It’s pretty simple…all of the laws that apply to traditional media outlets apply to bloggers.  Failure to adhere to them could result in a lawsuit.  In a recent discussion on twitter than I participated in the overarching concern was around disclosure – the practice of journalists declaring whether either money or merchandise had been received in the process of writing and article.  It was generally accepted that this should be adopted by bloggers.

While disclosure is not an issue with corporate blogs some of the basic principles of journalism are overlooked.  If you want people to read your blog it’s important, not only to adhere to the relevant laws, but also adopt the same tactics that leading journalists do:

• Know the basics of media law
• Talk about issues, not products
• Make it balanced – not just about your product or service
• Provide some context – show you know what you are talking about
• Encourage debate – ask questions that generate comments
• Keep it short – 250-350 words is the perfect length for a blog post and the same as a single page article in a magazine
• Be your own editor – would you want to read what you’ve written?

The results will bring readers to your site, stimulate debate and improve the credibility of both your products and services.  It’ll also stop you from facing a costly law suit!

Lyndon |@lyndonJJ

While there is nothing in the book that was new to me it does explain how Apple, and you, can make sure that your message gets through to the people that matter most – journalists, analysts, bloggers and, most importantly, prospective customers. In a world where the number of communications channels has increased significantly since I started my PR life, it is good to reminded of a few basic techniques that can ensure that we stand out from the crowd. Too often great products go unnoticed simply because the message gets drowned out by unnecessary noise, or because their creators simply can’t communicate what makes them so good.

Taken straight from the Steve Jobs toolkit, here are a few things worth remembering that will make your PR insanely awesome:

1. Keep the message simple [would your grandmother understand it?]
2. Think Twitter not Tolstoy when writing headlines!
3. Work out what the one thing you want your audience to remember – and tell them.  Then tell them again!
4. Answer the one question that EVERYBODY will want to know – ‘So what?’
5. Make it memorable.  The majority of communications are unforgettable, so making yours stand is half the battle.