Comments on: Ghostblogging http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/ Articles and Discussion Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:55:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Carolina Event Planning http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-4351 Carolina Event Planning Sat, 12 May 2007 19:17:56 +0000 http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-4351 I suppose ghost writers have been around a long time. It's only natural they would show up on the web? Nice post! Ed http://www.CarolinaEventPlanning.com I suppose ghost writers have been around a long time. It’s only natural they would show up on the web? Nice post!

Ed
http://www.CarolinaEventPlanning.com

]]> By: Gloria Hildebrandt http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2310 Gloria Hildebrandt Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:46:04 +0000 http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2310 As the "ghostblogger" for this particular tradesman, I can add the comment that one of the main points he always makes is the value of hiring professionals to do the jobs they're good at, instead of doing a shoddy job yourself. While this tradesman is an expert in his field, he's not the best writer around, or he'd be doing that for a living. People would probably not enjoy reading his writings, just like people would not enjoy the results of work I did in his particular trade. Just because everybody learns to write in school, doesn't mean that everybody's writing is worthy of publication. A blog is public. There aren't many people's journals that I would want to read. This is, I think, the greatest danger of blogs: the celebration of mediocrity. Our tradesman wants to see whether blogging will his raise his profile in his local area. He wants his profile to be as professional as he is, so he works with me. My challenge is to chat with him and try to capture his thoughts and phrases so that I can render his own voice but in an interesting condensed version that makes his points succinctly. This is much like writing magazine profiles. You have to have a great ear and memory, and present the best crafted miniature you can of the person, all the while remaining true to him. Since we're writing about issues in his field, I couldn't put words in his mouth if I wanted to. His expertise often leads to surprising comments. As the “ghostblogger” for this particular tradesman, I can add the comment that one of the main points he always makes is the value of hiring professionals to do the jobs they’re good at, instead of doing a shoddy job yourself. While this tradesman is an expert in his field, he’s not the best writer around, or he’d be doing that for a living. People would probably not enjoy reading his writings, just like people would not enjoy the results of work I did in his particular trade. Just because everybody learns to write in school, doesn’t mean that everybody’s writing is worthy of publication. A blog is public. There aren’t many people’s journals that I would want to read. This is, I think, the greatest danger of blogs: the celebration of mediocrity.
Our tradesman wants to see whether blogging will his raise his profile in his local area. He wants his profile to be as professional as he is, so he works with me. My challenge is to chat with him and try to capture his thoughts and phrases so that I can render his own voice but in an interesting condensed version that makes his points succinctly. This is much like writing magazine profiles. You have to have a great ear and memory, and present the best crafted miniature you can of the person, all the while remaining true to him. Since we’re writing about issues in his field, I couldn’t put words in his mouth if I wanted to. His expertise often leads to surprising comments.

]]> By: robclark http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2304 robclark Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:28:38 +0000 http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2304 Hi Maggie, Thanks for taking the time to comment. In the case of my client, while we have used the blog to issue a news release, I'm of the view that a release should be saved for... well... something newsworthy. What we've tried to do with the blog is to build a series of articles surrounding his trade. Do it yourself advice, opinions on when doing it oneself is a bad idea, and just some general musings of a seasonal sort. We've left it up to the client to respond directly to comments. To date, a few words response or an invitation to call him direct has been enough. The dialogue does continue, but it goes offline. This works in that he's a tradesman working within a specific geographic area, but you're quite right that it would likely fall flat for anyone trying to build a discussion on a wider scale. I don't know if I accept the label of liar for 'ghostblogger'. Were the words simply pulled from the air and attributed to the client.. . well then sure. If the ghostblogger is passing their own opinions off as that of the clients... okay. But when the words are the product of a discussion and the client in the end signs off on it saying "yes - that's how I feel about it"... I'm still left with the feeling that this is a fuzzy grey in between the black and the white. Hi Maggie,
Thanks for taking the time to comment.

In the case of my client, while we have used the blog to issue a news release, I’m of the view that a release should be saved for… well… something newsworthy.

What we’ve tried to do with the blog is to build a series of articles surrounding his trade. Do it yourself advice, opinions on when doing it oneself is a bad idea, and just some general musings of a seasonal sort.

We’ve left it up to the client to respond directly to comments. To date, a few words response or an invitation to call him direct has been enough. The dialogue does continue, but it goes offline.

This works in that he’s a tradesman working within a specific geographic area, but you’re quite right that it would likely fall flat for anyone trying to build a discussion on a wider scale.

I don’t know if I accept the label of liar for ‘ghostblogger’. Were the words simply pulled from the air and attributed to the client.. . well then sure. If the ghostblogger is passing their own opinions off as that of the clients… okay. But when the words are the product of a discussion and the client in the end signs off on it saying “yes - that’s how I feel about it”… I’m still left with the feeling that this is a fuzzy grey in between the black and the white.

]]> By: maggie fox http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2292 maggie fox Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:40:54 +0000 http://www.theelusivefish.com/articles/2007/03/10/ghostblogging/#comment-2292 Hi there, I think the issue has largely to do with transparency, authenticity and effectiveness. If it's made clear that the blog is dictated by the owner of the business, but not necessarily "written" by them, I think that's fine - the problem arises when the ghostblogger claims to be someone they're not; this behaviour actually contravenes the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's guidelines ("say who you are...") and is, um, lying. Which is bad? As far as authenticity goes - what if a client wanted to interact with the owner of the business on the blog? The blog he doesn't write? Would they be able to, or would the ghostwriter be forced to play Cyrano De Bergerac, and reply in the owners "voice"? And how authentic would that be, what benefit would the client and/or business owner receive over simply picking up the phone? Which leads us to effectiveness - if you're using the blog as a method of essentially issuing press releases about the business, rather than actually opening up a dialogue with your marketplace - why are you doing that? Call it a website instead and use WordPress as free CMS - that's far more accurate. Hi there, I think the issue has largely to do with transparency, authenticity and effectiveness. If it’s made clear that the blog is dictated by the owner of the business, but not necessarily “written” by them, I think that’s fine - the problem arises when the ghostblogger claims to be someone they’re not; this behaviour actually contravenes the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s guidelines (”say who you are…”) and is, um, lying. Which is bad?

As far as authenticity goes - what if a client wanted to interact with the owner of the business on the blog? The blog he doesn’t write? Would they be able to, or would the ghostwriter be forced to play Cyrano De Bergerac, and reply in the owners “voice”? And how authentic would that be, what benefit would the client and/or business owner receive over simply picking up the phone?

Which leads us to effectiveness - if you’re using the blog as a method of essentially issuing press releases about the business, rather than actually opening up a dialogue with your marketplace - why are you doing that? Call it a website instead and use WordPress as free CMS - that’s far more accurate.

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