Blog Review: Direct2Dell
When we read Groundswell, I was so taken by Dell’s messy transition into groundswell thinking that I decided to check out its corporate blog for myself.
When I ran a search for “dell’s corporate blog,” one of the first hits led me to a page that displayed four possibly categories I could read into, all for separate purposes. I chose Direct2Dell, because it seemed to be the most generalized category and I wasn’t looking to get wildly specific.
Direct2Dell instantly lost some points from me for its layout. While it isn’t user-unfriendly, it doesn’t strike my brain as neat and clean. Here’s what the page looks like as of today, July 5, 2018:
My brain’s need for organization was bothered by the variously sized articles. They are at least sized consistently though, which makes it still visually pleasing. The bar across the top follows users as they scroll down, making it impossible to lose. That’s not such a bad thing, though I prefer when bars are static at the top of the screen. It was a nice touch, however, to color the Subscribe button differently than anything else on the page, making it stand out amongst the clutter of articles.
The articles above are highlights from the previous month, and when you scroll down, the most recent posts are visible.
After I was done criticizing its layout, I looked into an article to see the content Dell’s bloggers write. Naturally, I clicked the biggest one: Annual Update on Dell’s 2020 Legacy of Good. It’s a well-written blog about Dell’s progress and plans for their project “Legacy of Good,” which lends the aid of technology and education to impoverished countries. It was well thought out and definitely something that, if I were a Dell user, I’d want to know about. Even as a Mac-user, I was delighted to see what Dell has been up to and the progress it has made!
I skimmed a few other articles and found topics ranging from Pride Month, to Environmental Revolution, to Feminism. All interesting, conversational topics, though some didn’t seem very Dell-related. But they were intriguing and well-organized.
Overall, Dell’s corporate blogging might have pulled them out of Dell Hell, and some of them may be interesting...but they don’t strike my personal fancy. It’s undeniable fact that their blogging is what pulled them forward as a company though, so clearly, it has an audience that enjoys it, and that’s what matters.
Here’s my breakdown: Layout: 5/10. It’s not good, nor is it bad. The white bar labelled “Direct2Dell” follows you no matter where you scroll, and when you click on a blog, a smaller bar appears below the white one with options to share. Invasive and distracting, did not encourage me to share. 4 of my 5 points though go to the fact Dell made its biggest story the biggest thing on the page, which automatically drove me to click it. Well played, Dell. Content: 8/10. Some of it seemed unrelated, but it was fairly interesting. Information: 7/10. There wasn’t much product-related information on the first page, but there were a tabs on the white bar that led to information (e.g. Products tab; Solutions and Services). Business Skill: 7/10. There wasn’t enough pertaining to business in my opinion--there was some, but not enough. Engagement: 7/10. Not the most engaging, but definitely not the least. The blogs are interesting enough in some cases that I would even think about sharing them for the content alone. Eloquence: 9/10. The blogs were well-written!
What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree? If you have a kinder opinion, please share it! I’m open to have my opinion of Dell’s blogs softened!
Is there a corporate blog you follow that you enjoy? Tell me what it is in the comments below!
Until next time,
-miyabee0805
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