360DigitalInfluence

Here on the Digital Influence blog, we talk a lot about how important it is for brands to be online, listening to and engaging with their customers.   We are always looking for new statistics that demonstrate to our clients the value social media can bring to their brand.   Technorati released it’s annual State of the Blogosphere study this week with some great data points for your next presentation on why your company or client should be participating in social media.   I recommend checking out the full report, but since we are all busy, here are what I consider to be the Top 5 most useful stats from the study for brands looking to engage in social media:

1. 4 out of 5 bloggers are posting about brands online-   With 80% of bloggers writing about companies, there is a pretty good chance they are writing about yours.   If they aren’t, that’s a major disadvantage since many people are going to to the internet to research products and services before they buy.

2. 12 percent of bloggers are corporate bloggers- A corporate blogger is no longer a lone wolf in the blogosphere. With 12 percent of bloggers reporting that they blog in an official capacity for their corporation and 46 percent of bloggers reporting that they blog about their profession, but not directly for their company, there is a strong precedent of examples to present to leadership demonstrating the effectiveness of corporate blogs.

3. 1 out of 3 bloggers have been contacted by a brand representative- Bloggers, especially the most popular ones are being inundated with requests to write about brands related (or sadly, often unrelated) to the topics they cover.   Make sure your company executes blogger outreach the right way by only reaching out to people who have shown a clear affinity for what you are selling and use a code of ethics to guide your outreach.

4. Bloggers spend three and a half times more hours on the internet than they do watching TV- Influential bloggers are not getting your corporate messages through your television ad buy.   They are much more influenced by other bloggers with 61 percent reporting that they are enticed to learn more about a product or service from other bloggers.

5. Bloggers are becoming a trusted source for information-Bloggers are becoming more and more accepted by the public and the press as experts in their topic area and reporters are going to to them to find out their opinions. 37 percent of bloggers have been quoted in a mainstream press article   Perhaps your company should start sharing your expertise with the world.   You’ll be able to start a relationship with your customers, and might even get quoted in the mainstream press along the way.

Check out the rest of the study for more information about who these bloggers are and what they are writing about.   The data is fascinating.   Feel free to chime in below if you think I missed an important point or another stat should have made the Top 5.