Are blogs a valid source to drive prospective customers?
It's one of the ongoing discussions when approaching a corporate blog. Many companies view blogs as a way to tip their toe in social media, or to "get our name out there." Therein lies the root of the problem -- businesses aren't blogging with a purpose. The focus is not Search Engine Optimization or new customer acquisition, but rather because it seems like a good idea to stay relevant in a Web 2.0 world.
eMarketer just put out a study that re-enforces Compendium's stance: blogs directly influence purchasing decisions.
These stats are very revealing, and take some additional interpretation. This survey is talking to "US blog readers", and doesn't discuss how consumers found these blogs. Based on the following quote, it seems the assumption is that people found blogs from a website, or some other method (but not Search).
Are consumers doing more than just reading or subscribing to blogs?
Yes. The eMarketer study found "four out of 10 blog readers surveyed had taken action as a result of viewing a blog ad."
People are searching. They are trusting information found on blogs, and 40% of them are taking some sort of action, whether downloading a research study, signing up for a newsletter, or clicking through to an e-commerce page. There couldn't be a better example of why it is important for a business to blog.
Create compelling content, and optimize it to be found for search, with clear calls-to-action directly from the blog. It's a simple forumla.
It's one of the ongoing discussions when approaching a corporate blog. Many companies view blogs as a way to tip their toe in social media, or to "get our name out there." Therein lies the root of the problem -- businesses aren't blogging with a purpose. The focus is not Search Engine Optimization or new customer acquisition, but rather because it seems like a good idea to stay relevant in a Web 2.0 world.
eMarketer just put out a study that re-enforces Compendium's stance: blogs directly influence purchasing decisions.
These stats are very revealing, and take some additional interpretation. This survey is talking to "US blog readers", and doesn't discuss how consumers found these blogs. Based on the following quote, it seems the assumption is that people found blogs from a website, or some other method (but not Search).
“For a portion of Web users, blogs rival search as a navigation tool, which has really interesting implications for advertisers,” said Rob Crumpler, CEO of BuzzLogic, in a statement. “Blogs are becoming trusted guides, steering users who are seeking very specific information to places of interest online.”Now think of blogs as benefiting search, not rivaling it. Roughly 90% of adult Internet users use search engines to find information. With Compendium's proprietary solution, blog content is automatically organized in strategic keyword-driven blog pages, which creates scalable, highly niched content about different aspects of a companies products, services and employees.
Are consumers doing more than just reading or subscribing to blogs?
Yes. The eMarketer study found "four out of 10 blog readers surveyed had taken action as a result of viewing a blog ad."
People are searching. They are trusting information found on blogs, and 40% of them are taking some sort of action, whether downloading a research study, signing up for a newsletter, or clicking through to an e-commerce page. There couldn't be a better example of why it is important for a business to blog.
Create compelling content, and optimize it to be found for search, with clear calls-to-action directly from the blog. It's a simple forumla.
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