Employee Blogging For Your Business

Robert Scoble from Microsoft has published a very interesting post on corporate blogging entitled, “Are you afraid to blog?“. He says,

“I meet a lot of people around the industry. Almost everytime I meet someone, I ask them, ‘Do you have a weblog?’ That’s my way of saying ‘I like you and want to hear more of your ideas.’ Even deeper: I want a permanent relationship with you!”

He cites the reason for the inertia to blog on fear caused by management systems that don’t empower employees to act on behalf of customers. Why didn’t Kryptonite enage with the blog community when they had their recent bic pen issue??

His observations on why companies should let their employees blog incluce:

1) People don’t trust corporations.

2) People don’t like talking to corporations.

3) That old “markets are conversations” thing. (Read the Cluetrain Manifesto)

4) Which is more believeable? A press release from, say, Ford Motor Company, or a few blog entries from the people who designed the new Ford Mustang’s powertrain.

5) Blogs build customer evangelists.

6) Blogs build market momentum and get adoption.

7) Blogs try to tell the story behind the story that is in the paper.

Jupiter’s Michael Gartenberg suggests that Robert’s advice could be risky though. Many organizations, he thinks, aren’t as progressive to allow such employee blogging and that they should take it slow. Hugh MacLeod puts an interesting spin on the subject when he posts on Gaping Void about his discussion with Doc Searls who claims that companies who tolerate blogging ’suck’ at branding. Hugh maintains that blogging is all about ECO-logy and Branding is all about EGO-logy.

Robert Scoble’s Post on Corporate Blogging via Gaping Void
Michael Gartenberg’s Post on ‘You Might Have Good Reason To Be Afraid’
Hugh MacLeod’s Post on ‘Branding Is Dead’

Related PSFK Posts
PSFK’s Business Blogging Report (Check the comments listed there too!)