Comments on: How to Blog About Your Culture

By: Nathaniel

Nathaniel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:05:07 +0000

@Chris thanks! Great point, we’re going to be adding it shortly. Looking forward to the next piece in the series. Thanks for all the help!

By: Chris Ferdinandi

Chris Ferdinandi — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:57:59 +0000

@Nathaniel – I just swung over to the Rypple blog, and one thing that really jumps out at me is that you don’t have an easily accessible “Subscribe For Updates” section. I’ll be talking about this more in the third part of the Blogging Your Employer Brand, but that’s definitely something you and the team may want to consider adding.

Let me know if you need any help there.

By: Nathaniel

Nathaniel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:53:54 +0000

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated! Great point about consistency and post lengths. We’ve have different types of post going out everyday. Some are content that we come across and want to share with our users/readers. But we also have original posts and guest post which tend to be longer. We try to have a short post and a lengthier post everyday. It might be to much content (we’re still experimenting) but we’re keeping it consistent! Thanks again!

By: Chris Ferdinandi

Chris Ferdinandi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:14:39 +0000

@Jason – Thanks, dude! And you’re spot on – Laurie’s posts are quickly digestible… I’m not sure you can say the same about mine. (In many cases, the bulk of her content is actually in the comments section).

You touched on something else really important, though: consistency. If you’re a once a week poster, that’s fine if you do so consistently. Same thing with daily, or twice a week. People, by nature, like consistency.

By: Jason Davis

Jason Davis — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:09:06 +0000

@Nathaniel – I agree with Chris on this one. I have been researching this extensively as I think about getting into blogging and I think consistency is key – posting at least once a week sets a rhythm with your followers and a steady stream of content.

@Chris – good point on content depth and length driving post frequency – a lot of Laurie’s posts (PunkrockHR) are short as well and she seems to have this mastered – I visit that site daily.

For what it’s worth – I appreciate the consistent relevancy of the content on this Renegade HR blog… you are doing a great job.

By: Chris Ferdinandi

Chris Ferdinandi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:02:17 +0000

@Nathaniel - Great question. As I was writing this post, I considered discussing that, but was afraid of throwing too much info at people at once. I recommend at least once a week, but beyond that, it depends on your audience. If I blogged every day, it would overwhelm my readers. But I also write long articles. I'd love to read stuff from Know HR every day, because Frank's posts are short and sweet. Similarly, I love reading Seth Godin's blog every day for the same reason. But if Lance over at Rehaul posted daily, I'd get way too far behind. His posts are long and in-depth. At the end of the day, it's all about the post length, content, and your audience's needs. You kind of feel it out over time. I recommend at least once a week because if you write less than that, people get the impression that there's no reason to come back or subscribe. Hope that helps! If not, please let me know.

By: Chris Ferdinandi

Chris Ferdinandi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:57:56 +0000

@Jason – Great points. A half-hearted blog with crappy content isn’t worth reading. In fact, it may actually do more harm than good. And thanks for highlight DAXKO Nation – you hit the nail on the head!

By: Nathaniel

Nathaniel — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:56:27 +0000

Great post! We’ve been debating the number of post that we should have a week. I’ve looked at a number of company blogs, some post once a month, some once a week. We try to have a number of new posts a week. What do you recommend? Something to add to your list; give your users an funny/entertaining (but relevant to your field) post, great for Friday afternoons!

By: Jason Davis

Jason Davis — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:48:19 +0000

Chris,

Good stuff and right on point – I agree that blogging is the most powerful tool out there for getting across a message regarding culture/employment branding. It can also be the most dangerous…. so companies need to be committed to the concept and actually provide some thought into what they are trying to do with the blog… make sure they aren’t diving into the shallow end of the pool!

I have been showing a lot of love for DAXKO lately, and will continue to here – I love that DAXKO Nation blog – I know very little about the company, but when I read the blog, I feel like I understand what they are about, including the leadership, the people, etc. I’ll be sure to check out the others that you have listed as well.

Jason