Even though Twitter is getting a ton of a buzz, microblogging's older sibling, the blog, is still an important vehicle for businesses of all sizes to use to share their knowledge, solicit customer feedback, and connect with clients and customers. On the flip side, small business owners and entrepreneurs should be leveraging the knowledge and wisdom that is shared daily by other professionals.

 Some of the most powerful people at big corporations and established small businesses are blogging day in and day out about industry trends, trials and tribulations, and the lessons they're learning. Use these five blogging executives as models for how to use your own blog or for educational purposes to help you better understand your professional landscape.



1. Richard Edelman: The broader implications of communications

As the President and CEO of one of the world's leading independent PR firms, Richard Edelman's perspective on the state of communications - PR, marketing, advertising - is certainly well-grounded in hands-on experience. Edelman uses his 6 A.M. blog to write about career and life-inspired topics.

 Readers can expect insightful pieces that dig into specific details of successes and failures for the communications industry and how they affect or influence corporations. Readers can also learn from Edelman's experiences to get a well-rounded perspective on cultural phenomena as it relates to communications. Most posts are a fascinating read, and because Edelman's been writing since 2004, his voice and writing style have evolved to become lucid, educational, and inspirational.

2. Fred Wilson: Venture capital in plain English

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be venture capitalist, or are just looking for information to help you unravel the seemingly complicated behind-the-scenes goings on of the venture capital space, then you should be reading Fred Wilson's blog, A VC. As a VC and principal of Union Square Ventures, Wilson is great at breaking down what it takes to get funded, providing legitimate reasons to walk away from deals that look great on the surface, and simplifying complicated terms and contract clauses that are likely to stump new entrepreneurs.

3. Randy Tinseth: Bring readers behind the curtain

When you're the Vice President of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, you're probably privileged enough to view mind-blowing technology up close and personal. Since Randy Tinseth is that man, his blog for Boeing, Randy's Journal, is a collection of stories and photos that gives outsiders that up close and personal feel. So, it's just as if they're experiencing the same cool occurrences first-hand.

 Realistically, your company may not have the same cool factor that Boeing has, but you can still emulate Tinseth's style to offer your readers a perspective on life and business behind closed company doors; a unique perspective that only you can give. Providing readers with sneak peeks at upcoming news or feature releases, photos from recent trips, or just cool company stories is an amazing and effective way to humanize your company, keep readers engaged, and turn customers into product evangelists.

4. Matt Blumberg: It's not always peachy and that's okay

Return Path's CEO, Matt Blumberg has been blogging since 2004 and his OnlyOnce blog provides a look into a day-in-the-life of a first-time CEO where he shares inspirational or practical reads, difficult decisions he faces, and lessons learned.

 One of Blumberg's very first posts had to do with how challenging it is to fire people, comparing the experience to breaking up with a significant other. Another reflective article explores how failures can and should be treated as learning experiences. The bottom line is that most of Blumberg's posts offer an honest, introspective look at the reality - not the idealized version - of being the man at the top. Blumberg's humility and openness to share, in what are typically platitude-free pieces, can certainly educate us on how to avoid pitfalls, though, more importantly, remind us of the reality that it's normal to experience bumps in the road.

5. Ted Leonsis: Be consistent and passionate

Ted Leonsis is a former AOL Executive, serial investor, and owner of the NHL's Washington Capitals. He's been blogging for over three years and consistently posts three to six articles per day. Ted's Take covers a range of topics that are mostly related to his passions and entrepreneurial, philanthropic, and personal interests. He's always honest, straight-forward, and not afraid to tell it like it is.

Even though this man has a wealth of knowledge to share, you can learn the most from his dedication to his blogging behavior, especially if you're just getting started on a blog of your own. Leonsis teaches us to keep it real, be consistent, and write about what gets you up in the morning, even if you only have time for a few short paragraphs.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Bluberries