Guest Blogging & the Art of the Complement

Posted by Tom Wark on Mar 1, 2007

Every now and then I think about the idea of having "guest bloggers" write for Fermentation. Usually I give consideration to someone who might offer regular wine reviews since I don’t do this and I think they might enhance the readers experience here. I’ve considered other types of guest blogging also. I’ve just never pulled the trigger.

In the end it’s always been about making sure any guest blogger would really add something significant to the message that’s being delivered here. What’s necessary is finding guest writers who can deliver a different perspective to the areas and topics that are often explored at a given blog.

The Guest Blogger Should complement the main blogger.

Inertia Beverage Group is a client of Wark Communications. They produce the REthink System that allows wineries to easily and efficiently carry out direct-to-consumer and direct-to-trade web based marketing. Their good. Probably the best. They are also very good bloggers that consistently deliver knowledge about direct-to-consumer sales management. It’s a team effort over there with all sorts of folks with varying specialties pitching in.

But now they’ve started something that makes perfect sense (and imagine, they didn’t consult me on this idea) and goes back to the notion of guest blogging when the guest adds a different perspective.

Jennie Haug, Sales Manager at Titus Vineyards, is Inertia’s first Guest Blogger in what will be a steady stream of such guests. For quite some time Inertia’s REthink Blog has delivered information and insight from the inside. Jennie delivers the perspective of the winery itself and how they approach direct-to-consumer sales. This is a good idea. It’s something that wineries who are thinking about taking the plunge into more aggressive direct-sales should read closely. The folks at Inertia, who usually post at their blogs, are evangelists. They don’t drink the Kool Aid. They serve it up in large bowls. Jennie however is Kool Aid drinker. Different perspective, same topic.

Exactly what a guest blogger should be.