Corporations hire bloggers to gain PR edge – law firms included

The Contra Costa Times has a nice story about how an emerging marketing strategy is creating a new career: corporate bloggers. Tom Mighell, a veteran legal blogger and a heck of a talented guy, is quoted at length.

Blogs are still new in that only 4 percent of major U.S. corporations offer public blogs, according to a survey by New York research firm eMarketer. But, as the Times reports:

Ads for blogging jobs are turning up on online job boards, and many expect the field to grow. Also, hiring managers are adding blogging and blog-watching to the job descriptions of marketing managers and communications generalists.

Companies hiring bloggers want candidates who can write in a conversational style about timely topics that speak to customers, clients and potential recruits, according to CareerJournal.com.

Corporate bloggers’ jobs entail research, finding news links and providing personal insight. Salaries typically range from $40,000 to $70,000.

Pulling from some leading blog authorities, including Mighell, the article cited some key’s to a successful blog:

• To develop an authentic voice.
• Don’t just spout the company line, because readers expect the openness and even irreverence that characterizes most blogs. Corporate bloggers must balance readers’ expectations of freewheeling self-expression with the goals of the corporation.
• Truly have a conversation with your customers.
• Be informal and involve some give-and-take.
• Be willing to push the envelope a little bit and show that you’re willing to share with your public.
• Navigate untested waters and invent your role as a blog publisher.

Law firms make note of what veteran blogger Mighell has to say. He thinks blogs will become a key component in the overall corporate marketing portfolio.

I see the corporate Web site eventually transitioning to the role of an online brochure, with the fresh content going through the blog.

Not all businesses are suited for blogging but industries that change frequently and need to update the public can benefit.

Mighell is also living proof that blogs boost an individual’s marketability as an expert in the field. The article notes that, although Mighell isn’t looking to change jobs, his blog has clearly enhanced his career.