NOV
2008
KenRadio,
November 4, 2008 —
The number of those who read blogs at least once a month has grown 300% in the past four years, and what they read strongly influences their purchase decisions, playing a key role in ushering them to the point of actual purchase.
Related Factoids
34% cited web search, and 11% said blog search engines were the top tool for discovering new blog content.
38% of frequent readers said blog links were the top tool for discovering new blog content.
40% of blog readers have taken action as a result of viewing an ad on a blog; 50% of frequent blog readers say so. Top activities include the following: read product reviews online (17%); sought out more info on a product or service (16%); visited a manufacturer or retailer website (16%).
Among respondents who say they have trusted blog content for purchase decisions in the past, over half (52%) say blogs played a role in the critical moment they decided to move forward with a purchase.
For frequent readers, blog links appear to have similar impact as a trusted recommendation from a person (a response from 39% of survey participants).
For those who have found blog content useful for product decisions, more than half (56%) say blogs with a niche focus and topical expertise were key sources.
Fully 25% of frequent blog readers say they trust ads on a blog they read; paid search links also account for 25% of their responses; and 19% say they trust ads on social networking sites.
One half (50%) of blog readers say they find blogs useful for purchase information.
Outside of technology-related purchases, for which 31% of readers say blogs are useful, other key categories include media and entertainment (15%); games/toys and/or sporting goods (14%); travel (12%); automotive (11%); and health (10%).
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