New BlogHer Study Shows U.S. Women Increasingly Shifting to Blogs as
a Mainstream Media and Communication Channel
Blogs Established as an Influential Source of Entertainment,
Information and Advice for a Loyal and Engaged Population of 36 Million
Tech-Savvy Women Consumers
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Business Wire EON) April 14, 2008 --
BlogHer, Inc. (www.blogher.com),
one of the top women's online networks and the Web's number-one guide to
blogs by women, today announced the release of the BlogHer/Compass
Partners 2008 Social Media Benchmark Study, which reveals compelling new
insights into the power of the blogosphere and the significant role it
plays in the lives of U.S. women. The survey, conducted with Compass
Partners LLC, illustrates several surprising new trends in social media,
specifically that 36.2 million women write and read blogs every week and
approximately half consider blogs a “highly
reliable” or “very
reliable” source of information and advice
about everything from products to presidential candidates. Fully 24
percent of women surveyed say they now watch less television because
they are blogging instead.
The survey data indicate American women are drawn to participate in the
blogosphere primarily because it provides access to the content they
want, when they want it. Survey results also indicate that the blogging
community's fundamental trust in one another has contributed to its
rapid growth. Specific survey findings show:
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-- Approximately, 36.2 million women actively participate in the
blogosphere every week with 15.1 publishing at least one post a week
and 21.1 reading and commenting to blogs a week
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-- More than 40% of women surveyed consider blogs a reliable source
of advice and information
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-- 40% of bloggers believe their biggest impact is through fostering
relationships with like-minded individuals
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-- Half of women surveyed say blogs influence their purchase
decisions
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-- Women are so passionate about blogging that large percentages of
women said they would give something up to keep the blogs they read
and/or write:
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-- 55% would give up alcohol
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-- 49% would give up their PDAs
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-- 42% would give up their i-Pod
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-- 43% would give up reading the newspaper
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-- 20% would give up chocolate (some things are sacred)
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“Several recent surveys indicate that our
trust in institutions is declining. We are losing trust in the
government, politicians, the media and many corporations. But as it
turns out, we trust each other,” said Elisa
Camahort Page, BlogHer co-founder and COO. “The
blogosphere is increasingly becoming the digital ‘kitchen
table' where individuals can sit down to have an authentic conversation
about all the topics that affect their daily lives - from household
products to presidential candidates.”
“When analyzing data from the BlogHer/Compass
Partners Social Media Benchmark Study, I was struck by how reliable and
dedicated these women are to their blogs and their online communities.
Blogging is an integral part of their daily lives and a key source of
information and entertainment,” said Susan
Wright, managing director of Compass Partners LLC. “The
fact that their readers find them highly credible and that this joint
participation has achieved significant scale, presents proactive
marketers with a measurable opportunity to engage with a highly
desirable consumer demographic.”
About the Survey
The BlogHer/Compass Partners Social Media Benchmark Study was conducted
in two parts; one reflecting a representative sample of the general U.S.
population of women and the other reflecting the BlogHer network.
U.S. women sample size: 2,350 (1,250 of which were blogosphere
participants)
The BlogHer network sample size: 5,113
The data from the samples gave insight into the behaviors, trends and
purchasing habits of women online. The online survey is the first of
several that BlogHer and Compass Partners will facilitate in six-month
increments in order to examine shifts in online trends and behaviors
within the blogosphere. The general U.S. population survey will be
conducted on a yearly basis.
About BlogHer
Founded in February 2005 by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and
Lisa Stone, BlogHer's mission is to create opportunities for women who
blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment.
BlogHer provides the number-one community and media network of blogs by
women via a community hub (http://blogher.com),
annual conferences and an advertising network of more than 1,500
qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates. BlogHer provides the
highest quality content on a range of topics, with all blogs continually
edited to meet strict editorial standards, including content quality,
category relevance and blog frequency.
About Compass Partners, LLC
Compass Partners, LLC (www.compasspartners-llc.com)
was founded by Susan Wright in 2003 as a strategic marketing consultancy
anchored by intelligent market research. Susan leverages her vast
experience gained at top tier, consumer driven companies such as Quaker
Oats, Nestle and Microsoft. Compass Partners strives to help clients
reach clarity in brand and business building challenges by uncovering
actionable consumer insights. A significant focus for Compass Partners
is in the arena of social media helping clients who want to understand
how to build community around their brands.
KEYWORDS: blog, blogging, blogging community, blogosphere, blogs,
online communities, online social networks, online web communities,
social effects of the internet on the media, social media, women bloggers
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