Agreed, blogs are a communication medium - one that can help a CMO connect with customers unlike any other channel. Sure, not every CMO should blog - but the ones that do are going to uncover new paths into those cash flow-generating activities.

Interesting thoughts. I wonder whether CMOs don't blog because they are focusing on other things directly connected to cash flow or that they just haven't caught on to how valuable a blog can be in creating further opportunities to connect with their customers thereby creating future cash flow generating activities?
Bev

I realize it's dangerous to knock blogging in this community. However, I think we all must be realistic about the minimal benefits of blogging to the typical CMO. If there was an obvious return at a minimal risk, we simply would see more blogging from CMOs.

Roy,

It's too bad that CMO tenures don't last more than 2 years. However, I see that as the strongest reason to archive a company's voice via a permanent blog.

Secondly, as a stakeholder I wouldn't want my C-suite execs blogging every day, but blogging twice a month like Jonathan Schwartz does, is not a time-sink.

Finally, if the CMOs main priority is "creating and keeping customers", I don't see any better way to connect with your prospects & customers than with a blog.

There's nothing more assuring to your customer than the fact that you listen to them. And, a blog is definitely a sign that you are listening.

Would we not see more CMO blogs if what you both say is true? I know the Daily Fix is a growing community of blogging enthusiasts, but as marketers we must acknowledge the limited benefit of proactive blogging, especially if a white-washed or promotional voice is used.

Should all CMOs be blogging? I honestly don't know....which is why I asked that same question in my response to Mario's original post. I'm not sure anyone can really have the answer, at least yet. But my guess is -- probably not, because not all CMOs likely have the temperament for it.

But at the same time, I wouldn't think it wise for CMOs (or any executive, for that matter) to ignore blogging or brush it off as a less-than-legitimate means of reaching or listening to customers.

As Ed Hellenbeck writes in tomorrow's "MarketingProfs Today" newsletter:

"Customer-focused companies are led by management that is deeply committed to providing competitively superior customer value. These leaders demonstrate their commitment to providing higher levels of value by spending a significant amount of time with customers.

Leaders like Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, and Cisco's John Chambers spend (or spent) a third of their time with customers. Such leadership behavior "sends a distinct message to the organization that all employees should focus on providing customers with higher levels of value," Hellenbeck writes.

And no -- Hellenbeck isn't talking about blogs, exclusively. But why ignore such an opportunity? Why shut a direct window to your customers?

I will let others debate whether or not CMOs should blog, but I will publicly thank you, Roy, and your coauthors for adding your voices to my own: helping me make the point that the role of CMOs must evolve beyond promotional communications. I can't wait to feature your book on my professional services marketing blog!

I think Roy would find if he interviewed other C-levels, as he did for CMOs, that they are all busy with cash flow. And they are all just plain busy. I take Mario's comment to the extreme - as a shareholder I don't EVER want to see a C-level blogging. They are being paid millions - I'll get their "insights" from the quarterly report transcripts.

In my humble opinion, the best blogs are from those a level or two down in the organization - those who actually touch customers, products, and fellow employees - the "inner workings" so to speak. Sun's Jonathan Schwartz is an exception - one of the few inner workings guys to get promoted to the C-suite.

Someone should plot his blog frequency against earnings per share over the next year or so.

The issue with many big companies is not whether they should blog or not, it's how do they process the information. At many of the larger marketers, the gap between what marketing wants to do and the company financial goals and objectives is so wide whole departments could get lost if they fell in! CMO's don't stay very long becuase they are not connected with top and bottom line performance. They connect via their own metrics of brand awareness, Golden Lions won at Cannes, interviews on TV, radio, and podcasts (that's good buzz and buzz it another great marketing objective). Before a CMO or company gets heavy into blogging they need to get a process built that enables them to take advantage of the connection with the consumer, otherwise it's just BLAHGING for blogging sake.

I read the article about CMOs blogging and would have to agree with Roy Young that they should have other things on their minds. Increasing shareholder value and developing strategies to retain sales and increase revenues is what I would expect of a CMO.

From my point of view in a more technical sale, technical blogging, or a moderated forum is the way to get mindshare and lead - talking about issues, not product. In my experience marketing can be seen as such an insidious thing by technical people, that to get technical buy-in a marketing blog will only aggravate the situation.

Another thing that occurs to me is that blogging takes commitment, and unless it is a behaviour a person posesses, the blog is likely to last a couple of months and then peter-out, not the image any company wants to project.

Do I think that the same person/title in every organization should be blogging? No. Do I think every organization should encourage their employees to blog? Yes.

The problem is, when a company is presented with blogging, their first question usually is 'yes, but how do you MAKE MONEY off that?'. Until you can quantify the process and show CEOs a figure on a balance sheet that says 'last quarter we had X number of dollars in increased sales for every blog post', then most companies don't see the need for blogging.

That's not how blogging works. It works by letting companies and their customers BETTER UNDERSTAND each other. Blogging can also change a company's entire culture. Just the other day I ran across a blogger from Sweden who was 'outted' as a blogger by a member of the company's marketing department. Since that time, the entire marketing department has started turning to her to teach them about blogging and social media, and now they are trying to get the company's CEO to start blogging. A few days ago no one in the company was publically blogging, now the entire marketing department is getting into this space.

The point is, as Hugh MacLeod once said, that blogging makes things happen indirectly. Start blogging and you start talking to your customers. They start talking back. You start to better understand them, they start to better understand you. They realize that you are listening to them, you realize that they just want to be heard. Their expectations of you begin to change to meet your limitations, your processes begin to change to better meet their wants and needs.

End result? Sales increase. Costs go down. Customer satisfaction and service goes up. All this happens indirectly.

The Catch-22 is that companies truly can't see the benefits of blogging until they start, and many don't want to start until they KNOW they can make money off it.

Thanks to all for a very thoughtful discussion.

I am grateful to be part of such a dynamic, intelligent and articulate group.

For now, I am, frankly, more concerned with the work marketers must do INSIDE their organizations to clarify how marketing contributes value. Indeed, that's the subject of my forthcoming book. So perhaps blogging on a corporate intranet to reach staff is more valuable to a CMO than blogging on the Internet for customers and other external groups.

G'day Roy,

I'm Pete Jeans, CEO at SMO Sydney in Australia. We deliver business transformation.

Should CMO's blog?

It depends on their strategies to build future nett cashflows....and how the blog is positioned to meet strategic internal and external communication goals.

I used to be a CMO before blogging. But I used strategic channels all the time to get soundings on issues that mattered.

Now I blog as a CEO...but only to add value. Why would you do it for any other reason?

Cheers!

Pete Jeans
CEO SMO Sydney, Australia

google us for contact details

I agree, Pete.

Therein lies my argument for why we don't see more CMOs blogging.

I like blogging as I find "the real people behind a blog" and people are big assets for any organization.

I guess that besides all the advantages of blogging, the buttom line is whether they enjoy this media or not.