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.

Ted Demopoulos is co-author of Blogging for Business and a business blogging consultant. Subscribe free to the BizBlog+ Newsletter for in-depth tips and secrets on effective uses of blogs for business, including business positioning and marketing issues, building blog readership, making money from blogs, and much more!

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