Monday, May 30, 2011

Users Trust Product Information Found on Blogs

Some 88 percent of active blog readers surveyed by Nielsen Co. on behalf of BlogHer  trust the information they get from familiar blogs. Asked why they have this level of trust, nearly half (48 percent) say it’s because they had made purchases in the past based on blog recommendations and were satisfied with the results.

Over 50 percent of the active blog readers in the general U.S. online population have made a purchase based on a blog recommendation, the study found. That number jumps to 80 percent in the BlogHer network community.

The top categories where BlogHer users turn for reviews include food and beverage (67 percent), clothing and shoes (67 percent), movies (62 percent), and cosmetics (59 percent).  

In the general online population, the top vertical for blog reviews is consumer electronics.

Every week, 78 percent of online women use some form of social media, and 40 percent read blogs that frequently, the study suggests.

BlogHer says a key implication is that, when it comes to product recommendations and information, consumers now trust the voice of any "person like me" over just about any "corporate" voice.

Women bloggers talk about brands and products regularly, authentically, and enthusiastically. Brands should find the bridge that will help them join in.


Facebook is very highly adopted in the online population, approaching the level of adoption that television enjoys. It's also clear that there are two driving forces that cause active social media participants to turn to Facebook: to keep in touch with friends and family (78 percent) and to relax and have fun (55 percent). Why? Facebook has made it very easy to quickly check in, catch up, and play a game or two. It's all about digestible, casual, friendly interplay.

Users do not go to Facebook expecting to research potential product purchases. Instead, those same users turn to blogs to spot trends (47 percent), research products (35 percent), and drive purchasing decisions (25 percent), BlogHer suggests.

But most women surveyed by Nielsen still turn to search, and the ensuing links to blog posts, websites, and articles, when they want to research and ultimately make purchases. That suggests the clear rationale behind multi-channel strategies.

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See  http://www.blogher.com/2011-social-media-matters-study

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