Brafton recently reported that marketing blogs are gaining adoption among SMBs, but Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2010 indicates that blogs are already a full-fledged marketing tool. It suggests that consumers increasingly trust blogs while trust in traditional media wanes – a fact marketers can't ignore.
The study shows that blogging is a much more regular practice among Americans, with U.S. consumers comprising nearly half (49 percent) of the global blogging community. One-quarter of bloggers say they now engage in mobile blogging, which is leading to more frequent and shorter posts.
This practice could be benefiting businesses that blog or get positive mentions in blogs as 40 percent of consumers agree with bloggers' views and believe trust in mainstream media is dropping. Notably, 48 percent of bloggers are confident that more people will be getting news from blogs within the next five years, which means businesses that offer relevant and timely content may be rewarded with readers who will convert into customers.
Yet, corporate bloggers, who devote themselves to writing blogs for a company full-time, represent only one percent of the current blogosphere. Businesses might consider turning to a web content provider to help them create frequently updated posts that can catch consumers' interests – and perhaps their cash.
Clearly, blogs can be a good way to build a brand's reputation. In a recent WebmasterCentral YouTube video, Google's Matt Cutts says "[S]tart a blog that has a different take than anybody else… that's the sort of thing that not only attracts links and attention, but also builds your reputation so you can bolster that and do more things online."
