Some 35 percent of large companies plan to initiate corporate blogs this year - and combined with the existing deployed base of 34 percent, nearly 70 percent of such companies will have deployed corporate blogs by the end of 2006, according to a JupiterResearch report, "Corporate Weblogs: Deployment, Promotion, and Measurement." According to the report, 64 percent of executives say they spend less than $500,000 to deploy and manage corporate blogs.

The Jupiter research also finds that blogs are underused for generating word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing opportunities. Only 32 percent of marketing executives said they use corporate blogs to generate WOM around their company's products or services.

"By engaging prospective customers in active dialogue, companies can showcase their expertise and domain knowledge, creating a forum for communication of their strategies and visions," said David Schatsky, President of JupiterKagan. "In doing so, companies can generate buzz around their products or services, while eliciting feedback and collaboration from product evangelists."