Can you blog for a CEO?
I’m usually surprised by that question. The answer is: of course I can!
But doesn’t it mean that the blog isn’t genuine?
Ummm, no. Not as long as the blog truly represents what the CEO wants to say.
I’ve been doing P.R. for years. All along, I’ve ghost-written quotes, speeches and articles for CEOs. I’ve put tons of words in CEOs' mouths. Was it what they wanted to say? Absolutely! Is it exactly how they might have phrased it? Probably not.
Frankly, it’s usually a whole lot more eloquent and understandable ("real speak") simply because I’m a writer, a wordsmith.
While most CEOs are very articulate, they don’t have the time to sit down and carefully craft an article or a quote that’s “on message.”
Now that blogging has become de rigueur for most organizations, the CEOs I know certainly don’t have time to blog every day or even every week (which is the minimum frequency in my book).
So I’ve developed a little routine. Interview the CEO first – ask what he/she wants to blog on – I usually get a top of mind kind of idea. I dig into their perspective (the best blog posts have a little “attitude”). This interview usually takes around 15 min.
I then draft the blog and get it approved. This usually takes about 45 min. I’ve just saved the CEO at least 45 min. with this routine, while still communicating their perspective to their core audiences.
To me, that’s a whole lot better than silence from the corner office.
I’m usually surprised by that question. The answer is: of course I can!
But doesn’t it mean that the blog isn’t genuine?
Ummm, no. Not as long as the blog truly represents what the CEO wants to say.
I’ve been doing P.R. for years. All along, I’ve ghost-written quotes, speeches and articles for CEOs. I’ve put tons of words in CEOs' mouths. Was it what they wanted to say? Absolutely! Is it exactly how they might have phrased it? Probably not.
Frankly, it’s usually a whole lot more eloquent and understandable ("real speak") simply because I’m a writer, a wordsmith.
While most CEOs are very articulate, they don’t have the time to sit down and carefully craft an article or a quote that’s “on message.”
Now that blogging has become de rigueur for most organizations, the CEOs I know certainly don’t have time to blog every day or even every week (which is the minimum frequency in my book).
So I’ve developed a little routine. Interview the CEO first – ask what he/she wants to blog on – I usually get a top of mind kind of idea. I dig into their perspective (the best blog posts have a little “attitude”). This interview usually takes around 15 min.
I then draft the blog and get it approved. This usually takes about 45 min. I’ve just saved the CEO at least 45 min. with this routine, while still communicating their perspective to their core audiences.
To me, that’s a whole lot better than silence from the corner office.
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