerns

•Exercise good judgment on the content you post

•Clarify that your views are personal

•Conduct due diligence as to the accuracy of the content you post

Do not…

•Attempt to speak for the company unless expressly given permission to do so

•Post proprietary/ confidential/ non-public GE information

•Make predictive statements

•Use the blog/forum as a medium for covert advertising

Keep in mind that ANY blogging/posting that violates GE policy is prohibited (even if solely conducted using personal resources)

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Part 4: Opportunities for Growth

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Best Practice Sharing

Team Coordination

Customer Interface

Leadership

Communicate Important ChangesSet the Tone

Policy and Procedures Products and Services

Improve Efficiency Facilitate“Break-Fix” Issues

FAQs Marketing

Blogging Opportunities at GE

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Getting Involved in the Blogosphere•5 Step Process

– Create Blog– Participate in Blog Communities– Post comments on key Blogs– Sponsorship of Blogs– Advertise on Blogs

The purpose is clear

The personality is established

The voice is unique & consistent

The links are relevant

The conversations are meaningful

The frequency of posts is timely

Make Sure…

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Step-By-Step Blogging• Define the initiative and

subject matter• Target a specific audience• Choose an appealing

publisher• Proofread and publish your

blog• Find blog aggregators

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GE Deliverables from Blogging•Customer Satisfaction

– Provide Case Studies & Testimonials– Offer Create Conversations with Existing Clients

•Growth Leadership– Remembering the “H” in HR– Offer Insights & Opinions with Collaboration– Showcase Products, Technology & Research

•Globalization– Support Sales– Expand Market Reach with New Opportunities

Opportunities should reflect and support key GE messaging & values

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Thank You!

William Maurer

Jessica Abraham

Aja Collins

Curtis Haines

Jareth Kelly

Dukens Rene

Michael Smith

On behalf of Team 1: