Q. Do you think this blog thing will catch on?

A. Yes. Not only will it 'catch on' it will change your business. Blogs, short for weblogs, are no longer just for Chatty Cathies, political posers or hyper hobbyists. The corporate world is waking up to the power of blogs and if you ignore this, you do so at your company's peril. Your customers, your competitors, your shareholders and people in your community are all engaged in blogging, and to stay on top, so should you be. This social medium will not replace traditional marketing and communications tools, but it adds a powerful dimension and its importance to businesses will continue to grow. Already, businesses are gaining a competitive advantage through blogging.

Q. What exactly is a blog?

A. A 'web log' is just what it says on the box...it's an online journal or diary. It's a form of web site on which frequent entries, or posts, are published and indexed. The software used to create blogs is very easy to use; if you can send an email, you can blog. Some people publish audio files on their blogs and call them podcasts; video files, vlogcasts, are becoming more common too.

Together, published blogs are called the blogosphere. By linking their sites together, blog authors form global networks to exchange news, ideas and opinions. One person alone can have a significant influence on global public opinion by engaging the blogosphere.

What makes blogs 'social' is that they invite readers to participate in the conversation by posting a comment, often resulting in a much-heated debate. And, 'hot' conversations spread like wild fire. An example of this was Tony Blair's recent cabinet shuffle. He announced the changes on a Friday morning and by lunchtime, every nuance of each new appointment was being discussed on nearly 200 blogs.

Q. Who is blogging?

A. A better question would be, 'Who isn't?' Technorati.com, a blog search engine and directory, is currently tracking 38.5 million blogsites and 2.4 billion links and reports that the blogosphere is doubling in size every six months. On average, a new blog is created every second of every day and 55 per cent of bloggers are still posting three months after their sites are created.

Q. Why should my business care?

A. Imagine your customers, staff, investors and competitors were all getting together for dinner, wouldn't you want to be there? You know they'll be talking about you, your company and the issues that affect you. It's only human nature. Shouldn't you be in the room? The only hope you have of influencing people's opinions is by engaging in the conversation.

Q. What should my business blog about?

A. This depends on what challenges your business is facing. Are you trying to drive in new sales leads? Maybe you'd like to sell new services to existing clients? Perhaps you need to keep distributors up to date with product innovations? Blogging can support these efforts by building on your initiatives, enhancing your brand values, improving customer relations and sharpening recruitment activities. Here are a few blog 'types' you might consider, depending on your business goals:

Advocacy blogs – are dedicated to issues and give people updates on company's activities, positions and reactions to events. For example a large fast food chain might consider a lifestyle blog to discuss its healthier menus.

Company blogs – discuss corporate news that is also likely to be posted on the corporate website including product launches, executive appointments, marketing initiatives etc. The difference is that the blogsite has a more conversational tone and permits instant feedback. It becomes a powerful research tool.

Customer service blogs – focus on how a company's products and services impact customers. An airline, for instance, would post schedule changes or explain shifts in tariffs and fees.

Crisis blogs – allow timely updates in an emergency situation and lets the company engage directly with those affected. Companies involved in the recent fire at the Hemel Hempstead fuel depot could have used blogs to give real-time updates on operations to customers and staff, for example.


Q. Are there any downsides to blogging?

A. Of course there are. Everything an organisation does has some inherent risk, but you have to balance this against the benefits. And, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk. From the outset, you need to think through your company's blogging policy and guidelines for all staff to follow when engaging the blogosphere.

Your policy should consider various implications of the content of your blog. Disclosure guidance is crucial, especially for public companies. Trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property need to be protected. You don't want your company to be left open to accusations of slander or libel. And, the privacy of your staff, customers and other stakeholders must be protected.

Also, choose your company's designated bloggers wisely; the higher up the org chart the better is a good rule of thumb. Top executives tend to know what can and cannot be said about company business.

Q. Where is blogging headed?

A. With each passing day, blogs are becoming more integrated into our culture and our business. And companies that choose to ignore this have their heads buried in the sand. Blogging will never replace traditional communications tools, but it is an important part of the mix and its value to businesses will continue to grow. Already, the competitive edge is undeniable.

Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos's book, Blogging for Business, is a good reference for beginners. Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel provides a solid insight into blog relations.

Sherrilynne Starkie, managing partner at Strive Public Relations Limited in Douglas provides PR and marketing communications services to the Island's technology sector. You can visit her blog, Strive Notes, at http://strivepr.com/wordpress/