company blog person responsible: term paperheindl/ebte-09ss/... · there exist a lot of different...

Author(s):

Luisana Milazzo

Date:

22.07.2009

Person responsible:

Luisana Milazzo

Language: English

Company Blog

Term Paper

Ma s t e r i n B u s i n e s s C o n s u l t i n g

Ho ch s c h u l e F u r t w a n g e n U n i v e r s i t y

S umme r S em e s t e r 2 0 0 9

P r e s e n t ed T o :

P ro f . D r . He ind l

P r e s e n t ed B y :

L u i s a n a M i l a z zo

Ma t r # 2 3 2 5 0 2

S u b : E B u s i n e s s T e c h n o l o g i e s

C o m p a n y B l o g | 2

CONTENT

1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5

2 Corporate blog´s ............................................................................................................................................................. 6

2.1 Purpose of the business blog ........................................................................................................................... 7

2.1.1 Tell the news ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

2.1.2 Insight into the process ................................................................................................................................. 9

2.1.3 All about the personality .............................................................................................................................. 9

2.2 The bad, the good, and the better .............................................................................................................. 10

2.2.1 The risks of business blogging ................................................................................................................. 10

2.2.2 Tangible benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 10

2.2.3 Intangible benefits ........................................................................................................................................ 11

3 Blogging platforms ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

3.1 Hosted platforms ............................................................................................................................................... 12

3.1.1 Blogger .............................................................................................................................................................. 12

3.1.2 WordPress.coM .............................................................................................................................................. 12

3.2 Locally installed platforms .............................................................................................................................. 13

3.2.1 Textpattern ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

4 Money Blog ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14

5 Blog examples ................................................................................................................................................................ 15

6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 16

7 References ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17


FIGURES

Figure 1. Elements of a blog ....................................................................................................................... 6

Picture 2. Forum and Blog differences ................................................................................................... 7

Figure 3. Example of a Product announcements blog ......................................................................... 8

Figure 4. Example of a Technology support Blog .................................................................................. 9

Figure 5. Example of a personality company leader blog ................................................................. 10

Figure 6. Blogger home page .................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 7. Wordpress interface .................................................................................................................. 13

Figure 8. Textpattern home page ............................................................................................................ 14

Figure 9. Money Blog options ................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 10. Google Adsense example ...................................................................................................... 15


I accept this paper was written by me, Luisana Milazzo, and all the information contained

is cited with the proper sources.


1 INTRODUCTION

The most important events during Blogging timeline history began on December 1997 when

Jorn Barger invents the term web log. Then on July 1999 Pitas started the first free build-

your-own blog web tool. In the same year a month later Blogger is made public and

becomes the most popular web-based blogging tool and Blogging became popularized with

Internet users.

In the next decade, specifically on December 2004 Merriam-Webster pronounce blog the

“Word of the Year”. One year later, a predictable $100 million importance of blog ads were

sold. The blogging occurrence has grown with the same fast as many other technological

innovations. And like most trends, blogs are new enough to be hip.

The potential of blogs as tools for achieving the corporate objectives have not only be

considered within the area of communication but also in other areas such as HR, marketing

or development projects.

Web-based publishers can deliver the news instantly and anyone can answer just posting a

comment.

2 CORPORATE BLOG´S

“A Weblog is a type of Web site

software running in the background

Blogging is easy, and blogging software

required go to a compose screen, t

1 Stock, M. (2009). Guide to Blogging.

C o m p a n y B l o g

´S

Weblog is a type of Web site that is continually updated. Weblogs have a certain type of

software running in the background”1.

and blogging software required frequent site updates.

required go to a compose screen, type something brilliant and click a send

Guide to Blogging. UK: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Figure 1. Elements of a blog


. Weblogs have a certain type of

Only three tasks are

pe something brilliant and click a send button.

In this way we can define a

with the support of a company, to help achieve its corporate objectives.

We can find internal and external blogs.

accessible only from within the company’s network.

Internet for the world to read. These are intended for marketing and for

community based around your products or

Forums and Weblogs

Forums should be remarked when speaking about interactivity. The principal tip is that

although interactivity of a forum can be valuable in itself, it does not intend the personality

that a blog can. Another aspect is the authority of a blog author given the

difference/hierarchy between the blog author and commenter (on the blog and off the

blog).

2.1 PURPOSE OF THE BUSIN

For businesses, blogs are marketing

purpose; it needs to exist for a set of tangible, real

justify its existence.

2 http://www.uwebc.org/opinionpapers/archives/docs/CorporateBlogging.pdf


In this way we can define a corporate blog as a blog published on the Web (

with the support of a company, to help achieve its corporate objectives.

We can find internal and external blogs. An internal blog exists “behind the firewall.” It is

only from within the company’s network. External blogs are made av

world to read. These are intended for marketing and for

community based around your products or brand.2





Picture 2. Forum and Blog differences

PURPOSE OF THE BUSINESS BLOG

For businesses, blogs are marketing medium. A business blog has to have focus, goals, and

purpose; it needs to exist for a set of tangible, real-world reasons that can be quantified to

http://www.uwebc.org/opinionpapers/archives/docs/CorporateBlogging.pdf


a blog published on the Web (blog) by or

An internal blog exists “behind the firewall.” It is

External blogs are made available on the

world to read. These are intended for marketing and for developing a





to have focus, goals, and

world reasons that can be quantified to


Lawlor3 sums up in five words: Who, what, when, where, why. More specifically:

• Who should blog? Who is our target reader?

• What are we blogging about? What benefits do we expect? What needs to be

restricted?

• Where will blogging appear -- on individual blogs, an internal site, or a public

website?

• When will bloggers do the work, and when will the company see results?

• Why are we doing this?

2.1.1 TELL THE NEWS

Product announcements

Verify the product from every viewpoint, possibly buy the product, and then give the rest of

the world a suggestion on whether to buy the product. Example: a small niche of dedicated

auto aficionados whose passion is following the Lenovo products industry.

Figure 3. Example of a Product announcements blog

3 http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/07/bblogs.html


Corporate and industry news

This might be financial statements, product releases, customer success stories, press

coverage, achievements, research, helpful tips, awards, new products and services or any

other bit about the business entity as a whole.

2.1.2 INSIGHT INTO THE PROCESS

A ever more common practice for technology companies is to support internal blogs

discussing advancement, landmarks, dilemmas, and achievements regarding the projects for

which they are responsible. Example: IEBlog (http://blogs.msdn.com/ie)

Figure 4. Example of a Technology support Blog

2.1.3 ALL ABOUT THE PERSONALITY

Sometimes the personality of a company leader is all it takes to make a successful corporate

blog


Figure 5. Example of a personality company leader blog

2.2 THE BAD, THE GOOD, AND THE BETTER

2.2.1 THE RISKS OF BUSINESS BLOGGING

Trade secrets being escaped: if Coca-Cola’s secret formula was available on a blog or

detailed schematics of Intel’s computer chips, or the source code for Windows.

Bad information being spread: The last thing that a company wants is shows to the public

reading false information about the management team, etc.

Tremendously negative response

2.2.2 TANGIBLE BENEFITS


Deliver news faster: the faster medium to make announcements via its website is the

company blog

Gain reader response: the dialog it creates with customers is one of the most inestimable

aspects of handling a blog. Also:

• Blogs can help companies to build relationships with powerful people online who can

generate sales leads.

• Blogs can help improve the impact of unpleasant online reviews or censure of the

organization.

• Blogs are one way to obtain useful feedback and suggestions from customers or

members.

Expand traffic: Few areas of a corporate site are as attracting as the blog. People recognize

that this is where the action lies, and that it offers the best opportunity of finding the hints

of the company.

Increase search engine positioning: Blog posts are indexed highly in search engines for

several reasons: they are recent and concise.

2.2.3 INTANGIBLE BENEFITS

Position the business as an industry thought leader: Blogs help set up the company focus

expertise. If a company writes regularly about its services, process, products the industry,

and even its competition, it will receive itself the status of being a principal theorist in its

field.

Give the company a personality: It’s too easy to ran upwards in the slick marketing copy

prevalent on most business websites, so when readers come across an entire section written

by a real person with a visible personality in the writing style, it can be a refreshing change

of pace.


3 BLOGGING PLATFORMS

3.1 HOSTED PLATFORMS

3.1.1 BLOGGER

Blogger is the blogging tool maintained and developed by Google. The site have well-

designed templates, a simple but powerful user interface, and exceptionally fast publishing

times.(e.g., blog.germanbusiness.com)

Figure 6. Blogger home page

3.1.2 WORDPRESS.COM

Accepted blog software. wordpress.org is the home of the WordPress publishing platform

itself, where people can download installation files, search the forums for help, and learn

about different plug-ins that extend the system’s functionality


Figure 7. Wordpress interface

3.2 LOCALLY INSTALLED PLATFORMS

3.2.1 TEXTPATTERN

One of the significant Textpattern attractions is its well-designed administrative interface.

The system allows for several types of roles and permission levels.

4 MONEY BLOG

There exist a lot of different ways of monetizing your blog.

easy to do, and so open to bloggers of all sizes that they percolate to the top of

monetize your blog list every time: Google AdSense and Amazon Affiliates

4 Potts, K. (2007). Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Busi


Figure 8. Textpattern home page

There exist a lot of different ways of monetizing your blog. “In the category of

open to bloggers of all sizes that they percolate to the top of

monetize your blog list every time: Google AdSense and Amazon Affiliates

Figure 9. Money Blog options

Potts, K. (2007). Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites. USA: Apress.


In the category of sure things so

open to bloggers of all sizes that they percolate to the top of the

monetize your blog list every time: Google AdSense and Amazon Affiliates”.4


Figure 10. Google Adsense example

5 BLOG EXAMPLES

• Macromedia’s corporate weblog: http://weblogs.macromedia.com/

• Jonathon Schwartz’s executive blog: http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/jonathan

• IBM’s blogging guidelines

http://www.128.ibm.comdeveloperworksblogsdw_blog_comments.jspablog=351&entry=81328

• GM’s corporate weblog site: http://fastlane.gmblogs.com

• Robert Scoble’s famous blog: http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/

• Feedster’s corporate blogging guidelines: http://feedster.blogs.com/corporate/2005/03/

corporate_blogg.html

• Yahoo!’s guidelines for employees personal blogging (PDF):

http://jeremy.zawodny.com/yahoo/yahooblogguidelines.pdf

• Blogger weblog host: http://www.blogger.com/start

• Wordpress weblog host: http://wordpress.com/

• For more tools and example blogs, please visit the blogging paper page through the UW E-

Business Consortium’s website at http://www.uwebc.org/opinionpapers


6 CONCLUSION

• A corporate blog is a blog published by or with the support of an organization to

reach that organization's goals.

• As of late 2006, about 8 percent of the Fortune 500 companies are blogging in some

capacity, and this number is only growing.

• It is in the best interests of businesses that they look into using company blogs in

order to market and inform about products and services, or even offer information

to the public about the company itself.

• Blogs had advantages over other, older ways of communicating such as e-mail and

websites.

• The success of a business blog depends on several key factors:

• The content and goals of the site need to be well-planned, focused, and consistent.

• The implementation needs to be technically sound with a means for readers to

provide public-facing feedback.

• “Blogs are good for business”, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates


7 REFERENCES

1. BBC. (n.d.). BBC. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3734981.stm

2. Cass, J. (2007). Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

3. Corporateblogging. (n.d.). corporateblogging. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from

corporateblogging: http://www.corporateblogging.info/2004/06/corporate-blog-short-

definition.asp

4. Corporation, M. (n.d.). msdn. Retrieved June 15, 2009, from http://blogs.msdn.com/ie

5. Examiner.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2009, from http://www.examiner.com/x-14460-DC-

Social-Media-Examiner~y2009m6d20-Ten-reasons-to-start-a-blog-for-your-business

6. Google. (n.d.). Blogger. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from www.blogger.com

7. Hill, B. (2006). Blogging for Dummies. USA: Wiley Publishing.

8. Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2009, from Inc.:

http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/07/bblogs.html

9. Potts, K. (2007). Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites. USA: Apress.

10. Stock, M. (2009). Guide to Blogging. UK: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

11. Textpattern. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2009, from textpattern: www.textpattern.com

12. UWEBC. (n.d.). uwebc. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from

http://www.uwebc.org/opinionpapers/archives/docs/CorporateBlogging.pdf

13. Wordpress. (n.d.). wordpress. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from www.wordpress.com

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