CEO Blogging: Bill Marriott on Leadership

One thing that I see frequently as a social media consultant is the fear of blogging - of putting yourself or your brand out there for criticism.  What happens if people attack you??  Its a hard thing to realize that by putting yourself in the public eye - you open the dialogue - both with critics and fans. 

But what's to fear about a critic?  So they tell you about something they don't like about you.  Great!  Now you have chance to fix it for them - turning a cranky critic into a loyal, happy customer who'll likely sing your praises to everyone they meet - instead of complaining about something behind your back.  And, what else works about this?  You get to do it all on your blog - where you can control the message & response; and its documented for all to see that you DO LISTEN to your consumers and ACT on their concerns.  That is good stuff.

More than likely you will get some fans on your blog voicing why they like you or your brand.  Even better - free, unsolicited testimonials from happy consumers.  You can't pay for that!  And, again, its out there for any blog reader to see. 

You can also tap into your blog readership base and include them in decisions.  Asking them questions is like a quick, free focus group.  It makes them feel special and as if they have an impact on corporate decision making - this creates engagement and loyalty.  Isn't that what we all want?  Loyal customers?

I want to share a fantastic example of a CEO blog that is doing it right!  Bill Marriott has been writing a blog since January of 2007 called "Marriott on the Move."  I'm pretty impressed with it - you should read his latest post. 

There are several things about this post that I would like to point out as examples of how to do it right:
1. Make it timely and personal.  It's important for a corporate blogger to let the audience know that there is a face behind the brand.  And, to keep the blog content fresh and relevant.  A good rule of thumb is to post no less than once a week.  If you can't post this often, than maybe a blog is not the best medium for you to use to promote yourself or your business.  But, if Bill Marriott can find the time, so can you!
2. Be a storyteller.  Bill Marriott recounts the time spent with his grandson at the Marine Barracks in DC and at the home of the Marine Corps Commandant.  He deftly twists this personal journey into an insightful tale  about the management philosophy of Marriott, all while continuing to engage his readers.
3. Share and teach.  Mr. Marriott talks about MBWA or Management By Wandering Around.  This is an important management technique.  It keeps the C-level execs in touch with both the day-to-day managers and the customers.  It allows them to learn things that may have taken years to filter up to the top - if at all - and certainly well after a problem has become a crisis.  It also encourages open dialogue between employees and the executives, as well as the customers - just like the blog does!
3. Ask for input from your customers.  Mr. Marriott concludes his post by asking for input from Marriott customers, saying "I really want to hear from our people." 
4. Make your customers part of the team.  The final line of this blog post, "I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move." is a seemingly simple sign-off, but what he is really doing is letting his customers know that they are not only part of his team, but they share responsibility in keeping the Marriott brand of gold-star status.  This encourages interaction on the blog - consumers feel that they should comment and provide feedback and they do.
5. Do not moderate the comments section.  Another scary tactic to those new to the blogosphere, but if you choose to only post the comments you like or want people to see, you eliminate opportunities.  These opportunities relate back to what I said earlier in this post.  You have a chance to learn what's not working and fix it - right in front of everyone.  Additionally, when comments are moderated showing only the "good" ones - people catch on quickly and react negatively.  Its somewhat of a limitation on the freedom of speech, but more importantly it negates any credibility that your blog may have earned.  It takes the blog from that personal bird's eye view into the brand to a marketing propaganda piece.  With that said, I do encourage moderating blog comments for spam or profanity.  Be sure to have a comment policy clearly visible on your blog about what is an acceptable comment and what is not.

What do you like best about Mr. Marriott's blog?