Why Internal Blogging Makes Sense

Ever wonder why it is beneficial for a company to maintain a blog? The truth of the matter is that organizations are just starting to warm up to the concepts of Web 2.0 technologies and do not see an attractive ROI just yet. I came across this slideshow by Benjamin Greenberg posted on Beth Kanter’s blog that highlights the purpose of having an internal blog, and it also gives us sort of an introductory training to its method. Folks, its 2008 already…Let’s start this year right. Enjoy!




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Enterprise Blogging

When organizations have their own corporate blog, employees are expected to know how to blog, but what if they don’t know. Well luckily I came across this post by John Chow that outlines 5 tips to become a better blogger. Here’s a quick recap:

1. Don’t ever talk about many page hits or visitors you come across on a daily basis. That is something bad bloggers do and it will detract from the message that you are trying to give.
2. Do not discuss failures because although it might make you seem more “real”, it will also make your readers doubt your abilities. Instead, try blogging about a massive success and your advice can actually mean something.
3. Getting back to the 2nd tip, do not gloat about your success. Yes if your success is worthy about being bragged about then mention it, but if its just about having a certain number of visitors from Digg or any other source then it’s best to keep that to yourself.
4. You must write with authority. A blogger that lacks confidence might offer mere suggestions while a confident blogger will specifically get into detail and offer examples of success.
5. Even if you are not an expert on the subject research can help you seem “experienced”. So read up on your materials and use confident language.

So here you go, 5 tips to help you become a better enterprise blogger. Enjoy!

What not to do in your business blog

A recent post at Business and Blogging lists what enterprises should never do on their corporate blogs. Here’s the list:

1. Duplicating your press releases on your blog. Why? Your readers come to your website for more informative information, not to be sold on your product.
2. Failing to participate in the conversation. Respond to the comments left on the posts, interact with your customers. Give them acknowledgement that you’ve noticed that you’re reading their post.
3. Getting overly defensive on your corporate blog. The conversation is going to take a life of its own. Don’t take offense to the blog gaining traction and developing a life of its own.
4. Not posting regularly. Once you’ve started a blog, you have to keep it going. So, take time to divvy out the reasonability and keep fresh posts up as much as possible.
5. Lying on your blog. If you’re searching for real relationships with your clients, lying is not the way to go about fostering the relationships.

Businesses turning to blogs for promotion

In a recent article by Bill Ives, he discusses how many businesses are turning to new media to advertise. He references Steve Rubel who points out that every company can effectively market on the Internet if they put some resources into the effort. But the most important reason companies are turning to blogs is because customers are trying to avoid advertising and now have the tools to do this such as TiVos, DVRs, and satellite radio.

This is where the blogs are the most effective. This is where users solicit the enterprise for a specific purpose. It is a perfect place to start a blog and communicate with your community exactly what your company stands for and what your can contribute. A recent post in the Content Economy has recently listed the key things that need to be in place for an enterprise to effectively start running a corporate blog: easy access, ease of use, single point of administration, freedom of choice, mobility, and tagging. Is one of these things holding your corporate blog back?