June 16, 2004

The Ugly Truth About Blogs

A survey by WordBiz Report finds online marketers "see blogging as more than just a current fad".

63.8% percent of readers surveyed felt that blogging was here to stay, while only 8.5% percent believe it's just a passing trend. The remaining 27.7% were unsure, either because they didn't know what a blog was, or they did not have complete confidence in the future of this new technology.

The WordBiz Report survey, posted earlier this month, also asks marketers and business owners what their most pressing questions about blogs are. Among the responses:

"How can I make money blogging?"

"Blog versus an e-newsletter – which is a more effective way of reaching my audience?"

"Why is it important for businesses to have blogs?"

"My audience is conservative, non-computer-savvy business people. Will they respond to a blog or think I'm a nut?"

Other survey responses revealed that blogging may be the answer to the prayers of these professionals. 51.6% of participants admitted that the time and resources involved in publishing an e-newsletter were their most formidable obstacles in communicating online to their customers and prospects. Another 20% blamed spam filters for their communication woes. Since blogs are published easily and instantaneously - and since they are not delivered via email - blogging may be the silver bullet for both of these groups.

Other questions in the survey revealed that 82% of respondents did, in fact, know what a blog was, while 2.9% had no idea. 44.7% thought the word "blog" was descriptive. 33% feel the term is just plain silly and 22.3% said the word is "ugly."