As you might realize, PRWeek is new to this whole blogging thing. We blog because a) it's a new way to reach our core audience and b) it's a way to reach new audiences. It's been great so far. So we decided to ask some of the PR bloggers we read why they blog. This will be a recurring feature. First up: Leslie Gaines-Ross is chief reputation strategist at Weber Shandwick. Gaines-Ross blogs here.
Why I Started Blogging
I was delighted when Keith O'Brien asked me why I started blogging.
I began because I firmly believed that unless I joined the blogosphere, I could not intelligently and credibly converse with clients on the do’s and don't's of blogs. I also craved another outlet for all my reputation-based experiences and observations that occurred to me every day. I realized there were only a few people in my professional life who shared my deep passion for reputation and the time had come to broaden that circle. I was starting to feel alone in my interest but I knew there was a community out there that was just as interested.
After I started blogging (first at reputationwatch.blogspot.com and now at www.reputationXchange.blogspot.com), I realized there was another reason – media skepticism of the communications industry. On some occasions, I even drew a few chuckles of disbelief when I explained that public relations firms invest in reputation research to further expand their knowledge base and client services.
I must say though that more journalists accept the insights and opinions of members of our industry today compared to five years ago, and I think our higher profile has helped, so we’re making some progress. But it can still be a struggle. Just recently I answered a reporter's query about people who blog and was told that he excluded members of the public relations industry as sources.
What my experience has taught me so far is that although we may have a way to go in winning over top-tier media, blogging has been another avenue for introducing my reputation research not only to this audience, but also to a wider community that is as enthusiastic about the same interests as I am.