The two extremes of blogging models out there are to have either ONE CORPORATE BLOG (loud deep voice signifying total control of the message and wrongly assumed control over the brand) and the IBM “let them all blog” model. Rarely do you find one that works well in the middle.
Well here comes the US Army with a great example of how an organization with a) legitimate information control priorities, b) lots of inspiring material, and c) a dire need to share it, can do it right. Enter ArmyStrongStories.com, a group blog that just stormed the mobile beaches. (I know, it’s the marines that storm the beaches, but c’mon…)
From their about section: “Soldiers of every rank, background and MOS are invited to share their unfiltered perspective on daily life in the military as Army Strong Stories bloggers. Through blog entries, photos and video, the Soldier bloggers chronicle their experiences in the Army with topics ranging from basic combat training and serving in Iraq to family life and travel opportunities. The blog is also open to Cadets, Veterans and Army-contracted civilians.”
The command and control, as it were, is applied through a form that has to be filled out to submit a post. The content is screened to make sure that nothing violates guidelines, but note the emphasis on “unfiltered.” The rules state “All received story submissions will appear unedited on Army Strong Stories.”
So if you’re a big enough company to have thousands of potential contributors, and you want to tap social media’s powers in an authentic way without violating important rules, take a page from the US Army. They found a way to make it work. Why not you?
