Reflections:Blogging
Blogging, to me, is a very fascinating step in the online domain, a kind of individualization of the mass media. However, corporations have also exploited the benefits of such a information vehicle, and to great benefit. However, there are key reasons a coroporate blog should and should not be used.
Just browsing around on the internet for a bit about corporate blogs, I found some really interesting information. Some sites have just done a rehashing of all the main ideas we’ve talked about in class. However, this site has posted an interesting article on information reliability. The study, if accurate, presents an interesting dilemma for corporate blogging. While 16% may be the market share or alternative branding strategy a company needs to keep users locked in, it may also not be worth the investment.
Also, corporate blogging does have its downsides. While many blogs would likely censor and manage their postings from company members, there are times when the information availability and transparency become a hazard. In the case of this google scandal, the company faced some heat for an employees posting. In essence, this suggests that blogging, like many other public activities, is also a liability of these companies. When considering to have a corporate blog, the company should also consider the liability issues for branding and products that go into this service.
But the question remains whether I should use blogging for my site or not. Hopefully, Tuesday I will have a better answer, but the commitment and content definitely need to be refined. Also, using the blog as a vehicle for news updates may or may not be the best approach, but that limits it’s functionality and implementation. I know some researchers and professors keep personal blogs on particular subjects, as a form of curating information. However, considering that I am not an expert in my field yet, such a move may not be ideal. It would introduce some academic politics into the branded image of myself, which could lead to issues down the road. However, an alternative could use the blog as a “separate” site only linked through my branded identity (or vice versa).
edrahvalis
on March 4th, 2010
You have some good points here. No doubt companies will censor posts from their employees. You gotta think, from a public relations standpoint it could be devastating if a ticked off employee or one who was just on the chopping block posted freely on a corporate website that is checked often by customers and potentially the press, assuming the company is quite large.