Alan DraperWhile social media is generating a lot of buzz, blogs are generating a lot of sales. That’s because consumers trust blogs more, 
think they are more useful when making purchase decisions, and dedicate quite a bit of time to reading them.
Here’s what you need to know to move blogging and blogger outreach out of the shadows of social media, up to where they belong on the marketing priority list.
Women trust blogs more
Recent research from BlogHer reveals that 81% of women believe what they read from their favorite bloggers. That’s significantly ahead of the percent that trust Twitter, and the two-thirds who have faith in what they read on Facebook. In fact, women trust blog posts more than some types of traditional marketing, including celebrity endorsements.
Consumers think blogs are a more credible source of information than social networks across many categories, from electronics to beauty products.
Pre-shopping occurs on blogs
Consumers don’t think of Facebook as a pre-shopping or shopping destination. Instead, they say it is best suited for staying in touch with family and friends, having fun, being entertained, and contributing to a community. They have many of the same associations for Twitter and Pinterest.
Blogs are a different story. They are considered the best place to learn about new products, get product information, find recommendations, and make purchase decisions.
Blogs lead to more purchases
After reading blogs, consumers make purchases. The percentage of women who say they have bought something because of a blog post is 61% vs. 33% because of Facebook and 31% because of a tweet. Early estimates suggest Pinterest leads to purchases but not to the same extent as blogs.
Blogs are even more influential in certain categories. Almost 70% of women have bought technology based on a blogger’s advice.
Blogs are growing, evolving, and engaging
Over half of all Internet users read blogs, and a good portion check them at least weekly. Millennials, Gen X, and women are the most likely to be readers.
There are currently over 180 million blogs and that number increases daily. Growth is partly fueled by Tumblr with its focus on visuals rather than words. Tumblr’s number of unique visitors has increased by 130% vs. a year ago, and there are roughly 28,000 new Tumblr posts each minute.
Even better, Tumblr is sticky. Consumers spend over 151 minutes per month on the site. That’s more time than they devote to any social media site except Facebook.
What’s your blog strategy?
Has your blog strategy gotten lost in the shuffle with so much interest in social media? What can you do to reinvigorate it?
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Alan Draper.
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Blogs are social media. A blog that stands alone like a tree deep in the forest has minimal effect. But if it’s connected to a distribution network of social media elements it can have a real effect.
A Facebook page or Twitter account should not replace a blog. A blog is great because it is your owned property. You don’t have to worry about character limits or other regulations or worry about losing any content.
I completely agree! I love having my social media accounts to help spread what I’m writing, but lately (esp. with the changes on FB), my blog is standing on its own with new visitors every day. I check out blogs myself for reviews and to see what the best new products are. Great article!
Love the “pre-shopping” term.
For me, Twitter, FB and the other social networks can be regarded as blog amplifiers. I agree with Scott that if you just blog, nobody will hear you scream. You have to have a distribution strategy to alert your target audience.
When it comes to blogging, if you build it, they don’t come. You’ve got to leverage it via social networks.
Cheers
Fin :)