How to choose a blog platform

A detailed look at four blogging platforms communicators should consider before launching an internal blog

There is one tangible element that every blog must have—a blog.

Sounds silly, right? Not really. Just as you need software like Microsoft Word to draft an electronic document, you need software to publish a blog.

Sometimes, eager communicators draft policies and enlist bloggers before they’re prepared for the conversation with IT. And when the tech guys and gals ask, “What kind of software will run your blog,” the communicators don’t have an answer.

If your intranet is SharePoint 2007 the blogging software is built in. Just tell IT; they will know what you mean. Whether or not it’s this easy, launching an internal blog will require attention from IT so there are a few things to keep in mind.

Peat Bakke, a technology consultant and CTO of Blue Hill Solutions, said every IT department has its own preferred platforms and languages.