By Jayson Jarmon, CEO, Lux Worldwide
In an article in this week's Puget Sound Business Journal, local CEOs were taken to task for revealing too much about themselves and their companies through their blogs. The main thrust of the article is that many CEOs have taken to blogging and, like any other piece of corporate marketing writing, blogs ought to be vetted by editors et al before they are posted to make sure they aren't saying bad things that will damage the company's and the CEO's reputations.
Luckily for me, I am a mere vice president, so the article clearly wasn't direct my way.
From a consumer's point of view, knowing more about a company and its management is a good thing; I've always thought there should be some kind of simpatico between a client and the business, particularly in the service field. Furthermore, and I don't think the Business Journal points this out, I will be the first to admit that blogging is less about a CEO's primal need to preen in front of an enrapt public, and more a way to attract the attention of Google and other search engines (you see, frequently updated, novel content attracts search engines and improves a company's search ranking ;)
As to the Journal's suggestion that blogs be carefully edited, I can't say that makes much sense. A blog is an informal form of communication, and one would hope that a corporate director would show a little common sense in choosing their topics and would strive to present their company in the best light.
I myself am frequently self-editing so as not to reveal my lengthy criminal record (white collar, of course); my thirteen year stint as an operative for the CIA within the Median Cartel; my role in the creation of robots who will one day subdue and enslave mankind; that Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks was named after me; that I have a Carpenters' CD in my player right now; that I think Alec Baldwin is handsome, but only in a certain light; that I changed my name from Jarman to Jarmon to avoid the authorities; that "Jay's Blog" is actually an anagram for "Jay's Glob"; that grey aliens are actual more on the purple side.
So, have no fear Puget Sound Business Journal, you'll find no such damaging revelations here.
PS -- Did I mention that this blog is actually written by a mandrill? You know, the monkey, not Barbara or one of her sisters. That would be crazy.
