Are the fastest-growing companies killing their blogs?

Are America’s fastest-growing companies shifting away from blogs as a primary social media platform? One might conclude, “maybe,” based on new research examining the Inc. 500 from The Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts.

For the first time in the five years that this research has been conducted, the use of blogging declined. Blogging had been steadily climbing as a corporate communications tool—19 percent of the Inc. 500 blogged in 2007, 39 percent in 2008, 45 percent in 2009, 50 percent in 2010, and just 37 percent last year.

There is an element of mystery here. Despite the decline, blogging was considered the most “successful” social media platform for the fourth consecutive year. Among those companies not already blogging, 62 percent are considering adding a blog.

How can we reconcile these seemingly inconsistent data? Is corporate blogging really declining? I have a theory that would conclude “no,” but before I explain my rationale, let’s look at a few other interesting trends from this study: