Proud parents send their children off into the world confident they’ve instilled the necessary skills and values. Parents beam at these wondrous reflections of themselves — the father’s nose, the mother’s fondness for travel. Yet, as the promising young violinist morphs into the spiked-hair punk rocker, we soon realize how little control we have over our little creatures.

In a similar fashion, your well-considered marketing messages enter into the world. Blogging makes it possible for individuals to easily communicate their attitudes toward your business online. Consumers may be supportive – further promoting your brand. Others may offer negative feedback.

Once a viewpoint about your company enters the blogosphere, it is indexed by search engines, and delivered to thousands through RSS feeds. If you don’t get there first – or at the very least, respond – your reputation may be at risk.

Like being a good parent, we have to steer our message in the right direction. Blogging offers the opportunity to listen to the inevitable conversations – both positive and negative — and provide thoughtful responses. If someone says something bad about your product, says Robert Scoble, former Microsoft employee and blog guru, “Link to it – before the second or third site does -– and answer its claims as best you can.”