I started to to try to write some commentary of my own about the article linked below, but the article itself really says it all. Be sure to watch the video (you'll have to follow the link from this page to YouTube.com).

Writers: The Most Undervalued People Online, by Robert Gorrell, on grokdotcom.com

My first experience writing for the web was in a small technology company that suddenly needed its first World Wide Web site, as everybody did, in 1995-6. The VP of Marketing assembled a SWAT team consisting of a project manager, a CGI programmer, and a graphic artist. So I asked him, "What's this new web site going to say?" He added me to the team.

Labels: web copy writing

I was participating in a panel discussion a few weeks ago at AIMA (Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association). The topic was B2B selling on the web. During the discussion on content, someone seated in the front row blurted out: “Every company needs a journalist.” After the event I was talking to this guy. He further explained what he meant in terms of having someone at the company that really does know how to chronicle events and capture information that is useful to the company and its various constituencies, including employees, customers, prospects, partner and suppliers.

So much valuable corporate information is missed because it is deemed unimportant or company officials are afraid that competitive secrets might get out. In fact, most companies are very poor communicators. Every now and then they come up with some major “thought leadership” project, but this is often a forced effort that fails to convey the true sense of expertise or wisdom contained within the company.

Companies would do better to have an ongoing process of information capture and then a programmed approach to having the intellectual capital and expertise “leak” out of the organization. A corporate journalist, blogger, diarist—whatever you want to call them—could be the wellspring for this effort and the source of much good material for newsletters, blogs, conference calls, speeches and more. Journalists are by nature good listeners and synthesizers. They are even better writers and it could be left to them to capture the essence of a company. That essence, if properly conveyed to the market, could lead to more sales!