Why Grow Bloggers When You Can Hire Them?

by Karl on April 10, 2007

On the topic of corporate blogging, should companies grow corporate bloggers organically or should they just hire a superstar blogger? Recently Microsoft hired famed blogger Hugh MacLeod from Gapingvoid and it really started me wondering. Clearly he’s not being hired as a shill/spokesperson, he is a very creative, subversive, change agent, and this seemed to happen very organically because of some cartoons he did about microsoft.

blue monster 2

I guess the other question is why would you hire a blogger beyond the mundane diarist… change agent, idea generator, instigator, consultant, conversation starter?

Thoughts?

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April 11, 2007 at 2:58 am

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

David Armano April 10, 2007 at 7:36 pm

Karl,

Everyone knows that bloggers don’t grow on trees… ;)

Jack Cheng April 10, 2007 at 9:56 pm

I think home-grown bloggers tend to be more passionate about the ideas. It doesn’t necessarily matter who they work for; they’d be blogging anyway. I think in cases like yours (and David’s), your employers are lucky to have you!

By growing a blogger within the company, you’re spreading the company’s message. By hiring a blogger from outside of the company, you’re a lot more likely to infuse everyone on the inside with fresh thinking. The former is a marketing initiative, whereas the latter is a growth initiative.

Hans Suter April 11, 2007 at 1:01 am

There are a lot of CEO bloggers, some good, some not CEO: http://www.thenewpr.com/wiki/pmwiki.php?pagename=Resources.CorporateBlogsList

Dennis Howlett April 11, 2007 at 2:37 am

Hiring bloggers: desperation?

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