Blogs are quickly making their way into mainstream consumer companies. Once the domain of high tech businesses and political websites, blogs are now commonplace on the web. Some consumer products companies that are using blogs to communicate with their customers include GM, Stonyfield Farms, and Ice.com.

One recent estimate suggests that 80,000 blogs are created every day. Blogs can be used for many reasons including announcing new products or sales, creating an ongoing conversation with customers, posting the thoughts of the company's CEO, or even creating buzz with controversial postings. While businesses can use blogs as a way to enhance their brand, they need to do so carefully. Even though blogs can be created in less than 5 minutes, a great deal of thought needs to be given to them, more than might seem necessary at first glance. My company