How Far Into Business Blogging Should Junior People Go?
September 13, 2007 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
There are several excellent conversations taking place today about young public relations people, and whether they should be putting it all on the line in blogs and other social media.
Paull Young has links to the various posts. Worth clicking through and reading some of them.
My takeaway: Don’t needlessly or carelessly piss all over someone who may be in a position to help or harm your career. Public relations, marketing … the people involved all know each other, talk to each other and compare notes about up-and-comers. They also throw business the way of people they think they can trust. Flame them at your peril.
Tags: public relations, business, youth, careers, damage control, blogging, inexperience
None of these people have ANY idea what they’re talking about. As long as you blog well, being a young PR person with a site is a huge asset. It has gotten me noticed in Hollywood, a fulltime job at an agency that would have been impossible otherwise and been amazing leverage for clients.
Ryan: Thanks for adding your personal perspective.
I think there are also sorts of ways bloggers can screw up, but since you also have the option of apologizing, correcting mistakes, etc., it’s not like a blog post is a death sentence.
And a blog puts you in the same ballpark as more established consultants and thought leaders, so you’re more likely to get noticed than if you shout your ideas from a rooftop.
Exactly. As long as you don’t go around threatening people or celebrating AIDS, nothing you can say is going to be irreparable.
And I think actually, being behind a computer screen–like you said–allows you to be taken seriously as an equal since your age isn’t so visible. Which I think outweighs the risks in the end.
Ryan…let’s just say that one day you move to Toronto and call my office looking for a job. And I say to you, “Hmmm, Ryan Holiday…weren’t you the guy who said I didn’t have ANY idea what I was talking about on that Eggertson guy’s blog?”
:)
Good point, David. You would instantly recognize Ryan as a very astute judge of people, and offer him a job.
:)
You know me too well.
One of the best pieces of advice I got very early in my career was, “don’t burn any bridges.” It applies in the office and outside the office - even in the blogosphere. You never know whose path you might cross again in the future. I’ve seen it happen to other people so many times! These days, I think it’s absolutely essential to consistently portray your desired brand image. The internet has caused the world to shrink more than anyone could have imagined twenty years ago!