Formalising blog power

Corporate blogging is slowly, but steadily, gaining ground in India. "Although corporate blogging is still in its nascent stage, it is likely to witness exponential growth in the near future,"states Rajiv Karwal, a CEO blogger and founder of Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions. "There have been fleeting mentions about corporate blogging in the media and public platforms.But, there remains a dearth of knowledge available on this subject. It was this need that inspired me and my co-author, Preeti Chaturvedi, to write Corporate Blogging in India,"explains Karwal.
He adds that even though the book has been envisaged for a varied reader profile, it is meant to especially benefit management school students. Elaborating further, he says: "Indian management schools are yet to introduce papers on new media that can give a 360 degree perspective on the various subsets of new media -- corporate blogging being one of them. Hence, today, we have management graduates entering the corporate domain who are enthusiastic about corporate blogs but more often than not are clueless about the intricacies and implications of the same. In other words, there is a need to formulate and certify a body of knowledge in relation to the various subsets of new media. This book is an attempt in this direction."
Talking about why corporate blogging is poised to become the next big wave in terms of communication, Chaturvedi says, "Blogs are a part of the online space and can be leveraged through digital platforms as well. It is important to understand that there has been renewed interest in the digital and online space the world over, post the economic meltdown. Owing to the fact that these are relatively cost-effective mediums, marketers and communicators are fast adopting them and trying to maximise their potential. Besides, corporate blogging enables an organisation to communicate simultaneously to multiple audiences. "She adds that in the present scenario, when cost-cutting pressures are mounting everywhere, organisations are getting increasingly conscientious about reaching the right audience with their communication. "Blogs can enable narrow casting and micro casting, which makes them a profitable choice for the spectrum of marketers and communicators," opines Chaturvedi.
According to Jagdish Seth, professor (marketing), Goizueta Business School, Emory University, US, a corporate blog helps in creating a level platform in terms of information exchange. "This reduces chances of disinformation and is also congenial for inspiring dialogue among employees belonging to various hierarchies," explains Seth.