To say that blogging is popular on the Internet is an understatement. In fact, the popularity of blogging stems from the fact that everyone with an Internet connection can start posting blogs and it is perhaps the easiest way of having your comments and opinions read all over the world. Everyone from politicians to journalists to actors to housewives are keeping blogs that give an insight into their lives and thoughts.
Of course, business-related and corporate blogs are also growing in popularity given the fact that it is a cost-effective and efficient way of communicating with various stakeholders. Most people, however, take for granted that blogging is a good idea and more often than not it is. But like everything else there is a flip side to blogging also. Especially when we are talking about corporate blogging, it is a sensitive thing because things like business image and customer and employee relations come into the picture. So it would be a good idea to work out what exactly you want to get out of our business blog before you start it off.
For starters, it is important that you decide what kind of a blog you are going to start off. Keep in mind that a personal blog is very different from a business blog. For one thing, a personal blog can be freer with its content in the sense that the individual does not really have to answer to anyone vis-a-vis the views and comments that are expressed on the blog. But the same is not true for a business blog. The content that is posted up on your business blogs could have a direct relation to your business dealings. In a business blog, it might not necessarily be appropriate to write in a casual manner, the way one would in a personal blog but, that again depends on the kind of blog that your company maintains.
The tricky part when it comes to business blogs is how you are going to regulate the kind of information that is going up. The nature of blogs is that it is a space where views and opinions can be expressed freely and by that logic everyone can say what they want on the blog. Now if this is a blog that your clients and other stakeholders can read, is that going to be a good or bad thing for your business image? At the same time, who all in your business are going to have the authority to post blogs. Is it just the top management or the owner or all the employees of the firm? These are issues that you need to consider carefully before you start up a business blog.
Another possible problem with confusing the role of business blogs and personal blogs is the amount of personal information that could find its way to a business blog. This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing for a corporate blog but, once again, you have to keep the objective of your blog in mind even if it is as simple as providing an open channel of communication for the organization. Your corporate blog should have an objective in mind and ideally each blog posting should be aimed towards fulfilling that objective.
As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons that blogs became so popular so quickly was because it is such a convenient and quick way of communicating information. That still remains one of the biggest advantages of blogging. An organization that decides to have a corporate blog is opening up an extra channel of communication for its members. The blog can be used as a tool for two way communication so that information can flow freely throughout the organization. This kind of open communication can go along way in boosting employee morale also. Knowing that there is a channel of communication that is open for everyone and will also be taken seriously is an empowering feeling.
Once again, the speed factor of blogging cannot be forgotten. Within a second of having typed out and uploading a post, other members of the blog can view it. Considering the fact that there are many organizations that work at a global level and have stakeholders spread all around the world, this type of communication is a quick and economical way of keeping everyone up-to-date about the happenings in the organization.
Needless to say, blogging is a great way of communicating. In fact it lets you do things that were unheard of earlier. But as a business owner you need to keep in mind that blogs also have pros and cons to them. It is definitely a good idea to have a corporate blog that can really improve an organization’s communication channels but, at the same time, you need to decide what kind of outcome you have in mind from this kind of communication so that the system for blogging you put into place adds to your overall goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment