There is something about blogging that is intensely personal in its expression. Similar to the personal voice a copywriter needs to have when writing to a potential prospect or client. It’s hard for a company to emulate that personal connection, because – well they are a company and not “a person”. The difference is huge.

A person can have a conversation over a coffee or a drink or the water cooler. A company – or even a marketer can’t or, at best, will find it very difficult to do so. Also, when you are blogging “on behalf of the company” that puts one more layer of “company-ness” in the way. It’s a very fine and difficult balancing act.

Those companies who have successful company blogs have somehow managed to find their personal voice and establish a real connection with the reader (maybe they have trusted a blogger internally or externally to simply run with blogging. But I believe these are still very few and far between.

So even when you plan a purpose for the blog, plan the content etc,what makes it come alive is that elusive “personal voice” Without it, the blog is,as you say, just more company-speak and whitepaper-like.