I get this type of question all the time. It points to a very real and valid concern: business owners want desperately to be able to control all of the messaging related –even tangentially! – to their business. Maintaining the image and reputation that your customers expect is a top priority. The last thing you want to deal with is any controversy that can negatively impact your brand.

That being said, there are realistic and legal limits about how much control you have over your employees. When the day is done and they go home, an employee is their own person, free to exercise and enjoy their freedom of speech. Employers who make efforts to control or censor that speech have been met with mixed results. If your employee is blogging about your organization, internal policies and procedures, proprietary information, other employees, or inappropriate behavior they engage in while on the clock (such as the two-hour-burrito-and-a-nap lunch that led to the firing of Heather Armstrong) discipline, up to and including termination of employment, may be both appropriate and legal.

It’s a different story when you start talking about taking action in response to your employees’ blogs that are written on their own time, that have nothing at all to do with your organization. In these instances, it’s very important to remember that you have very limited standing: you do not have the same rights or privileges you may enjoy when your company is the topic of discussion. If the employee maintains the blog anonymously, you may have no recourse at all; if the employee is clearly identifiable, you may be able to require that the employee post a disclaimer on the site that the opinions expressed therein are not those of your organization.

Clear communication is key. Every state has its own unique set of laws on this issue; it’s important to understand what the position is where you are. Use this understanding to develop a clear, comprehensive blogging policy for your organization and make compliance with this policy a condition of employment.

These policies have to be crafted carefully: while you want to protect your business interests, you never want to forget that your employees are people too. They may very well see your concern over their blog as a gross over-reach into what they consider their private lives. We are still collectively developing our cultural mores, norms and expectations when it comes to our online existence. Proceeding with sensitivity, kindness and respect is always a good idea. Consider having your company’s most active bloggers play an integral role in the development of the blogging policy. They may have insights and experiences that will help in the crafting of a useful business tool, and their participation in the process encourages their buy-in and support.

You’d think every business would jump at having a blog, but some hang back. They’re reluctant to embrace blogging because they don’t know what to write about. Other companies give it a shot but have a hard time coming up with blog topics.

Finding Blog Topics: Simple Strategies for Effective Communication

Before you start blogging, it helps to understand why customers read blogs. There’s lots and lots of research out there about the factors that influence customer engagement and loyalty, and one fact emerges consistently: customers demonstrate a strong preference for doing business with companies they feel personally bonded with. Activities like reading blogs, liking Facebook posts and responding to Tweets makes a customer feel closer to your organization – especially if there’s a high degree of interactivity between brand and customer.

When you create a blog entry, you’re really creating an opportunity for you and your customer to become closer. Think about the types of conversations you have with your very best customers. What type of information do they value? What makes them laugh? What makes them excited? The more you know about your customers, the easier it is to find topics that will interest them.
With that in mind, here are three proven techniques you can use when you need blog entries:

• Look For Laughs

Humor is a great connector. People love to laugh! Even better, people love to make other people laugh. Keep your ears open for the funny! When someone shares a great joke, silly riddle, or laugh-out-loud observation, make note of it.

You can use these lines to liven up your blog. Even better, a silly laugh can provoke some serious thoughts. There can be truth hidden in hilarity. A quick-witted client once said to me, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail,” which not only makes me laugh – it raises serious questions about the approach we take when we’re solving problems. Are we open to every solution, or only the ones we’re familiar with? Are we willing to stretch outside of our comfort zones? Answering those questions for your industry – or for your clients – can be a great blog entry.

• Go Behind The Scenes

What goes into making your business the fascinating, unique place it is today? People are always interested in what goes on behind the scenes. If you go to a trade show or industry event, bring your customers along for the ride. Talk about the new merchandise you’re excited about, neat things you’ve learned or emerging trends or changes in your industry. Keeping your customers informed of the latest and greatest is an easy way to come up with blog topics – and it’s also superior customer service!

• Let the Calendar Be Your Guide

Every industry has its own seasonal patterns. Early April, for example, is the most hectic time for accounting and tax preparation services. In late November, those same professionals are advising their clients about what needs to be done by the end of the year to ensure tax savings. Identify the seasonal patterns for your industry, and let that calendar be your guide.

Create blog entries that let your customers know what they should be doing right now to be more efficient, effective, stylish, healthier, happier – more whatever they come to you for in the first place. Restaurants, florists, and fashion-based businesses are all heavily affected by the changing of the seasons. Try to get maximum mileage out of every season: you can write one post anticipating the best of the season to come; one mid-season post highlighting the best of the current offerings, and one farewell-to-the-season post that urges customers to come in and see what you’ve got before it’s too late.

There are many more ideas to blog about. Share your favorite with us and we will keep adding our ideas for you.

It was a little more than 10 years ago that a national conversation started about “the digital divide,” the fact that not everyone had the same access to digital technology. The infrastructure simply wasn’t there. Regions of the country were woefully underserved, and socioeconomic status dictated how easily you could connect with the world online. With time, that gap has narrowed. Advances in technology have made it possible for nearly everyone to have reliable access to the web. The playing field may not be entirely level, but it’s a lot smoother than it used to be.

Yet the digital divide hasn’t gone away; it’s changed. We’re divided, not by technology, but by understanding. There is a fundamental disconnect in our culture where technology is involved. It’s not a gap in access; we have a breach in our understanding about the role digital technology has in our culture and in our businesses.

The Internal Divide
On one side of the new digital divide, we have leaders and executives who developed their businesses before the advent of social media and online marketing. They had to learn about and adopt new technologies. They had to spend time and resources figuring out things like how Facebook, text messages, and Twitter fit into existing corporate structures and protocols. Also on this side of the divide are new business owners who are not accustomed to early adoption. These are not the people who have grown up with digital technology, social media, and online marketing as part of their reality.

On the other side of the digital divide are the individuals who have digital technology integrated in their everyday lives. This segment is often referred to as “digital natives.” These are folks for whom technology is inherently positive. They need no transition period to adopt new technology: it is ubiquitous and unremarkable.

The experiential difference between the groups is critical. On one side, we have older entrepreneurs struggling to integrate technology; on the other side, we have a generation that needs no integration, a community that doesn’t see why this conversation is even necessary. Bring that disconnect into your corporate culture and something as simple as letting your team know that you’ll be fifteen minutes late to a meeting due to a mass transit delay becomes a legalistic minefield: is notifying via text message appropriate, or does this situation require a time-consuming phone call? There are two immediately obvious answers to that question—and your answer will reveal which side of the digital divide you’re on.

Bridging the Gap with Your Team
Bringing your entire team onto the same side of the digital divide yields many benefits, including enhanced organizational efficiency, better communication, and improved corporate culture. Start the process with employee education and smart policies. Then, create an ongoing process of implementation and evaluation. Open the discussion.

Have your team discuss, regularly and in depth, changes in technology and social media. This can be done as part of regular staff meetings or trainings. It’s essential that everyone in your organization operates on the same basis of understanding. While some team members may be early adopters or super users, you can expect all employees to have or gain a certain level of understanding. Providing ongoing education can bring those members of your team who aren’t familiar with technology up to speed. The members of your staff who are comfortable with technology still need education and clarification surrounding effective and appropriate use of technology in the workplace.

Foster an open atmosphere where discussion and questions are welcome. Designate a person (or team) to handle questions and concerns that come up between staff meetings or trainings: you don’t want these inquiries to default to your IT person or department.

Integrate Technology in HR Policies
Now, more than ever, businesses are integrating social media and technology components into their HR policies and procedures. This is an ideal point to encourage the appropriate use of technology, and educate new staff about collective expectations and individual responsibilities.

Be the Change You Want to See in Your Organization
Lead your team across the digital divide. Employees look to their leadership for examples of how they are to conduct themselves in the workplace. If you want your employees to communicate with you via text message, you need to send text messages yourself. Walk the walk. Tweet the tweets. Model the behavior you expect (and want) to see.

The External Divide
The divide goes deeper than a gap in understanding between employees and employer or manager. Entrepreneurs and smaller organizations are struggling to use technology effectively to connect with their customers, build brand equity, and compete more successfully against companies that have harnessed the expertise found only on the digital-native side of the divide.

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or what market you serve: many of your customers are on the cutting edge of the digital divide. Here, the view of relationships and online connections is inherently expansive. Customers are socialized to expect easy, immediate access to the companies and brands they do business with. This is not a population that tolerates frustration well: if they can’t connect with your organization, they’ll find another company that’s more receptive to their overtures.

Companies that want to thrive in these competitive economic environments cannot allow this digital divide to separate them from growth and profitable opportunities. Integrating the two sides of the divide requires communication and leadership. The companies that are the most agile and adept at connecting with their customers online understand the perspective on both sides of the digital divide—and they bridge the gap with a coherent, comprehensive strategy.

Bridging the Gap with Customers
The companies that have the most meaningful, well-integrated, and brand-consistent communications with their customers are the companies that are the most successful. For this reason, it’s essential to join your customers online.

Discover How Your Customers Connect with You
Your website analytics contain a wealth of valuable information. Examining the analytics will reveal what tools your customers are using to connect with your brand. This includes the type of computer or mobile device being used to view your website, internet browser choices, screen sizes, and more. Analyzing this data will help you make smart, strategic decisions about your digital presence.

Talk to Your Customers
People love to give their opinions. Online survey programs and focus groups can be used to solicit information directly from your customers about their digital communication style and preferences. Talk to your customers about the ways they’d like to connect with you. There is a deep and pervasive hunger for relationships in our culture. If you open a door for conversation, your customers will talk to you. Make sure you’re willing to listen to what they have to say.

Commit to Crossing the Divide
It’s one thing to say you’re going to cross the digital divide and communicate more effectively with your customers. It’s another thing to actually do it. Commit your organization to meaningful change. Be aware that it takes time and resources to plan and implement a digital strategy. Identifying and assessing new tools and platforms as they evolve is an ongoing process. Determining where and how your customers like to be reached isn’t a one-time deal. Allocate resources appropriately, implement your plans, and be willing to evaluate and adapt as needed to better serve your customers.

Change is scary. Worse than that, change can be time-consuming. When you’re an entrepreneur or leader of a smaller organization, it becomes critical to adopt cost-effective strategies first. Those that find themselves on the far side of the digital divide must begin the process of crossing the gap by finding those tools and technologies that deliver the most immediate results. Whether that means learning to effectively harness the power of social media, embracing the fundamentals of appropriate web design, or learning to text message, it comes down to one simple question: what technology will allow you to reach your customers with the information they want to hear in the way they want to hear it? When you can answer that question, you’ve begun the process of bridging the digital divide.

Originally published NY Enterprise Report November 2011