Googler Karen Wickre is one of those behind-the-scenes brains who is way too modest. She currently manages Google's 38 public blogs, including Google's Official Corporate Blog and eight country blogs (for Brasil, China, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland and Russia). But you'll hardly ever see her by-line. She's the genie behind the blog who gives entries submitted by other Googlers a light edit to ensure a consistent and informal voice.
We talked about how Google's official blog got started in 2004, who writes the blog (generally it's product managers), how sensitive issues like the Google Book Search program were handled on the blog, and how many hours a week she spends in her managing editor role. About 60 percent of her time, she told me, including time spent helping to launch Google's country blogs.
I'll post the show as an MP3 later. In the meantime, have a look in the Comments below at the two questions that were submitted via by listeners via Instant Messenging.
Which Instant Messenger do you use?
We used Yahoo! Messenger on today's show but I'm open to switching. My preference is to use Skype. Help us decide. Take our little poll here and tell us which is your favorite IM client.
Download the Nov. 28, 2006 show as a podcast (MP3, 12.6 MB, 55:09) or sign up for the RSS feed to get it (and future editions of the TCB Show) automatically.
Libsyn blog
In the second edition of The Corporate Blogging Show (Nov. 21, 2006), CEO blogger Zane Safrit and I talked about how he was inspired to start a blog by Seth Godin and how he views his blog as an integral part of his marketing strategy.
Zane uses his blog as a creative white board, a place for him to clarify his thinking and to experiment with the multimedia services (audio & video) that his teleconferencing company, Conference Calls Unlimited, is expanding into – a key differentiator in a crowded market.
I quoted from The Corporate Blogging Book (pages 20 - 21):
"Blogging helps me articulate and refine ideas in a linear fashion… ideas I may be thinking about for our company. So blogging improves my ability to communicate with my employees."
- Zane Safrit
Zane riffed; I listened. This was a good show.
Download the Nov. 14th, 2006 show as a podcast (MP3, 12.4 MB, 54:31) or sign up for the RSS feed to get it (and future editions of the TCB Show) automatically.
Full disclosure
Conference Calls Unlimited is a sponsor of The Corporate Blogging Show on VoiceAmerica (TM) Business.
Link to libsyn
TypePad General Manager Michael Sippey was my guest on the first edition of The Corporate Blogging Show (Nov. 14, 2006). We talked about How to Get Started With a Corporate Blog. Michael told us about his original blog Stating the Obvious, which he started in August 1995. That's prehistoric times in the blogosphere.
Download the Nov. 14, 2006 show as a podcast (MP3, 57 mins) or sign up for the RSS feed to get it (and future editions of the TCB Show) automatically.
Full disclosure
Six Apart, makers of TypePad, is a sponsor of The Corporate Blogging Show on VoiceAmerica (TM) Business.
Blog page on libsyn
You can tune in live Tuesdays at 12 noon Pacific on VoiceAmerica (TM) Business. Or listen to archived shows anytime. They'll also be posted here as podcasts. Thanks to my terrific sponsors: Six Apart and Conference Calls Unlimited.
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