Rain Making Problem #19: Using Client Information in Blog Posts
How would you respond to this question that a friend recently asked me?
Ford,
Could I ask for some advice?
I was just at a client’s site this afternoon; they’re thinking about starting up a blog. Their concern is that if they write about their experiences with clients (even with names and details changed) it will scare off new clients who may think they’ll end up being written about in the blog. How do you handle this with your blog? Does it ever make clients uncomfortable?
Thanks,
A.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:30 am
No client shall be even remotely referenced to in a public forum unless I have it in writing that it is ok to do so. This keeps me free and clear of any misunderstandings.
Martin Stockdale
Wireless Logistics, Inc.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:20 am
My first response would be to explore the type of business being conducted. Some industries where confidentiality is key might pose more of a challenge. I blog about my clients but mainly about their successes. So it usually isn’t an issue, however, getting permission in writing is excellent advice no matter even if your saying something positive about them. Will you be choosing to include client recommendations/testimonials which would also be posted to your website thus creating possible inference of who had what issue. I might suggest an approach that rather than using a blog that focuses on client issues, a blog that approaches an industry and common problems that business owners for example have in that industry. If you delve into common problems and solutions or how you can help solve the problem then you position yourself to be a person of value. Emphasizing solutions to the problem allows you to focus on a teaching, sharing, content building blog rather than a personal account blog. This positions you to be more of a thought leader who has answers rather than a problem fixer.
Chuck Franks, PCC
http://www.lifecoachkansascity.wordpress.com/
June 24th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I tend to agree with Chuck’s approach. Make it less about the client and more about a problem - resolution. Blogging is meant to be quick and insightful not absolutely comprehensive. In my business, with or without permission, I would NEVER blog about a client. It is a slippery slope. And maybe your contact today wouldn’t mind, but your next client inside the same company would.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
In my case, I start with one simple rule, I never identify anyone publicly where the identification could cause negative responses. When speaking positively, I will often post without asking permission first but also email the person involved and offer to remove or delete the post if it would cause problems. Obviously, if the post results from personal interaction rather than a web or e-relationship, I’ll generally ask in advance and obtain oral permission first befoe posting (especially if I have a camera in hand.)
Now, if I were a lawyer or engineer handling confidential files, the approach would be different. But most people are happy to receive recognition in the blog — especially when hyperlinks to their site are provided (thus helping their own search eingine status.) I like to keep the bureacuracy and formality out of the approval process, knowing that blog entries can be quickly amended or deleted if there are problems, and the possibility of cached results retaining something difficult is limited — especially since I observe the first rule: Never identify anything negative about anyone in public.
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:28 am
This is a tricky one as it applies to any reference to client issues in any sales materials or thought leadership papers. If the article is well written and the issues are generalised, many clients and non clients will see themselves in what you write. For this reason, unless it is an agreed case study, I never write directly about a specific client.