I had a great lunch with Debbie Weil yesterday! Debbie is the author of The Corporate Blogging Book which I highly recommend!
A mutual friend, Susan Schiro, who attended my presentation for the Northern Virginia Women In Technology LunchBunch last October made the introduction. Thanks Susan!
Debbie already beat me by posting about some of our discussions today at her blog before I could get this post out. 
One of the topics we discussed at length was why most Fortune 1000 companies do not see the strategic importance of blogging as a required new marketing & communication channel. She has seen many companies intrigued and interested to some degree, but when it comes to spending some money or dedicating some resources to getting started “the right way” with a coporate Blog they are not ready to invest appropriately in this important initiative.
I had some time yesterday evening and today (Flying to and back from Minneapolis to present at the Minnesota AIIM/ARMA conference) to think about it.
If you think back to the mid 1990s many companies did not see the strategic importance of having a corporate web site. Some Fortune 500 companies were very slow to get their own web sites. Now, all businesses recognize the strategic importance of having a corporate presence on the web to provide customers with information about the company and their products and services. You would not think of starting a business today without having a corporate web site.
In trying to make sense of this phenomenon, I think I have concluded that many companies are in that same place they were back in the mid 1990s. They are still naive about the strategic importance of opening that dialogue with customers and providing a more authentic mode of communication.
My hope is that companies “get it” much faster then they did over 10 years ago.
And yes, as I told Debbie yesterday, I think I get more from writing this Blog and taking the plunge into the Blogosphere than my readers probably do. Thanks for stopping by BetterECM and keep those comments and suggestions coming.
Well, and most F500 companies STILL have awful websites.
I’m with you – I really hope the light switches on for these companies soon!
Easton,
Thanks for stopping by BetterECM. You are right. Most company web sites are pretty bad.
Hey Russ,
The new interactive web rewards openness and honesty – which seem to be sort of at odds with traditional corporate values.
But hopefully we’ll get there eventually…All aboard the cluetrain, right? (http://cluetrain.com)
Oh, and I get a whole bunch out of your blog – keep it up!
Gordon,
Thanks for stopping by BetterECM! I agree with your observation. I am a firm believer in openess and sharing. My philosophy is that what you share with other through articles, papers or your Blog will be reflected back to you 10X.
I’m glad you like the Blog. Comments like yours are incentive to take my Blog to higher levels. Maybe podcasting????