Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

The humour in this Dilbert cartoon – the boss talking about blogging his thoughts about his business when in reality it will be his employee doing the thinking and the writing – is a simple but good reminder that expressing opinion online is a lot about authenticity.

You may have someone suggesting topics to you that reflect and are linked to your business objectives – a key role of the communicator as strategic counsellor and adviser – but if something’s published as a blog post with your name on it, authentic is not what it is if the thoughts and the words are by someone else and that fact isn’t disclosed somewhere.

Expressing authentic opinion online can also be a valuable use of your time whether you’re the boss or an employee. The time you invest in sharing what you think – a post you write or a comment you leave as you join someone else’s conversation -  can provide a powerful and credible demonstration of your knowledge and opinion about a topic and your willingness and ability to engage with others in discussing it....