People read blogs for multiple reasons. A recent survey by Vizu Answers and Advertising Age revealed that 65.7 % of the respondents read blogs for entertainment; 42.5 % read blogs to learn more about their personal interests/hobbies; 32.5 % for education; 13.1 % because they have a relationship with the author; and 12.3 % read them for work or business needs.

There are many different types of blogs. We can group blogs by media delivery, such as a text blog, a video blog (vlog), a mobile blog, or a photo blog. We can group blogs by subject matter or genre, such as industry, political, travel, etc. And we can group blogs as “personal” or “corporate.” In this post, I’d like to discuss the different types of corporate blogs.

Corporate Blogs

According to Wikipedia, 40 (or 8%) of the Fortune 500 companies are blogging today. JupiterResearch estimates that nearly 70% of all large companies use blogs in some way. There are three main types of corporate blogs: internal communication, external company insight and external subject matter experts.

Internal Communication Blogs

Internal communication blogs are generally accessed through a corporation’s intranet. These blogs are a great tool to share ideas and discuss issues across an organization. Internal blogs have shown to build a sense of community and they encourage employee participation within the organization. For example, here at JPL we have blogs for our creative team, our web development team and our production team. These blogs provide information about new processes and tips about using software and can be accessed by anyone within the organization.

External Company Insight Blogs

A great example of an insight blog is the Google Blog or the Direct2Dell Blog. This type of blog provides new product or service release information. It explains corporate polices and addresses public criticism. Company insight blogs provide a unique transparency or a window into an organization. This type of blog should advance the company’s brand and overarching brand positioning. It should also showcase content that explains how the company wants to be known in the marketplace.

External Subject-Matter Expert Blogs

These blogs provide an “expert” view on a current subject and adds a unique credibility to the corporation. Subject-matter blogs are meant for external discussion of a particular topic that affects the organization and acts as a channel for audience interaction. This type of blog should reinforce the company as a thought-leader in the marketplace. The Southwest Blog provides a single view on the airline industry while the Westin Hotels Blog offers tips on relaxation and rejuvenation.

Choosing the Right Blog for Your Company

Does it matter what type of blog you choose for your company? YES! The blog you choose should align with your marketing goals and other marketing initiatives. As I mentioned in my previous post, you should develop a strategy for your blog like you would any other marketing initiative and measure the results to improve its future performance. The blog should be targeted to your audience’s needs and should be an extension to your corporate brand and brand messaging online.

In the final post in this series, I will discuss marketing your corporate blog and some important notes before you begin blogging.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 2:29 pm and is filed under E-Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.