ARE BLOGGERS MORE INFLUENTIAL THAN CELEBRITIES?
A new study developed by BlogHer and Ketchum PR suggests that blogs are more influential than celebrity ads when women make purchase decisions. The popular community for female bloggers has put out studies of online interaction for the past four years, but this one has profound significance and a provocative outcome. According to the 2011 Social Media Matters Study, 20% of women are enticed to learn more about products through blog promotions from bloggers they follow, versus just 13% from a celebrity ad. Given the cost comparison between the two, this is huge! Think of the rise in efficiency if national advertising dollars were spent on blogger promotions rather than celebrity endorsements, and then think of all the american households that could be supported by that income- it’s truly intriguing.
Other interesting figures from the study- Blog usage is up 14% from last year and 55 million women read blogs at least once a month. 24% of the total US population online say they’ve made a purchase decision based on a blog’s recommendation, and that 24% represents 53% of active blog readers. And the 53% of the US online population who trust information and advice from blogs represent 88% of active blog readers.
Why is a blog’s recommendation so powerful? People feel like they know bloggers as if they were personal friends, and in any case with advertising a word of mouth endorsement from a trusted friend is the best commercial you can get. Plus, people are satisfied with previous purchases made on a blogger’s endorsement so they continue to use them as a source for consumer reviews.
So what should you take away from this? If you’re trying to launch a new product or build a brand, look to blogger outreach as a way to attract new customers to try you out!
