When it comes to gaining consumer confidence, company blogs are the used car salesmen of the media world.
According to a new Forrester Research report, only 16% of people surveyed say they trust corporate blogs. That makes them the lowest-rated source of reliable information among 18 categories Forrester asked about including Web portals, print newspapers, radio and personal blogs.
"Email from people that you know" rated highest in trustworthiness, at 77%. So should companies simply give up on blogging? No, says Forrester. The lack of credibility stems from corporate blogs' focus on self-promotion, pushing products and services at the expense of two-way communication with customers.
Instead, companies should shift the focus back to consumers. That means using a blog to address customers' problems, foster an online community, involve employees outside of corporate communications, and provide an authentic voice to discuss internal company tidbits and to respond to critics.
Read the rest of the story here.
According to a new Forrester Research report, only 16% of people surveyed say they trust corporate blogs. That makes them the lowest-rated source of reliable information among 18 categories Forrester asked about including Web portals, print newspapers, radio and personal blogs.
"Email from people that you know" rated highest in trustworthiness, at 77%. So should companies simply give up on blogging? No, says Forrester. The lack of credibility stems from corporate blogs' focus on self-promotion, pushing products and services at the expense of two-way communication with customers.
Instead, companies should shift the focus back to consumers. That means using a blog to address customers' problems, foster an online community, involve employees outside of corporate communications, and provide an authentic voice to discuss internal company tidbits and to respond to critics.
Read the rest of the story here.
