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TWENTY-ONE

Create the Content Yourself

A few years ago, I taught a seminar on blogging at a trade show. The CEO from one of the largest companies at the trade show attended. Afterward he came up and introduced himself. He asked if we could have breakfast the next morning. “Sure,” I said.

So the next morning we met. He asked, “How do I get started blogging?” My heart leapt. I knew he would have an instant audience. I, for one, would love to read what he had to say. I imagined all kinds of things I could learn from him.

Then he dashed my hopes. “Who ghostwrites your blog?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” I choked.

“I mean, who do you use to write your blog? Could I possibly hire him or could you recommend someone who is really good?”

Honestly, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The guy obviously did not get it. I blurted out, “I don’t use a ghostwriter. I write every word myself.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that,” he said. “I don’t have the time.”

Without thinking, I said, “Then you shouldn’t do it at all.”

I still feel that way. You can hire a ghostwriter to write a book. You might even be able to hire someone to write an occasional op-ed piece or magazine article. Usually, no one will even know unless you choose to reveal it.

But this is not true with blogs. It is especially not true with Twitter. If you try, you will be found out. Your readers will know. You will be considered a “poser,” someone pretending to be something he is not. And trust me, word will spread. In the end, you will do irreparable damage to your personal brand.

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I have seen this trend of ghost-blogging and ghost-tweeting with authors, artists, and other celebrities. Forget the fact that blogging is more than a decade old and Twitter is already a mature medium. Now that these and other social media have gone mainstream, no one wants to be left behind. Everyone is jumping on board.

What some of these new converts don’t understand is that social media only works well if the communication is personal, authentic, and near immediate. Here’s what I mean:

1. Personal. Even if people don’t know you, they can tell if you are the one writing. You might be able to fool them for a while, but blogging and tweeting require you to express your personality. If you don’t, readers sense that something is not quite right.

2. Authentic. People will only trust you if you are willing to pull back the curtain of your life and give them a peek inside. Of course, this is helpful in every form of communication. It connects people in a powerful way. But it is essential with blogging and tweeting. You must be willing to share yourself.

3. Immediate. Blogging and tweeting are a dialogue. You get to introduce the topic and may even moderate it, but you are expected to participate in the ongoing conversation. As a result, you must respond to some blog comments and most Twitter replies and direct messages.

All of this requires your personal participation. You can’t hire it done. You can’t fake it. If you’re not willing to make the personal investment, don’t bother. You won’t fool anyone.