Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Blogging

A corporate blog is published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals. Many businesses have launched corporate blogs in an effort to better communicate with customers and capture a little attention from web users. However, there are advantages and disadvantages in using corporate blogs.

Advantages:

1. Organization can build its relationship with its customers and promote their products at the same time
   
2. Encourage communication and allow businesses more easily reach their customers, develop stronger relationships and brand loyalty with its customers
   
3. Allow employees to display their expertise on a particular topic, become an excellent way of sharing knowledge and showcasing the organization as having talent and expertise
   
4. Allow a positive way of getting feedback, and better understanding towards customers’ needs, as they react to certain pieces, suggest ideas, comments and etc


5. As compare to other communication strategies, blogging is relatively much more cheaper
   

Disadvantages:

1. People may be talking out of the topic or may use blogs to write negatively about the company which can lead to bad publicity


2. If a blog failed to comply with all applicable local, national and foreign requirements for doing business, it can lead to legal liabilities


3. Most people don’t have very much to say and/or are unable to write down their ideas in a compelling and clear manner
   
4. Since writing coherently is very time-consuming, many blogs are not updated, and thus, affect the reputation of the organization
   
5. When the degree of openness is low in the organization, the blog tends to represent an anonymous corporate identity (only one voice is allowed)
   

To read more regarding corporate blogging, click the following links: http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/06/30/most-corporate-blogs-are-unimaginative-failures/
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/28/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm
http://www.helium.com/items/254062-the-pros-and-cons-of-corporate-blogging