By writing blogs as if they were press releases, corporate blogs, often written by executives, have failed to capture their intended audiences in any meaningful way, Forrester says. A new report by Forrester Research found that most corporate blogs kept by business-to-business (B2B) firms failed to energize their intended audiences and engage them in meaningful conversations about trends and products.RELATED LINKS How a Marketing Firm Implemented an Enterprise Wiki How One Company Is Using Wikis and Blogs to Unclog E-mail Boxes How to Use Enterprise Blogs to Streamline Project Management The amount of blogs being started also experienced a setback. Back in 2006, Forrester counted 36 firms that had started promoting corporate blogs on their public websites. In 2007, the number of firms introducing a corporate blog dropped to 19. But the blogs that exist right now are failing to capture an audience, Forrester says, and a big reason could be the content. Of 90 enterprise-sized companies with corporate blogs that Forrester examined, 71 percent of the content was “light company or business topics,” with only 16 percent injecting “moderate personal insight” and only 13 percent using personal anecdotes. About 56 percent of blogs “regurgitate company news or executive views.” The amount comments these corporate blogs received probably reflects customer reaction to such lackluster content. About 58 percent of blogs saw 1 or less comment per post. Sixteen percent received 1 comment and only 13 percent had more than one per post. Currently, Forrester says, the majority of blogs read like “tired, warmed-over press releases.” To combat this problem, Forrester says, companies should encourage corporate bloggers to start conversations with readers rather than dominate the blog with product launch information. They should also have a clear objective (and “about this blog” area) that explains the blog’s overall purpose to readers. Lastly, they should also get outside of text-only interactions, using pictures, videos and other forms of virtual media to engage readers. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business Small and Medium Business Small and Medium Business Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe