Reading between the lines of Pew’s latest report on blogging, it’s clear that corporate or business blogging is growing slowly and still occupies its own tiny – but evolving – niche in the blogosphere.
Don’t be fooled, however. Despite the findings below (bloggers are under 30 and blog primarily to express themselves), blogs *will* become a mainstream business communications strategy. The “instant publishing” nature of blogs – so attractive to the under-30s – is just as useful for companies that want to connect with customers. As long as companies can figure out how to adopt a blog-like writing style and offer useful, engaging content.
Most bloggers, it seems, are:
“… younger than 30, and a majority use
their blogs as a mode of creative expression, the survey found.
Money-making possibilities motivate only 15 percent of bloggers, and
most blog on a variety of topics, with 11 percent focusing on politics.”– from The Washington Post
Key points from the Pew survey released July 19, 2006:
54% of bloggers say that they have never published their writing or
media creations anywhere else54% of bloggers are under the age of 30 Women represent 46% of bloggers and men 54% 76% of bloggers say a reason they blog is to document their personal experiences and share them with others When asked to choose one main subject, 37% of bloggers say that the primary topic of their blog is “my life and experiences – from July 19, 2006 Pew report: Bloggers: A portrait of the Internet’s new storytellers
Useful Links
Portrait of a Blogger: Under 30 and Sociable (Washington Post – July 20, 2006)
Bloggers More Likely to Create Content Elsewhere (ClickZ – July 19, 2006)