Blogging for Advocacy Communications

My current employer has a fear of blogs (and other social media by default) because of the inherent inability to control the message. Last week I attended a Web Managers' Roundtable event that was hosted by the World Bank and included a speaker from Ogilvy on that topic.

I immediately got the sense that this was not a fear unique to my office. Especially when you deal with sensitive issues, there is a tendency to avoid situations you can not control. One woman from the Department of Homeland Security who asked a question at the end of the discussion called it the "Duck Tape" affect in her office. Everything is judged by how much ridicule it might attract in the outside world.

One argument raised during the presentations really made a lot of sense to me.

If you aren't participating in blogs and other social conversations, you just aren't at the table. The conversation will continue with or with out you.

This argument resonated with me because it is very similar to a point I heard made about lobbying recently.

If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

Lobbying is typically important to many trade associations in Washington, so perhaps this is an argument that might gain some traction in offices like mine. I certainly plan to test it out soon.