About Blogging
You are probably wondering what a blog actually is...
A blog (or web log to give it its proper name) is a public journal that allows the
author to publish their thoughts to a wider audience. What makes a blog somewhat
different to a paper-based journal is simple. You (the reader) can contribute to
it by posting comments and including links to the articles you find interesting
or thought-provoking in your own blog.
Blogging is a fairly recent innovation, which started mainly in the technical community
and is slowly being adopted by the mainstream. Even the political editor of the
BBC, Nick Robinson, maintains a blog of his observations of the British political
scene (http://blogs.bbc.co.uk/nickrobinson).
Part of the reason that blogging is becoming so popular is that it is really very
easy to do once the system is set up. Individuals can sign up for blogs in a similar
way to obtaining email accounts. Businesses can obtain blogging facilities for their
own web sites to allow key members of their staff to communicate directly with their
customers.
Commercially, blogging offers something more than the traditional circular to clients.
It allows dialogue to start with prospective clients on thought-provoking articles
initiated by the firm. Not only does this obviously increase the chances of converting
clients, but it also helps decision makers establish what is of particular interest
to the market. This can consequently lead to improvements in the firm's service
or product portfolio.
It is also an important means for improving web site hits. In straight-forward terms,
the more text you have on the Web, the more likely you are to be found!
Blogging is not without its risks. There have been several recent incidents within
large organisations where disgruntled or naive employees have made inappropriate
disclosures, which have either caused embarrassment or even commercial damage.
However, we believe that carefully controlled blogging has a lot to offer.