There are a whole range of different options for a company facing the often scary, usually slippery dive into the blogosphere. Some companies opt to have what amounts to a company spokesman blogging (or sometimes it comes naturally - think Calacanis and Mahalo). Some companies choose to sponsor blogs like InFlightHQ, which lets them dip their feet into the blogosphere while also remaining essentially hands-off and risk-free. Some companies have company blogs, where multiple employees are encouraged to post.
These are all smart strategies for getting your company out there.
My personal favorite is the company spokesman approach. It’s hard to imagine how much good Scoble did for Microsoft while he worked for them. Imagine how much it helps to have Major Nelson personally apologizing to gamers for difficulties on Xbox Live. And one thing that Scoble does exceptionally well is make himself a public figure.
Take a look at his travel post. He’s got dopplr tracking where he is at any given time. He’s got his calendar published on Google Calendar, so that people can see when he might be available without having to bug him first.
I remember at the last BBS Seattle, Scoble talked about how he ended up with on a TV interview because he had his phone number posted on his blog, and the expert they were looking for didn’t have their contact information readily available.
The point is this: if you’re going to be the company evangelist, you really should make yourself publicly available. Post your phone number. Tell people what cities you’re in. Put your calendar online so people can see when you might be available.
The more people can reach you, the more they can feel like they know you, the better you’ll be at your job.
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