By Kay Winders

You already know how writing a blog for your business is a great way to find and connect with customers. But have you considered the value of creating an internal blog for your employees? Internal blogs and intranets offer companies a number of benefits and opportunities to connect with employees to build a better company climate and to meet company goals. If you haven’t already, here are just a few of the benefits that writing an internal blog for employees can help your business:

Communicate Company Vision
After the initial HR orientation that they get, most employees don’t hear about the company vision or mission statement again. It might be in their new hire packet or the employee handbook, but how many of them do you think look at that again? An internal blog gives you the opportunity to communicate the company vision again and again. Unlike a meeting, which is very results-oriented, a blog allows you to explore philosophical or theoretical topics, giving you the opportunity to have a deeper conversation about the values that drive your company.

Provide Updates on Company Goals and Projects
Meetings are the tool that most companies use to gather employees to update them on company goals and projects. However, it can be difficult to find a time that is convenient for all employees involved to meet. In addition, meetings can sometimes focus on the top-level players who are most involved in the project, leaving other employees uninformed and making them feel like they have no role in the success of that project (or the company).
A blog can help you to update all employees in real time. Have a great quarter? Want to rally your employees around an exciting new project with an update? Share these so that all your employees can share in the excitement and feel a sense of ownership in the progress of the company.

Encourage Feedback
Have an “open door policy” in your office? How many of your employees actually take advantage of it to see you and give you feedback? Chances are not many. Many companies suffer from their own hierarchy and have employees who feel too intimidated by upper management to provide feedback (or feel that their thoughts will go unheard). An internal blog will show that leaders are taking proactive steps to communicate with employees and to get feedback. The medium is also less intimidating, making it more likely that employees will leave comments to share their thoughts (especially if anonymous comments are allowed).

Build Community
Finally, hosting an internal blog is a great way to build community among employees by sharing information about company events, recognizing employees for a job well done, or even congratulating employees on personal milestones such as anniversaries or welcoming a new baby. You can use your blog to organize company social events, to share awards or other recognitions, or even to allow employees to share their own acknowledgements of co-workers they see doing a good job.

Remember: Your blog doesn’t have to be a straight listing of journal entries. It can include photo albums, a calendar of events, profiles, and more. Take advantage of all the options to make your blog a community builder.
Writing a blog for your company can help you raise awareness of your brand and to attract new customers and sales. However, writing an internal blog for your company can help you build a health company culture, establish rapport with your employees, and better communicate your company vision.

Have you established an internal blog for your company? What benefits have you seen? Share your thoughts in the comments!

About the author
Kay Winders is presently the resident writer for http://www.badcreditloans.org, where she researches the best way for people to pay off their debts without damaging their credit. In her spare time, she enjoys freelance writing, the beach and gardening.