A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log.
Five Tips for Bloggers
You can't afford to miss this wave -- and even more important, you can't afford to do it wrong
Blogs represent an explosion of information, from inside and outside companies. Those who figure out how to mine this treasure while protecting their own gems will fare just fine in the new world. But it's a risky world, full of hazards. Here are six tips for companies setting out into the blogosphere:
No. 1: Train Your Bloggers
Who's on your communications team? It used to be a small group, but now everyone who blogs at the company is spreading the message. And it's important that these people be trained. Every employee who blogs can be making contacts with potential customers and enhancing the company brand.
No. 2: Be Careful with Fake Blogs
Companies are eager to establish one-to-one links with customers, but they're often reluctant to plunge blindly into the blogosphere. So they set up fake blogs. These are blogs that are created by corporate marketing departments to promote a service, product, or brand using a fake character or name.
These pseudo-blogs are risky because many of the most passionate bloggers view them as an affront to their community.
No. 3: PR Truly Means Public Relations
Blogs knock down the barriers between a company and its customers. Businesses need to take that into account and adapt.
Some companies, start blogs to build loyalty and address people's comments and concerns. For businesses that don't set up corporate blogs, pinpointing and developing relationships with the top 10 or so influential bloggers in their area is key.
No. 4: Be Transparent
No hard and fast rules for navigating the worlds of blogging and marketing exist. Still, a few principles are emerging, including the importance of full disclosure. Being open about the kind of marketing you're doing is critical.
No. 5: Rethink Your Corporate Secrets
Consider one secret you have under lock and key at your company. Maybe it's a list of projects for next year or details of the scandalous bill from the latest software installation. There are all kinds of things you're trained not to leak to competitors.
But what's the value of a locked up secret? In the world of blogs, you may find more value in sharing what you used to think of as secrets. Blogs are certain to make you rethink what should be squirreled away, because companies are increasingly sharing such information to win new partners and harvest fresh ideas. This doesn't mean they don't keep secrets or that you shouldn't -- only that you should reevaluate whether you can get more out of sharing information or keeping a lock on it.
Companies are now finding that a few of its secrets are worth more in the open than gathering dust in a strongbox.
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