Blogging on the decline?

The Globe&Mail had an interesting article suggesting that corporate blogging is on the decline, big time.

On the decline? Company blogs still offer many benefits

The article states:

According to a recent study, the number of Fortune 500 companies that had blogs stayed flat in 2011 from 2010, while the number of Inc. 500 companies, the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, dropped to 37 per cent from 50 per cent.

Am I surprised by these findings? Not really. 

During recessions companies tend to retreat in to their shell. They fear engagement with their publics because they don't want to have a two way communication model in play when negative news comes out, whether that be corporate earnings misses, corporate restructuring, or a number of things which are common during recessions. 

In addition, their marketing departments are having to do more with less, so managing a blog often times takes a back seat to other priorities. Not to mention, good quality content is usually derived from subject matter experts, who themselves are often working overtime (as companies lay people off, the subject matter experts end up taking on more and more responsibilities) leaving them with little time to help support a corporate blog. 

I don't think that corporate blogging is dead, nor do I think it's dying, I do think however that it is seen as a luxury activity that can be set aside for the time being. 

It's important to remember though, that blogging is merely a medium, so its value always has been and always will be relative to the content quality. It's still a fast and effective option for disseminating messages effectively to key publics.