Right-leaning(!) Guido Fawkes has posted a useful article on LabourHome, called Welcome to the Online Goldfish Bowl explaining how and why ConservativeHome gets it right.
For me, the most important part is of the article is when Guido writes:
"...here will be where the activists will play it out in front of lazy journalists looking for a quote."
This line raises the idea that in an online world it is impossible to 'control the message' anymore and managing or facilitating the messge or messages is the way forward. This of course requires utmost transparency on the part of the sender, which is why this communication development is so relevant and integral to politics ("or not!" I hear the cynics cry).
Professional PR people are getting to grips with this idea but I fear certain elements of the political and government comms machines still don't get it. Guido makes some salient points.
I think you also need personality to run a blog because that's what shines through most, and is intended to as it is the "naked conversation". I enjoy the different styles and character behind ConservativeHome, GuidoFawkes and Iain Dale.
While Conservative blogs can criticise Labour's performance and suggest an alternative agenda, Labour will have to try and focus on its strengths and future plans and hope it can summon the same blogging support from its members.
Posted by: Ellee Seymour | 26 June 2006 at 07:04
Agree on the personality thing, Ellee.
Fundamentally, blogs as a communuication tool can be as dull as you like but it is personality that gives a blog added value and makes it worthwhile. That's probably why over 80% of corporate CEO blogs are ghosted!
Posted by: Simon | 26 June 2006 at 09:01
I'm disappointed that more CEOs are not blogging, I didn't realise that so many were ghosted.
Posted by: Ellee Seymour | 26 June 2006 at 11:32
See Philip Young's great blog, Mediations for more info:
http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/2006/01/ghosted_ceo_blo.html
Posted by: Simon | 26 June 2006 at 13:37