Blog for Business

In this post we shall discuss issues like how blogs can be use for businesses, the benefits and drawbacks of blogs, and some real world examples of business blogging.

1. How can blogs be used for business?

A company could use blog for its employees to write about their thoughts and working experiences. They can comment on the projects that they are current doing, how the project can be improve, gives suggestions on how the company can improve its operation and many many more. Managers and team members could view the blogs and learn from each other. The main use of blogging in business is to communicate among colleagues.

2. Benefits and Drawbacks of blogging

As blogs tend to be informal in nature, one may post something that is too personal and not related to the company. Also, if a unhappy employee writes something bad about the company, or launch attacks on some one in the company, this could create problems in the work place and affect the morale of the workers. Also unproductive blogging cause is time wasting. These are examples of drawbacks of blogging in organizations.

The good thing about blogs is that if used responsibly, it can be a useful source of information for everyone in the company. Opinions can be shared, and they can help those shy, quiet, introverts to express their thoughts.

3. Examples of corporate blogging

Bill Higgins
IBM Systems Engineer
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/higgins/index.jsp

An employee of IBM, a technology leader, feels that the corporate blog did not recieve much feedback. Top managements are not blogging.
Source: http://www.backbonemedia.com/blogsurvey/45-IBMcasestudy.htm

Mike Chambers' Weblog
Senior Product Manager
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/mesh/

Mike Chambers is more positive about blogging. They use the blogs at first to communicate among employees but now they use the blog to get more information from customers.
Source:http://www.backbonemedia.com/blogsurvey/47-macromedia-case-study.htm