Dell bloggers get serious
Dell’s chief blogger, Lionel Menchaca, has some fascinating insights into blogging in an interview with Jessica Twentyman from The Financial Times in the latest edition of Digital Business
Menchaca has a team of 40 bloggers (yes, 40!) who monitor the web and intervene to support customers. Admirably Dell is committed to being open and honest, although that can cause tensions internally as some people push back against being too transparent. Nevertheless Menchaca is adamant that Dell’s blogging should be relevant and meaningful.
He says: ‘We wouldn’t have any credibility at all if we only used the blog to publish marketing messages. We want customers to know that we’re serious about blogging and paying attention to what they have to say – not just telling them about how great we are.’
It’s going to take a profound shift in culture for more companies to embrace this view. Also blogging is complicated by the fact that some organisations have strict regulatory policies preventing what they can and cannot disclose. You can get round this by being open about your editorial policies. I suppose the real test of Dell’s commitment to blogging will come with their results. Will this wholehearted blogging policy translate into commercial success? If the policy leads to improved reputation and better sales than I imagine a lot of other companies will be running to catch up.
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