WebProNews

More than half of global corporations are using Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, online video and RSS, according to a study from Melcrum. Those that are not yet embracing such communications tools plan to within the next 12 months.

The study also found that over 40 percent of companies are using podcasts and social networks.

When it comes to blogging, a lot of firms say they plan to start a blog, while those that have existing blogs are used mainly for internal communications, as few companies have public blogs.

Socialtext tracks public blogging by Fortune 500 companies and Global 1000 firms. The ongoing study found that 8 percent of the Fortune 500 corporations had public blogs, while just 4 percent of the Global 1000 do.

Fortune 500 companies that publicly blog have actually doubled since April 2006 but does not indicate there has been strong growth in public blogging. While many firms use Web 2.0 for internal communications, most are reluctant to put company details in plain view.

Nearly half of the respondents in the Melcrum study said that employees discussing their firm online was a threat to the corporation's reputation. Another 70 percent said they had no policies or guidelines for blogging or other social media tools, revealing that they were not prepared for public communications.

Communications professionals believe that social media is a good way to communicate internally and that it helps with employee engagement and internal collaboration.

Companies thinking about opening up dialogue with senior executives need to consider who they are willing to have participate in the conversation.