Burson-Marsteller just released a study that says only 15% of Fortune 500 companies are blogging. That is 74 companies who see an opportunity and are learning to grow with it and 426 companies still trying to control the message.

Hello to heads of companies still reminiscing in advertising during the 1980s–wake up! Your audience doesn’t want to be told what to think, what to do, what to buy. They want stumbleupon it, see how their friends rate it, and engage in open conversations about it.

Responding to questions about the survey, Erin Byrne, Burson chief digital strategist, says that “I think the reason…why it still isn’t higher is that companies are still grappling with how they participate in the conversation when they don’t have control over the message.”

I hear that all the time. My clients often express their fear about blogs because they don’t want to lose control of their message. And I have to ask them, “Do you think these things aren’t already being said?”

That’s right, there’s the brutal honesty…your current customers, your lost customers and your potential customers are still talking about you everyday, every minute…all the time. But you just don’t know what they are saying.

Now that’s scary. The person you want to receive your message is trying to talk to you, but you aren’t listening. You aren’t engaging. You don’t even see them.

The brilliant idea behind blogs is that you can listen to your consumers. You can hear what they are saying, see how they are (not) recommending your product and ask them important questions like, “Why?”

Just imagine what you’ll learn.