Some More Thoughts
I've finally found a decent article on Entrepreneur.com that details some of the reasons for businesses to blog. I think this guy gets it. He should. He's Robyn Aber, senior director of Solutions Development, Engineering & Marketing at Cisco Systems Inc.So how do blogs fit into a business? They can be used in several different ways. Many companies use them for communication and collaboration among distributed colleagues, partners, suppliers, customers and others. That's the most popular use. My personal favorite is that they also can be used as a unique, informal way to establish a company or individual's reputation or brand. Other businesses use them to improve operations (like for project management or tech support knowledge-sharing), to demonstrate expertise (useful for professional services businesses) and to establish competitive differentiation. Blogs let companies reach out to value chain members with organizational news, marketing promotions, new product announcements and more.
That's good, but he also gets the core issues as well.
For many companies, blogs have become a business staple. They're mainstream and not just for techies! Blogs, though, are not for every company. Their informal
style probably won't suit very conservative organizations. But they're great for companies that value freedom of thought and informal communication of ideas. If
the fit is right, companies must decide:
Who should blog.
Whether the company is really committed to the ongoing care and feeding that blogs demand.
What's to be achieved by the blog.
Who will get access to company blogs. (They're password and access level protectable.)
How blogs will fit in with the company's content strategy, which may include e-mail, blogs, wikis, the Web, voice mail, newsletters, PR and MarCom.
Blogs are a unique vehicle for communication. While they're not for everyone, many small and midsized businesses will find that they're a great way to craft a distinctive image, convey important messages and relate informally with the outside world.
Ongoing "care and feeding" that blogs demand. Perfect. Maybe we'll change the blog name to careandfeeding.com. Well... ghostblogging@veritymedia.com.
posted by John Palmer @ 1:04 AM
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