Comments on: How to be a friendly ghost (blogger, that is) http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/ Marketing. Social Media. Humanity. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:22:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How to be a friendly ghost (blogger, that is) | A Writer's Notepad | Scoop.it http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-18738 How to be a friendly ghost (blogger, that is) | A Writer's Notepad | Scoop.it Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:40:18 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-18738 [...] How to be a friendly ghost (blogger, that is) You know what is so cool? Having a job where you have a bona fide excuse to communicate through cartoon characters. Source: www.businessesgrow.com [...] [...] How to be a friendly ghost (blogger, that is) You know what is so cool? Having a job where you have a bona fide excuse to communicate through cartoon characters. Source: http://www.businessesgrow.com [...]

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]]> By: Mark http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-5663 Mark Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:55:35 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-5663 Bingo. My point exactly. Thanks Victor! Bingo. My point exactly. Thanks Victor!

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]]> By: Victor Agreda Jr http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-5662 Victor Agreda Jr Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:18:33 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-5662 At first I was put off by the concept (realizing this post is a year old, but hey, we just met!). Now I see your point, and as someone who manages a blog (four, actually) full-time we've railed against this internally. In our spectrum authenticity is key. Without it we're just random people griping and commenting. The context here is important. You're talking about a business blog. To me, this is no different than a CEO having a firm create their PPT or Keynote slides for them. You have the key points, you make them pretty and clearly understood by a general audience. I think these are great guidelines. At first I was put off by the concept (realizing this post is a year old, but hey, we just met!). Now I see your point, and as someone who manages a blog (four, actually) full-time we’ve railed against this internally. In our spectrum authenticity is key. Without it we’re just random people griping and commenting.

The context here is important. You’re talking about a business blog. To me, this is no different than a CEO having a firm create their PPT or Keynote slides for them. You have the key points, you make them pretty and clearly understood by a general audience. I think these are great guidelines.

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]]> By: Jeff Hurt http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-564 Jeff Hurt Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:49:48 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-564 Mark:<br /><br />Thanks for including me in your post. I was humbled to see that I was included along with some great bloggers and commenters. There have been some interesting points raise by comments here too and I'll chew on these for a while. <br /><br />Thanks again Mark. Mark:

Thanks for including me in your post. I was humbled to see that I was included along with some great bloggers and commenters. There have been some interesting points raise by comments here too and I'll chew on these for a while.

Thanks again Mark.

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]]> By: Dan McCarthy http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-563 Dan McCarthy Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:22:49 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-563 Mark, I agree with all your points, and yet this post seems largely academic to me. <br /><br />The fundamental issue with ghost-blogging is that it misses the whole point of blogging: conversation, access, interaction. Forget whether it's authentic or ethical. It's simply ineffective.<br /><br />The underlying problem is a misapplication of strategy, not tactics. <br /><br />Think of it this way: There will always be PR hacks who attempt to create news where there is none. Is there any point in offering them tips about how to build credibility with the media? Would the perpetrators even care about that?<br /><br />My sense is that the only way to legitimize ghost-blogging, is to detach content from a particular personality. Make it a company blog, or an industry blog, or ghost-write a CEO-bylined newsletter. That could achieve many of the same goals as a blog, while eliminating the element of conversational interaction (and with it, many of the authenticity and ethical issues).<br /><br />I vote we keep advocating for better business blogging, and let ineffective practices die a natural death. Mark, I agree with all your points, and yet this post seems largely academic to me.

The fundamental issue with ghost-blogging is that it misses the whole point of blogging: conversation, access, interaction. Forget whether it's authentic or ethical. It's simply ineffective.

The underlying problem is a misapplication of strategy, not tactics.

Think of it this way: There will always be PR hacks who attempt to create news where there is none. Is there any point in offering them tips about how to build credibility with the media? Would the perpetrators even care about that?

My sense is that the only way to legitimize ghost-blogging, is to detach content from a particular personality. Make it a company blog, or an industry blog, or ghost-write a CEO-bylined newsletter. That could achieve many of the same goals as a blog, while eliminating the element of conversational interaction (and with it, many of the authenticity and ethical issues).

I vote we keep advocating for better business blogging, and let ineffective practices die a natural death.

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]]> By: John Bottom http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-562 John Bottom Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:05:30 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-562 Great summary Mark. Ghost-blogging is a fact of life (although I wish there was a term that made it sound less spooky) and I, for one, embrace it as a necessary evil (again, I wish there was a term that made that sound less spooky). If everyone followed the guidelines you've laid down, it would be better for all concerned. It's all about doing things in the right spirit (erm...) Great summary Mark. Ghost-blogging is a fact of life (although I wish there was a term that made it sound less spooky) and I, for one, embrace it as a necessary evil (again, I wish there was a term that made that sound less spooky). If everyone followed the guidelines you've laid down, it would be better for all concerned. It's all about doing things in the right spirit (erm…)

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]]> By: MARK W. SCHAEFER http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-561 MARK W. SCHAEFER Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:46:06 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-561 See, I should have had you proofread this! Partnership is a key word. Great addition. See, I should have had you proofread this! Partnership is a key word. Great addition.

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]]> By: Jamie Lee Wallace http://www.businessesgrow.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is/#comment-560 Jamie Lee Wallace Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:11:06 +0000 http://businessesgrow.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-be-a-friendly-ghost-blogger-that-is#comment-560 Mark - Kudos to you for once again sticking your neck out into the fray. <br /><br />There will always be projects that require complete anonymity and writers that will step up to fill those roles. (Just check out the google ads at the right!) That secret underground will always exist and the fact that it's secret doesn't make it evil. It is what it is.<br /><br />But, for those of us who prefer a more transparent way of approaching corporate communications on the social Web, I think that the consolidated guidelines you present above are a great starting point for sorting out what makes sense - professionally and morally - when it comes to ghost blogging. <br /><br />If I had to choose one element of success for a ghost-blogging venture, I'd have to go with "partnership." I would guess that unless there is a true sense of partnership between the executive and the writer, the whole thing will come up short - more like a mainstream article than a conversational blog post. Ghost blogging shouldn't be handled like some cub reporter assignment. The exec and writer have to develop a real relationship in order to create content that conveys the executive's ideas in the most authentic and accurate way possible. <br /><br />I'm so interested to see how all this develops. Thanks for continuing the conversation. Mark – Kudos to you for once again sticking your neck out into the fray.

There will always be projects that require complete anonymity and writers that will step up to fill those roles. (Just check out the google ads at the right!) That secret underground will always exist and the fact that it's secret doesn't make it evil. It is what it is.

But, for those of us who prefer a more transparent way of approaching corporate communications on the social Web, I think that the consolidated guidelines you present above are a great starting point for sorting out what makes sense – professionally and morally – when it comes to ghost blogging.

If I had to choose one element of success for a ghost-blogging venture, I'd have to go with "partnership." I would guess that unless there is a true sense of partnership between the executive and the writer, the whole thing will come up short – more like a mainstream article than a conversational blog post. Ghost blogging shouldn't be handled like some cub reporter assignment. The exec and writer have to develop a real relationship in order to create content that conveys the executive's ideas in the most authentic and accurate way possible.

I'm so interested to see how all this develops. Thanks for continuing the conversation.

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