Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

Corporate Blogging has now become very popular among businesses of all sizes. A corporate blog is a tool that help the organization fulfill a business goal. It can help the organizations to extend the company image in the marketplace. Companies can enhance their image through describe deeply about their companies such as the products or services they sell in the corporate blog. This will enable the customers know better about the companies. It also helps the organizations have an opportunity to open a two-way channel between employees and customers.

There are 2 major categories of corporate blogs which is Internal Blogs and External Blogs. The Internal Blogs divide into 3 types:
(1) Knowledge Blogs: give employees information relating to their work assignments.
(2) Collaboration Blogs: provide a working team with a tool for research, collaboration and discussion.
(3) Culture Blogs: strengthen organisational culture.

The External Blogs include:
(1) Sales Blogs: make citizens aware of public services, get donations for charities or political parties.
(2) Relationship Blogs: create, uphold or strengthen relationships.
(3) Branding Blogs: strengthen the brand, the profile, of the publishing organisation or individuals within it.

Corporate blogs have both advantages and disadvantages. The blogs help employees to keep themselves informed on all the current happenings in the organization. The blogs also allow employees to display their expertise on a particular topic, thereby becoming a recognized industry. Through blogging, an organization can build its relationship with its customers and promote their products at the same time. The disadvantages include some employees may use blogs to write negatively about the company which can lead to bad publicity. If organizations do not make sure that a blog complies with all applicable local, national and foreign requirements for doing business, it can lead to legal liabilities. Besides that, people may be talking out of the topic and cause the organizations loss of control over the message.

Blogging encourages communication and allows businesses more easily reach their customers. If used properly, corporate blogging will enhance customer loyalty, and can make the business more successful.