Why We Believe In Business Blogs
Bill Manning, the founder and chairman of IP.com is very tech-savvy and, not surprisingly, a big believer in the power of technology and the Internet. And we, like him, are keenly interested in how business blogs are changing the way corporate executives communicate with their clients, customers, and other stakeholders.
Take, for example, all the people who blog at Sun Microsystems, including CEO Jonathan Schwartz, who has his own blog. We think they've got it right.
Many of us at Sun are doing work that could change the world. We need to do a better job of telling the world. As of now, you are encouraged to tell the world about your work, without asking permission first (but please do read and follow the advice in this note). Blogging is a good way to do this.
Advice By speaking directly to the world, without benefit of management approval, we are accepting higher risks in the interest of higher rewards. We don't want to micro-manage, but here is some advice.It's a Two-Way Street The real goal isn't to get everyone at Sun blogging, it's to become part of the industry conversation. So, whether or not you're going to write, and especially if you are, look around and do some reading, so you learn where the conversation is and what people are saying.
If you start writing, remember the Web is all about links; when you see something interesting and relevant, link to it; you'll be doing your readers a service, and you'll also generate links back to you; a win-win.
What we're doing at IP.com might not change the world (or maybe it will) and we certainly don't position our company at the center of the universe, but it's probably not an exaggeration to say we're changing the world of intellectual property.
In our little corner of the online world, there's a lot happening with patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, and a lot of relevant stuff is being said on interesting blogs by people who really know what they're talking about. So we're joining the conversation, and blogging about how innovation is managed by corporations with a vested interest in their Intellectual Property.
Find the conversation. Join it. Contribute to it. "Conversing is how we learn. It's how we network. It's how we grow as professionals," says Kevin O'Keefe, CEO of LexBlog, whose team of experts guided us in the development of our corporate blog, "Blogging is a conversation. Not only do you learn and grow your reputation by joining in, you will not be conspicuous by your absence."
Blog well, and own the conversation.
If you're interested in learning more about IP.com, Inc. and why we blog, you may want to read our first post here.
