Precisely seven days after the first post, at almost the same time, McDonald's Open for Discussion blog has posted a second time. I'm sorry to say, that the week since they dabbled their first corporate toe into the warm waters of the blogosphere, they seem to have adopted an even more corporate, more remote, more one-way tone.
I am genuinely sorry to see this. A few people thought I should have been kinder in my first post about McDonald's. After all, it's a big company trying this new channel and we bloggers should be honored by their presence, right? I think not. I think it's a big company trying to figure out how they can exploit a new media channel to improve their fading corporate image.
The good news is that blogging can help them do that. The bad news is that their current attempts need to change abruptly or they will hurt themselves rather than help.
Dear McDonald's: Here are a few tips for what you could do to make an interesting blog.
1. Start a conversation with your customers. Tell them what you are doing to ct the fat and carbohydrate content in your foods. The same contents that are contributing to a dramatic rise in adult diabetes sufferers.
2. Talk about a typical day in the life of a franchise owner, who gets up at some ungodly hour and goes to bed late at night. Talk about his or her pride in cleanliness. Talk about exacting specifications.
3. Ask your customers what they want of you. They will tell you in amazing candor. Not only will the blog make you smarter, but you will be perceived in a better light because you are listening.
4. Drop the language of corpspeak. No one likes. No one believes he words they are hearing.
5. Read other people's blogs. Join their conversations. That's how you will get noticed and linked. It's not about you, McDonald's. It's about us. You are new to the blogosphere. We are very egalitarian, but if you ignore the other 25 million bloggers, they will for the most part, continue to ignore you. You may not think we are your target demographic, but you are wrong. Cumulatively, we have a great deal of wisdom to share with you. Collectively, we can have a serious impact on your business--but only if you listen.
Oh by the way. Welcome to the Blogosphere. I know you have internal blog champions. I do hope you continue your blogging effort. I hope you get blog smart enough to actually find these postings I, and others are doing but I suspect that has not yet happened. Don't just take us as negative voices. Listen to what we are saying.Really listen.
I suppose, we'll hear from you again next week.
