Blogging at DrKW Case

What are the advantages and disadvantages of implementing internal versus external employee blogs in a corporate setting? Are there certain industries where one of these strategies makes more sense?


Some advantages of internal employee blogs are:

- Facilitate communication and collaboration between internal company divisions (ex. Marketing and R&D)
- Companies have control over what information is being entered in the blogs
- Employees can voice suggestions/recommendations without the public becoming privy
- Internal blogs can serve as company community bulletin boards to disseminate important new information/policies.

Some disadvantages of internal employee blogs are:

- Smaller user base
- Company controlled and monitored – employees may not be able to discuss “sensitive” issues
- Not open to customers (i.e. no customer feedback)
- Audience is one-sided (all company representatives…no one will play devil’s advocate with)

Some advantages of external employee blogs:

- Open to the public. This aids in idea generation for new company products/new features/new ways of doing business/etc., can obtain customer feedback, can be used as a marketing platform, can be used to identify new market opportunities, relay product information, method to address the public (i.e. public relations media outlet).
- Larger user base

Some disadvantages of external employee blogs are:
- Lack of corporate control
- Security risks
- Opportunity for corporate information leaks (i.e. secret information)
- Risk of negative publicity


It may be most appropriate to use external employee blogs in customer-focused industries where customer feedback is important such as software development, consumer electronics, and consumer entertainment. Internal employee blogs may be a better fit in industries with companies that operate using highly protected trade secrets (prevent a leak) and operate in highly criticized social/political/areas (avoid negative publicity) such as R&D firms, non-environmentally friendly manufacturing firms, and the fast food industry (unhealthy food).