The Skinny on Blogging for Business
Ever wonder why InsureMe started blogging? Check out this recap of The Skinny on Blogging for Business as published in the September issue of the TAAR Report, and learn why.
At first blush, blogging for business might seem like a bit of an oxymoron. Often synonymous with the ranting and raving of celebrities (here’s looking at you, Rosie), grassroots political movements, and your teenager’s recount of the day, this medium seems about as likely to drum up business as Homer Simpson is to give up donuts. 
But blogging has gone corporate over the last few years, giving faceless and seemingly cold companies a warm and approachable exterior.
In essence, business blogging has changed the way companies interact with prospects, current clients and industry peers. By having open conversations and providing valuable content for readers, blogs have also become somewhat of a PR vehicle.
Larger corporations—even some Fortune 10 companies—are using blogs to deal with media criticism and engage the public about their products and services. Given the interactive format of blog sites (they allow readers to post their own questions and comments), businesses are recognizing the value of having a conversation with their clients instead of talking at them.
For example, Microsoft, whose reputation for suing the competition and selling bug-laden products, turned to blogging to burnish their image. In fact, for their book, Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing The Way Businesses Talk With Customers, authors Robert Scoble and Shel Israel conducted a Google search of “Evil Empire + Microsoft” and got 471,000 responses. (“Microsoft sucks” yielded almost 670,000 responses; “Microsoft + Borg” generated more than a quarter million results.)
Between a corporate black eye and many documented product flaws, Microsoft needed a brand overhaul, and blogging was one of their tools. In 2000, an XML program manager named Joshua Allen started a blog to respond to the criticisms and accusations Microsoft was enduring at the time. The legal department wasn’t thrilled, especially as the number of blogging employees grew.
By 2005, there were more than 1,500 active bloggers at Microsoft. And while legal was sweating, customers were reveling in the conversations they were having with real people inside Microsoft. These conversations became newsworthy, and as they continued, the Borg’s image began to soften. According to Naked Conversations, Joshua Allen even attributes blogging to an increase in employee morale and the company’s ability to attract new talent.
There are lots of grassroots success stories involving blogs. But you can bet there are risks too. So how can you leverage the power of blogging to build your brand and increase your web visibility? Let’s start with the basics.
Stay tuned for part two of The Skinny on Blogging for Business to learn how blogs can increase your web visibility!
