Blogging for Business
Blogs have quickly evolved from quirky and droll Internet
diaries into the next wave of the information revolution. Many
companies are starting blogs or encouraging their employees to
blog. A number of books on business blogging are starting to be
released and many companies are offering business blog
consulting.
What exactly is a blog? Blog is short for "web log." A blog is a
simple website or extension to a website that is written in a
personal and conversational tone. Most blogs allow readers to
leave comments making them interactive and fostering a sense of
community. Updating a blog is similar to writing an email; no
technical knowledge is required.
One example of a blog is "FastLane" by Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman
of General Motors. Bob writes in his blog roughly twice a week
about automobiles and the automobile industry. One recent blog
post is about the future plans of General Motors. In another,
Mr. Lutz shares his opinions about the results of a recent
automobile quality survey. These posts have anywhere from 40 to
150 reader comments.
There are many other companies with blogs including Microsoft,
Boeing, and Sun Microsystems.
Blogs can help companies in several ways:
by adding a personal voice to a company and personality to its
website and brand
by publicizing company programs, opinions and values
by engaging customers in discussions and receiving feedback as
well as providing company insights
as a useful tool for internal collaboration, allowing
communication without writing reports or generating email
Until recently, blogs were considered a bizarre Internet
phenomenon without much practical use. Today blogs are a cutting
edge information dissemination technique that is quickly
becoming a significant mainstream business tool.