Blogging: An Introduction

What it is, why it matters and what it can do for brands

Definitions

A Blog (or ‘web log’) is a web site, usually maintained by an

individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of
events, or other material such as graphics or video.

The Blogosphere is the collective community of all blogs.

Since all blogs are on the Internet by definition, they may be
seen as interconnected and socially networked.
Types of blog

Type Example
Personal WordPress; Blogger
Professional Any blog that makes money
Corporate Public or Private
Genre Cookery; Advertising; Design…
Media Video; Audio; Photo
Micro Twitter
Personal Blogs

Digital Cortex: a blog about digital culture,

technology, brands and London living

An online diary

Quick to set up
Professional Blogs

Perez Hilton: Celebrity & Hollywood rumours and

gossip from the king of self-promotion

A source of income

Traffic is crucial
Corporate Blogs
FTMF.info: This is a wholly user-generated blog for
members of the MediaCom family.

A public voice

A collaboration tool
Genre-Based Blogs
Instant Noodle Review: Instant reviews on instant
noodles, as they are consumed. Instantly.

Focus on one topic

An expert opinion
Media-Based Blogs
The Style Scout: A photolog of London’s trendiest
pedestrians

Photo blogs
or Photologs

Audio blogs
or Podcasts

Video blogs
or Webcasts
Micro Blogs

Twitter: Short-form chatter from one to many.

Short-form chatter

Broadcasting tool
 Why bother with blogging?

• Blogs are growing in visitation each month

Average Minutes per Visitor to Blogs
in the UK
• The UK are now spending more time on
blogs than ever before 12.0

• Personal recommendations are among the 10.0

most significant factors in driving purchase 8.0
decisions – Amazon Effect 6.0
4.0
• Blogging is now so easy that anyone can
create content, find an audience & share 2.0

their opinion 0.0

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• This means that anyone can become an

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opinion leader with the right content
Source: ComScore April 2009
 Who writes blogs?

• Majority of bloggers are 25-44 males

• This is unusual. Digital communication

is seen as a Gen-Y trait

• The figures suggest that blogging

is a mature form of communication

• Bloggers tend to have a mature

approach to the content they write

Source: Technorati 2008

 What do bloggers write about?

• Most blogs are written about a

range of topics

• Blog worthy topics are those that

have high levels of currency, such
as news, politics and technology,
which have short interest spans

• Personal opinion is the number

one topic, and is blended with
reportage on current events

• If bloggers are interested in a

topic, they will write about it in
their own style
Source: Technorati 2008
 Where are the bloggers?

• Europe has the second-most

active community of bloggers in
the world

• The US are the dominant force in

the ‘Blogosphere’ which is
International in scale

• More so than in offline media,

opinions can be formed in the US,
and spread internationally

Source: Technorati 2008

 What kind of bloggers are there?

• Personal blogs are the majority,

although professional blogs are
growing in number

• There is overlap between personal

and commercial blogging,
because many blogs accrue
advertising revenue

• In the professional space, market

forces apply, with ruthless
competition for readers

• Publishing great content is

the best way to become popular,
so the top blogs are often the best Source: Technorati 2008
 What work goes in to a blog?

• Bloggers often spend years

developing their publication

• Half have started multiple blogs, a

sign that they feel blogging is a
worthwhile cause

• Most bloggers today are well-

versed in the art, having been
active for 2-4 years

• The tone that bloggers take is

well-developed. Established blogs
have a true editorial identity

Source: Technorati 2008

 Why do bloggers do it?

• The main reason is as a broadcast

platform, or for personal fame

• Many do it because they wish to

enter into an online community of
like-minded people

• Many blogs exist as PR support

for their enterprise

• MediaCom does it to share

information among a close
network

• Advertisers could use blogging it

for internal comms or for Source: Technorati 2008
external image management
 What’s in it for them?

• For most, expressing themselves

is a form of entertainment

• A growing segment hope to capitalise

on their blogs’ traffic one day

• Many professional bloggers do it

full-time, because they are so
successful

• Advertisers can buy blogger

attention through established
channels

Source: Technorati 2008

 What’s in it for us?

• 82% of bloggers have

written product reviews

• 89% write about brands

Do you talk about products or
that matter to them brands on your blog? Frequently Occasionally Never

• 79% publish experiences I post product or brand reviews 37% 45% 18%

about customer facing staff I post about brands that I love (or hate) 41% 48% 11%
I blog about company information or
• Reputations can be gossip that I hear about 31% 32% 37%

boosted or broken I blog about some of my every-day

experiences in stores or with customer
on the strength of a care 34% 45% 21%
powerful blog post

Source: Technorati 2008

 Why get involved?

• Among bloggers, other blogs are

the most influential form of brand
messaging

• Even non-blog web content is

more influential among this group
than traditional media sources

• Twice as many bloggers look to

other blogs compared to TV, print,
or outdoor advertising

• Advertisers need a
blogging presence!
Source: Technorati 2008