If you think that social networks free you from needing to use blogs to get your message out, think again said Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra during his 2011 Blogging Success Summit keynote address. Technorati’s annual State of the Blogosphere report finds that consumers trust blogs more than ever. A few of the survey’s findings:
- Blogs are in, traditional media is out. More than a third of consumers said that blogs are becoming a more valued source of information. In addition, 39% predict that in the next five years, blogs will be a major source of news and entertainment over traditional media.
- In blogs we trust. Blogs ranked about the same as traditional media when consumers were asked which sources they trusted for brand and product recommendations. These groups were only secondary to friends and family. Twitter and Facebook didn’t even come close.
That trust creates a powerful avenue for brands looking to share their story. A majority of bloggers write about brands and say they’ve been approached by a company pitching a story. Influential bloggers are a gold mine for marketers, but bloggers won’t write about a brand just because you tell them to.
- Brand reputation matters. Nearly 70% of bloggers say they only write about a brand when they approve of its reputation. Almost 90% say their sites’ advertisements must align with their values. A blog is an inseparable part of the blogger’s personal brand, so anything they write about is a reflection of their own ideals.
- Bloggers want to be treated professionally. Almost 65% of bloggers say they’re treated less professionally than the traditional media. Nearly a third of bloggers come from a traditional media company, indicating an awareness of how they should be treated.
- Bloggers are influenced by other blogs. One advantage of the blogosphere is the intense viral effect that can take hold if you can connect with the right blogger — as their network picks up on the story and your message spreads. Do your homework and find the most influential blogs in your industry. Reaching out to them is effectively reaching out to everyone else.
So what are you doing to get your message into this conversation?
To learn more key tips and actionable steps for blogging effectively from social media leaders Scott Monty, Jay Baer, Brian Clark, and major brands such as Cisco, McDonald’s, Procter and Gamble, and Sony, sign up for the monthlong online Blogging Success Summit today! (SmartBrief is a partner in this event.)
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