The CEO Blog
Start a blog.
Yes, that's the big, bold statement I'm pushing out today.
Companies (even those with corporate communication departments) often whine about not being able to reach out to their investors, which usually comes about after their shares don't do too well and interest in their stocks wane.
They then hire big name investor relations agencies and hold some glitzy events to try to endear themselves to the public.
Considering how much capital goes into such reactive efforts, it would really be way cheaper and proactive to START A BLOG.
Here's why:
One of investors' main gripes is that management is always inaccessible. This means they can only rely on things like media reports and the occasional Q&A session (which, by the way, is not done by most companies) for their information. Even then, management still just comes across as a group of boardroom old farts who are too uppity to speak to the common people, and not living, breathing human beings like you and me.
Now, if the chief executive of listed company AWEFULLY CHOCOLATE (something I made up on the fly) were to start a blog and writes about his work, his encounter with a homeless guy on the street and the kind of music he listens to, wouldn't that make him that much more human? He could even throw in how he felt about that last deal he did with Hershey's.
By putting yourself out there and showing existing and potential shareholders how normal you are, you may get less flak when you have to take the week off to take care of your sick kid.
A good example of such a blog would be Fred Wilson's. He's an American venture capitalist and managing partner of Union Square
Ventures.
In an interview with Business 2.0, Wilson says he plays music for his readers and shows them videos he likes. He even tells them what he did over the weekend.
“And it works. About 50,000 people come to by blog every month. The site brings in about $30,000 a year now in ad revenue, and I donate it all to charity. Most important, I'm getting to know entrepreneurs of all kinds – in India, Australia, England, China, and Silicon Valley.”
He adds that his blog “acts as an amplifier and a filter”.
“I see many more opportunities, but they are also way more relevant. It makes me a better investor.”
So looking at how Wilson does it, a blog is more than just for your shareholders. It is also for you and your business. And it doesn't cost anything to start one.
Of course, one could argue that blogging appears less formal, and therefore, less credible.
But looking at how the people around me read their daily news and blogs all on one page on a news aggregator, I'd say formality really doesn't matter.
I'd really prefer to see a human running AWEFULLY CHOCOLATE, not just some airbrushed, photoshop-ed picture of a man in glasses called a CEO.
Looking forward to your comments. =)
Serene Lim
*images courtesy of avc.blogs.com and dilbert.com.
ArchivesYes, that's the big, bold statement I'm pushing out today.
Companies (even those with corporate communication departments) often whine about not being able to reach out to their investors, which usually comes about after their shares don't do too well and interest in their stocks wane.
They then hire big name investor relations agencies and hold some glitzy events to try to endear themselves to the public.
Considering how much capital goes into such reactive efforts, it would really be way cheaper and proactive to START A BLOG.
Here's why:
One of investors' main gripes is that management is always inaccessible. This means they can only rely on things like media reports and the occasional Q&A session (which, by the way, is not done by most companies) for their information. Even then, management still just comes across as a group of boardroom old farts who are too uppity to speak to the common people, and not living, breathing human beings like you and me.
Now, if the chief executive of listed company AWEFULLY CHOCOLATE (something I made up on the fly) were to start a blog and writes about his work, his encounter with a homeless guy on the street and the kind of music he listens to, wouldn't that make him that much more human? He could even throw in how he felt about that last deal he did with Hershey's.
By putting yourself out there and showing existing and potential shareholders how normal you are, you may get less flak when you have to take the week off to take care of your sick kid.
A good example of such a blog would be Fred Wilson's. He's an American venture capitalist and managing partner of Union Square
Ventures.In an interview with Business 2.0, Wilson says he plays music for his readers and shows them videos he likes. He even tells them what he did over the weekend.
“And it works. About 50,000 people come to by blog every month. The site brings in about $30,000 a year now in ad revenue, and I donate it all to charity. Most important, I'm getting to know entrepreneurs of all kinds – in India, Australia, England, China, and Silicon Valley.”
He adds that his blog “acts as an amplifier and a filter”.
“I see many more opportunities, but they are also way more relevant. It makes me a better investor.”
So looking at how Wilson does it, a blog is more than just for your shareholders. It is also for you and your business. And it doesn't cost anything to start one.
Of course, one could argue that blogging appears less formal, and therefore, less credible.
But looking at how the people around me read their daily news and blogs all on one page on a news aggregator, I'd say formality really doesn't matter.
I'd really prefer to see a human running AWEFULLY CHOCOLATE, not just some airbrushed, photoshop-ed picture of a man in glasses called a CEO.
Looking forward to your comments. =)
Serene Lim
*images courtesy of avc.blogs.com and dilbert.com.
Labels: blog, business 2.0, CEO, fred wilson, listed companies
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