Oplæg til blogging guidelines

Vi arbejder frem imod at en eller flere corporate blogs bliver en vigtig del af det kommende social media newsroom. Derfor har jeg skrevet et oplæg til COWI's blogging politik og guidelines, som jeg godt kunne tænke mig kommentarer på. Jeg har lånt kraftigt fra andre store virksomheders politikker, og kilderne er listet nederst.

Umiddelbart synes oplægget temmelig langt. Så hvad siger I - kan noget undværes? Eller har jeg glemt noget?

COWI corporate blogging policy and guidelines

COWI's corporate blogging policy and guidelines is an appendix to the communication policy and web strategy. The general principles of credibility, openness, honesty and competence in the communication policy also form the basis for the corporate blogging policy.

POLICY

Write as yourself
When writing a COWI corporate blog, please let your readers know who's behind it. In other words, you can't be anonymous or write under a pseudonym. We want the blog be an open medium with a free dispute, and writing under your real name will add credibility with your readers. Your name or names should be prominently displayed on the blog and it should be easy to access further information about you in the blog or somewhere on COWI's websites.

Keep secrets
Blogging about your work or profession will unavoidably mean that you sometimes have to decide whether information about a project is confidential or public. Obviously, a blog is all about openness. If you are too cautious, the blog risks becoming uninteresting. However, it is imperative that you do not disclose any sensitive or confidential information about COWI, our customers or projects. Likewise, don't refer to customers by name unless they want you to and don't disclose personal information about other individuals. If in doubt, check with your manager.

Respect copyrights
It's a good idea to use images, videos and other multimedia on your blog. But remember that a lot of this kind of material is copyrighted. Do not post others' material unless they've granted you appropriate permission to do so.

You are personally responsible
What you post on your blog are your own personal opinions. Your blog posts will not be checked or approved by managers or lawyers in COWI, and therefore you are personally legally responsible for any content you publish. You must observe legislation and so must the people writing comments to you. This includes legislation against:

• discrimination of any kind
• defamation, libel, wrongful accusations etc.

It can be a good idea to place a disclaimer somewhere on the blog stating that you work for COWI, but as your opinions or views may not always correspond with the company's, you are not speaking officially for COWI. Contact Communication and Design if you need help writing a disclaimer.

You can write your blog on company time
You are allowed to write a corporate blog on company time as long as you agree the level of resources to be spent on it with your manager.

Disagreement with COWI is ok
You are free to disagree with official company actions or policy on your blog. Please keep a respectful tone, however

GUIDELINES

Link and cite
Linking to other websites and blogs is an important part of blogging. So is citing from relevant sources. Remember that weblogs in their most ideal form are conversations. Find out who else is blogging on your subject. When you read something interesting they or someone else has written - including our competitors - be sure to link to it. It adds value for your readers, and you'll also generate links back to your blog.

Write about what you know
The best way to write an interesting blog is to write about what you know. As a COWI professional, you have a deep understanding of your professional field. Write about the challenges and issues around it. Communicate your enthusiasm to your readers. Have opinions. Be honest and admit mistakes. And don't be afraid to ask your readers about the things you don't know. This will give your blog a human face and it won't discredit you.

Write often
If you want to develop a consistent readership, you should post new entries regularly. New content is what keeps readers coming back. Post at least once a week.

Write in a human voice
Dialogue and relationship-building happens between people. All really great blogs show off some of the writer's personality. Be yourself when you write and try to write in a human voice. Don't have your posts checked every time by a manager. Your blog will be too polished, less authentic - and you'll be too slow in posting.

Answer comments
Encourage comments. Comments testify to the fact that someone reads your blog and find it interesting enough to comment on. Be sure to answer promptly to any comments that require a reply. Do it on the blog if the answer is something other people could benefit from knowing. Otherwise, write an email. If you get offensive comments, you are free to delete them. If in doubt, check with Communication and Design first. If you get comments that break the law, you are obliged to delete them.

Be nice
Obviously, you should keep a nice, respectful tone on your blog. If someone criticises you or COWI, keep your focus on the subject matter and answer in a professional manner.


Inspirationskilder:
Sun's Policy on Public Discourse (Sun Microsystems)
IMN eight basic steps pdf (IMN E-communication)
Feedster Corporate Blogging Policy (Feedster)
Thomas Nelson Blogging Guidelines (Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Yahoo Employee Blog Guidelines (pdf) (Yahoo)
Arla Weblogretningslinier (Arla)