Corporate Blogs

From Baruchnewmedia

1 Blog: A Brief Definition and History
2 Corporate Blogging
3 The Rise of Corporate Blogging
4 Analysis, Applications, and Impact
- 4.1 Technorati
5 Different Types of Corporate Blogs
- 5.1 Internal Blogs
- 5.2 External Blogs
6 The Future of Blogging
7 Information Technology Corporate Blogging
8 HR Corporate Blogging
9 Should CEOs Blog?
- 9.1 Why they should:^[18]
- 9.2 Why they shouldn’t^[19]
10 External Links: Examples of Corporate Blogging
11 References

Blog: A Brief Definition and History

The term blog is short for web logging. A cultural phenomenon, blogging has now become a verb. Blogging refers to a site containing text entries, typically in reverse chronological order with the most recent first, regarding a particular subject. It “serves many purposes from online newsletters to personal journals to ‘ranting and raving.’”^[1] They can be written by one person or by several contributors. Entries may include texts, commentaries, links, images, search features, as well as videos.

Blogs appeared in the late 1990s as manual entries, usually as part of a website and updated in HTML code. In 1999, however, the concept of blogs became popular with the development of sites, such as Pitas, Blogger, and GrokSoup.^[2] These sites offered template-based software allowing users to create and write on blogs without knowing HTML. Blog hosting services eventually joined the trend allowing anyone to maintain personal blogs.^[3]

Today, blogs are used to convey various types of information in a rapid manner to everyone around the world. “The ‘blogosphere,’ which is the world of blogs, has become such a forum for public expression that it is being routinely searched for reactions and opinions about products, politics, and issues of all kinds.”^[4]

Corporate Blogging

In the age of where nearly everyone in the world uses the internet to obtain their information, corporations have placed their content on the internet. With the popularity of blogs, many corporations have created blogs to get closer to their audience. Businesses such as Google, Sony, The NFL, GE, Macromedia, The Wall Street Journal, and many others, have created blogs consisting of business information, as well as answers to customer questions and comments. At times, these blogs may help a company conduct research for an upcoming product, as well as an existing product.

Macromedia, for example, began blogging in 2002. Calling it the “blog strategy,” Macromedia released, at the time, new versions of its applications, Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Cold Fusion. “The firm needed a way to quickly respond to questions developers might have as they use the new products.”^[5] The idea of blogging soon entered their thoughts. Blogging would provide a forum in which managers are able to discuss new products, show users the product’s features, as well as answer questions. “Most importantly, the community managers would write like bloggers, with that casual, this-great-idea-just-occurred-to-me-tone which sometimes makes weblogs so addictive.”^[6] At the same time, however, they try to avoid sounding like corporate managers with a marketing strategy in their blogs. Rather, they want to sound more like helpful “community managers.” As stated by Tom Hale, “I’d hate for you to think this is some kind of marketing agenda. If there is an agenda, our agenda is related to getting good information in people’s hands.”^[7]

Employees are even blogging about their own workplace. One would think that this would hurt the companies image, if the employee were to post anything 'bad', but it's quite the contrary. It's actually helping business because it's more personal allowing the customers to value it that much more. Walmart for instance is able to do this and give their customers advice on what the buy in their vast collection of items.^[8]

The Rise of Corporate Blogging

In the beginning of 2005, the trend of corporate blogging began to rise exponentially. According to CNN.com, managers recognize the benefits of blogging.

The benefits of corporate blogging are :

establishing a company as a thought leader in its sector
providing tips and insights on potential new products and facilitating feedback on existing products
allowing an outlet for good company news, and a chance to ease bad news into the ether
fostering internal communications and creative brainstorming.
establish a direct relationship with customers in a context that can build trust over time -- something all the advertising in the world can struggle to accomplish."^[9]
" build and brands your company to be a thought leader in your industry."
"helps to engage customers in conversation, and help in building relationships."
"helps to put a human voice to a company."
"helps you show the world that you have nothing to hide."
"customer service and feedback." -allowing customers to leave feedback helps to improve company's customer service.
" a differentiator." - helps to make a corporate seem different from their competitors.
" encourages you to find out what others are saying about you."^[10] - so companies can find out how customers are thinking about their products & services.

The list of companies using blogs includes: Walmart^[11], Gamestop , GE , Sony & Microsoft & many more.

Analysis, Applications, and Impact

Industry Overview: How Have Specific Industries Embraced Corporate Blogging?

Public Relations Firms: The Media industry has become almost addicted to blogs. Journalists report heavily on blogs.
Advertising Firms
Financial Services
Retail
High-Technology

Impact of corporate blogging on customers, product, publicity, bottom line etc.

Public Relations
Marketing

Tools to track, enhance, and network in the blogosphere

Google Analytics tools
technorati.com

Technorati

Technorati is the Google of the blogosphere. The site indexes millions of blogs, which, according to the official site, is approximately 112.8 million. It also keeps track of ratings. To facilitate this process, the site is divided into six categories: business, entertainment, lifestyle, politics, sports, and technology, with further subdivisions within each category. The site also tracks individual pieces of media - currently 250 million of "tagged social media". There is a separate menu bar for blogs, photos, and videos. The front page serves as an instant flow of up to date information organized by category. Each item has an "authority" score, indicated by a green box with the Technorati logo. "Authority" represents the number of people and, or blogs that refer to one's blog directly by way of a link.

How can this be of use to businesses and entrepreneurs? It is simple. The site provides a plethora of information about current trends and instant updates in public opinion. This is what corporations devote entire budgets to researching, and it is available free of charge via technorati.com.^[12] ^[13]

There is also a separate site for Japan.

Different Types of Corporate Blogs

Corporate Blogs can be categorize into: Internal Blogs and External Blogs. ^[14]

Internal Blogs

Internal Corporate Blogs are created to share information and can only view by the employees of the organization.

Benefits of Internal Corporate Blogs:^[15]

"Knowledge Sharing"
"Idea Solidification"
"Project Management"
"Cross Team Communication"
"TeamBuilding"

Examples of Internal Blogs: Knowledge Blog, Collaboration Blog, Culture Blog. CEO Blog,

External Blogs

External Corporate Blogs are created for marketing the organization’s products or services and can be view by the public.

Benefits of External Corporate Blogs:

Improve Customer Service by asking for feedback from customers
Gain brand stability
Increase Reliability
Advertising new releases, products & services

Examples of External Blogs:

Sales Blog
Relational Blog
Branding Blog
Customer Service Blog

The Future of Blogging

The future of blogging is about communication from all venues. Different opinions, perspectives, and innovations will be accounted and addressed in blogs. Companies can determine the pros and cons from their clients' posts, therefore, improving, if needed, as well as reinventing an existing product. Theorists have sets of rules or guidelines to better corporate blogging, some of which are the following:

"Tell the Truth."

- Honesty develops continuous relationships.

"Post facts fast whether good or bad."

- No one is perfect. Therefore, clients and employees would like to be aware of both the good, as well as the flaws, of the company

"Your blogs must provide and, or support the latest software for all end users."

- Everyone does not share the same edition of software. Since software is constantly updating, corporate blog sites need to have relevant support for all versions.

"Have a Thick Skin."

- People may say negative comments regarding the company.

"Talk to the grassroots first."

- The media and press are always roaming blogs and sites for stories.

"If you screw up, acknowledge it."

- It is essential to have a company that recognizes its flaws, address it to the public, while giving solutions as reassurance to their bloggers.

"If you don't have the answers, say so."

- It is okay to not know everything.

"Never hide information."^[16]

- Eventually, information will leak to the public and may possibly render the company’s reputation.

Information Technology Corporate Blogging

The IT industry is an ever growing and ever changing field. Technology changes so fast from year to year that its important to always stay on top of what is out there. What hot new technologies there are always big discussion points for technology workers and technology based companies. You have a vast amount of levels of individuals that coordinate and share information. It ranges from Technology company workers and experts, technology consultants providing services, technology software and hardware vendors, corporate IT employees and even just the average techie or person off the street who likes to tinker with the latest crazes and gadgets. IT blogging takes over where vocational magazines, newsletters and conferences leave off. All participants need to be able to be on the same page as far as industry best practices and solutions. The companies that produce the technology products see the advantage of being able to have open forum discussions and ideas passed between themselves and their business partners and customers. It helps produce products and drive markets that are advantageous to all. Technology itself is a very difficult thing to control and maintain. Companies try and take some of the complexity out of being able to support their IT community with blogs and forums that allow people to reach out to each other with lessons learned from real life scenarios. This helps companies lower costs on providing support and builds confidence with professionals when they know they have a place to distribute their ideas and questions. Many recognizable industry leaders will have their own blogs that people can follow as well to reach out and give it their personal touch which also influences from the bottom up.

HR Corporate Blogging

Corporate Blogging from a Human Resources perspective is mostly geared towards attracting talent. Many companies have their recruiting department manage an external blog strictly to accomplish one objective – to generate quality candidates/leads. HR Blogging is an ongoing investment in persistency attracting and engaging the people you know you’re going to need.

10 HR Blogging Best Practices :^[17]

Getting management approval will likely be an ongoing process. Think small, dip a tow and build a long-term case with a real understanding of long-term value.
Involve Marketing and Legal early in the process, and work collaboratively with them. But don’t get bogged down in legal guidelines and restrictions.
Bring on multiple contributors from different areas of the business. This will provide a broader, more holistic view into your organization. But identify someone as the lead to manage the process, monitor content, etc.
Be personable, authentic and real. Job seekers and candidates don’t want corporate-speak and buzzwords. They want information and dialogue with real people about real issues and stories.
Spend as much time listening and learning as you do writing. Blogging isn’t really about how much content you produce, it’s about how well you can leverage content to build community, and convert community members into candidates.
Market the blog at every opportunity – link in emails, URLs on business cards and promotional material, through employees, etc. Put the blog URL in job postings. Make it a core component of your outreach, and think about how to promote it every day.
There’s no shortage of topics to cover: industry news, “day in the life” stories, recruitment information/news, etc. Use an editorial calendar to stay on top of things and add diversity to the type of posts you’re publishing.
Think of your blog as core piece of a true, dynamic talent network.
Write the best headlines possible. The headline is the most important part of a blog post.
Setup the proper systems for research, idea generation, content writing, management, etc, and blogging doesn’t have to be a daunting or time-consuming task.

Should CEOs Blog?

Why they should:^[18]

Many believe that as a CEO or an executive in a company there are too man y risk involved in blogging but it is important create a corporate voice. Many know may know the CEOs name but they don’t really know who that person is. Blogging allows these CEOs to create a voice for themselves – a voice that customers, employees, and other stakeholder can relate to. It is said to be that the most powerful and interesting companies in the world are the ones who have dismantled that dichotomy between inside and outside, companies who speak with the same voice - internally, externally, and to themselves.

Some CEO and Executive Blogs:

Karen Christensen - CEO, Berkshire Publishing http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/blog/

Gil Friend - CEO, Natural Logic http://blogs.natlogic.com/friend/

Matt Blumberg – CEO, Return Path http://onlyonce.blogs.com/onlyonce/

Bob Lutz – GM’s Vice Chairman http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/

Mark Cuban – Owner of NBA’s Dallas Mavericks http://blogmaverick.com/

Why they shouldn’t^[19]

Many believe CEOs shouldn’t blog due to the fact that he has many more important things to worry about. He has a Public Relations department who is responsible to establish a voice, a message, and then is responsible for assisting in disseminating that message to the marketplace. Many times the examples where we see the CEO of a company blogging the reason they do this is because they are running a business in which they have more responsibility then just being the CEO. As a blog writer one must be open, expressive, and ultimately genuine. This becomes very difficult for a CEO as he/she may say something which can potential be interpreted differently and send the wrong message which can ultimately hurt the company. The reason this is so is because it is not just an average Joe who is commenting it is the CEO of the company. Therefore there are too many risk for a CEO to blog but he can definitely hand this responsibility to a department in his organization.