The business of hired bloggers who write on behalf of someone else
Blogs have become largely the territory of electronic diary writers and a source of sensation. People regularly surf the Web to check their favorite blogs, possibly using RSS feeds. You can find absolutely any information in blogs, ranging from recipes for making a festive cake, and ending with reports from the scene of the fighting in Iraq.
But blogging has become a marketing tool, creating a new direction - customized blogging (in the original - ghost blogging).
Businessmen and businessmen realized that through blogs you can quickly spread information, connect with customers and give yourself better placement in search results.
But many famous people are faced with a lack of free time to write blog entries.
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To solve this problem, they hire third-party bloggers who blog for them. An increasing number of writers and web design firms write and publish blog entries from famous people who either don’t write properly or don’t have free time. Such a blogger business is becoming more and more popular, because customers understand that a good blog provides a high position in the search engines.
“This is the most interesting service for our customers,” says Nancy McCord, owner of the web design studio McCord Web Design. “They understand the usefulness of blogs, but they don’t have time to keep blogs.”
McCord has a team of four freelance writers, and 80% of their work is related to blogging of its clients. Nancy has just completed her own research. She followed similar sites of her company, made for 3 independent insurance agents. The only difference was that one of the sites was designed as a blog. As a result, it turned out that this blog generated 25-35% more traffic compared to other sites, apparently due to a better position in search services.
“Google is the search leader and Google wants fresh content every day,” said Mary Gillen, web developer at a Virginia company. This company often uses the services of freelance writers to maintain a growing list of customers who need a corporate blog.
Ethical issues
The use of hired bloggers raises ethical issues related to trust between bloggers and readers. That is why hired bloggers say that it is very important that their posts reflect the identity of the client. Otherwise they risk losing the confidence of the readers. To avoid such situations, hired bloggers initially give the message to their clients to read, and only after that they publish the record.
The idea of ​​custom blogging has found many skeptics.
“In order to have a good blog and benefit from search engines, you really need to be a great blogger,” says Stephen Tarkotte, head of SEO. Stephen does not advise his clients to resort to customized blogging.
The phenomenon of customized blogging raises the question of whether world-famous bloggers are leading this way. Such concerns were reinforced last year, when former congressman and novice blogger Tom DeLay was caught using the services of hired writers.
Heads of large companies also understand what it means to make a mistake, says Debbie Weil, a Washington blogging consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book.
Real bloggers
Vail hosts a site that monitors hundreds of blogs of various company executives, and she has no reason to believe that they use the services of hired authors. She says that Bill Marriott (Bill Marriott), the head of Marriott International, writes the lyrics for the blog, though they pass through the hands of the editor. And the head of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, Vail calls the best blogger among the CEO, who writes himself, and besides, a very good language.
Of course, executives may want and receive help writing posts, but they must be honest with readers and tell them about this help, Vale said.
“People expect accuracy and transparency,” she says. - "If you do not follow the basic rules of etiquette in the blogosphere, then you will lose."
But blogging has become a marketing tool, creating a new direction - customized blogging (in the original - ghost blogging).
Businessmen and businessmen realized that through blogs you can quickly spread information, connect with customers and give yourself better placement in search results.
But many famous people are faced with a lack of free time to write blog entries.
')
To solve this problem, they hire third-party bloggers who blog for them. An increasing number of writers and web design firms write and publish blog entries from famous people who either don’t write properly or don’t have free time. Such a blogger business is becoming more and more popular, because customers understand that a good blog provides a high position in the search engines.
“This is the most interesting service for our customers,” says Nancy McCord, owner of the web design studio McCord Web Design. “They understand the usefulness of blogs, but they don’t have time to keep blogs.”
McCord has a team of four freelance writers, and 80% of their work is related to blogging of its clients. Nancy has just completed her own research. She followed similar sites of her company, made for 3 independent insurance agents. The only difference was that one of the sites was designed as a blog. As a result, it turned out that this blog generated 25-35% more traffic compared to other sites, apparently due to a better position in search services.
“Google is the search leader and Google wants fresh content every day,” said Mary Gillen, web developer at a Virginia company. This company often uses the services of freelance writers to maintain a growing list of customers who need a corporate blog.
Ethical issues
The use of hired bloggers raises ethical issues related to trust between bloggers and readers. That is why hired bloggers say that it is very important that their posts reflect the identity of the client. Otherwise they risk losing the confidence of the readers. To avoid such situations, hired bloggers initially give the message to their clients to read, and only after that they publish the record.
The idea of ​​custom blogging has found many skeptics.
“In order to have a good blog and benefit from search engines, you really need to be a great blogger,” says Stephen Tarkotte, head of SEO. Stephen does not advise his clients to resort to customized blogging.
The phenomenon of customized blogging raises the question of whether world-famous bloggers are leading this way. Such concerns were reinforced last year, when former congressman and novice blogger Tom DeLay was caught using the services of hired writers.
Heads of large companies also understand what it means to make a mistake, says Debbie Weil, a Washington blogging consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book.
Real bloggers
Vail hosts a site that monitors hundreds of blogs of various company executives, and she has no reason to believe that they use the services of hired authors. She says that Bill Marriott (Bill Marriott), the head of Marriott International, writes the lyrics for the blog, though they pass through the hands of the editor. And the head of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, Vail calls the best blogger among the CEO, who writes himself, and besides, a very good language.
Of course, executives may want and receive help writing posts, but they must be honest with readers and tell them about this help, Vale said.
“People expect accuracy and transparency,” she says. - "If you do not follow the basic rules of etiquette in the blogosphere, then you will lose."
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/288078/
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