Blogging Policies

Companies using blogs to communicate with their customers and using blogs to communicate within the company need to implement a blogging policy in order to protect the company’s image (1). If a customer feels or thinks negative things about a company then the customer won’t buy products from the company. After looking at several blog policies such as GM and IBM, I have comprised a list of several blogging policies that every business should have.

1. Follow the company’s rules of conduct (2)
2. You are personally responsible for what you blog about (2,4)
3. Tell the truth (3)
4. Link to online references (3,4)
5. Disagree with opinions respectfully (3)
6. Respect copyright (2,4)
7. Follow the law (4)
8. Be respectful to others (4)
9. Add value by having worthwhile information (2,4)
10. Add a disclaimer if topic related to work (2)
11. Keep corporate secrets (2,4)

With these simple rules, corporations can protect their image in their corporate blogs. Professional blogs can be helpful, but they also can put the company in a predicament. When a good blogging policy is implemented, a company can be assured that its blog will be of benefit to the consumer and to the company.

(1) http://blawgit.com/2008/03/27/your-corporate-blogging-policy/
(2) http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html
(3) http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/about.html
(4) http://www.corporateblogging.info/2005/06/policies-compared-todays-corporate.asp

Professional Blogs

Professional blogs are very popular among small businesses and large corporations. Professional blogs can be an alternative for expensive websites. This is an excellent alternative for small businesses because they may not have the money to hire a web designer. Updating a blog is much easier and faster than updating a website because companies don’t have to tell their web designers the updates which save companies time and money. (1)

Blogs can help a company with its promotion and marketing by having information about its current and new products. Customers can also leave their thoughts about the new products that the company is developing. This can help the company decide whether or not to produce the product. The company can also have a news section in its blog that has news pertaining to the industry that the company is in. Another way that blogs can help a company is by having a section for frequently asked questions so that its main web account is less crowded. (2)

(1) Darrell Zahorsky, . "What a Business Blog Can Do For Your Small Business." About.com. Web. 15 Sep 2009. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/ecommerce/a/bblogs.htm.
(2) Jennifer Kyrnin, . "How to Use a Blog for Non-Diarists." About.com. Web. 165 Sep 2009. http://webdesign.about.com/cs/weblogs/a/aa061603a.htm.