The Telegraph, a newspaper over in the UK, recently ran a story about corporate blogging, talking about the risks and the responsibilities of doing it successfully.

The story leads off with an account of the damage done when a marketing director at British retailer Tesco mentioned adverse news about his employer's future plans in his blog.  The post was picked up by the press, and soon the company's stock price took a dive.

The reporter writing the story goes on to make this tongue-in-cheek remark:
It was evidence, if it were needed, that business web logs should come with a corporate health warning.
A successful corporate blogging initiative has to walk a fine line.  On one hand, the content posted on a blog cannot be traditional public relations content.  Readers won't read content that isn't real.  On the other, discretion has to be exercised so that the company's reputation isn't damaged or its shareholder value diminished.

The article offers up some good advice for starting a business blog:
  • Don't rely on ghost writers.  Have real employees contribute content.
  • Refrain from fluff and spin.
  • Don't be afraid to entertain your readers.
  • Post regularly.
Compedium Blogware can help your business achieve the "radical transparency" that Charles Dunstone of CarTalk refers to in the article.  With a hosted blog software application that includes built-in content approval, you can reap the SEO benefits of blogging without exposing yourself to the risks of inadvertent information leaks.