SPOT the difference between these two questions: 1. "Why does my company need a corporate blog?" 2. "Why does my company need to converse with customers?"

The truth is, there's no difference; by opting not to run a corporate blog, a company is shunning the opportunity to engage with its target audience in the most meaningful, sustainable way possible: by conversing, sharing, informing, entertaining and, most importantly, listening.

Communication down the ages has now come full circle. Prior to the emergence of Gutenberg's press in 1439 information was spread (and trade conducted) solely through conversation. Post-Gutenberg, conversation was supplanted by centuries of print, followed by radio, TV and, latterly, the internet.

In its first incarnation (Web 1.0) the internet differed to print only in its delivery mechanism; clicking on links was just another form of turning pages.But then, around 2004, came Web 2.0, the interactive and collaborative version of the internet as we understand it today.

Web 2.0 has changed everything. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and MySpace began as ways for people to network with friends, connect with kindred spirits, or lose themselves in an ocean of information, ranging from the deadly earnest to the utterly puerile.

But it is blogging that is the beating heart of social media, because it was blogging that empowered people globally to become contributors of information, rather than passive consumers of it. We'll explore the history of blogging in another piece. Here, though, the aim is give reasons why corporate blogging is a must for businesses who claim to be serious about engaging with its customers or clients.

Power of corporate blogs 1: Blogging is a conversation
There will always be a place for traditional marketing techniques, such as advertising and PR, but these methods are lectures, not conversations. Neither a TV ad nor press release has the power to engage customers in dialogue. And of course, with conversation comes vital business intelligence, concerning what your customers love and hate about you and the world about them.

Power of corporate blogs 2: The conversation's happening with or without you
Conversations about your company's products or services will take place whether or not you run a business blog. Given that an unhappy customer tells ten people to the happy customer's one, many of these conversations will be negative. A corporate blog allows you to easily monitor and respond to customer issues, and - of critical importance - be seen to respond to customers' problems.

Power of corporate blogs 3: Blogging helps build customer loyalty
A good corporate blog is not a dumping ground for press releases (another article on this to follow) but a way to inform and entertain your customers or clients, as well a means of publicly remedying their problems. It is a pure added-value venture that makes your customers feel good about your brand. After all, few things engender customer loyalty more effectively than giving customers or clients something they value, for free.

Power of corporate blogs 4: A blog is a fire-fighting tool
If you face a corporate crisis of any description, a blog is the quickest way to communicate with the public and press. Whether one of your products has to be withdrawn, or your CEO has been convicted of cocaine smuggling, a blog will allow you disseminate information quickly, as well as field questions, counter rumours and allay fears.

The power of corporate blogs 5: Blogging is a budget friendly way to market yourself
For many companies, stepping up marketing in a recession is counter-intuitive, which is why so many marketing budgets get slashed in a downturn.

Such a move will always hurt a company. A blog, however, can cost as little as a day's salary for a web techie, because many employees enjoy being able to contribute to corporate blogs, and will give of their time gladly.

Even if they don't, a skilled journalist can be hired at relatively low cost to service a captivating corporate blog. Over time, a well-crafted blog will enhance the visibility and credibility of your brand as effectively as more-expensive marketing methods, such as advertising.