Jupiter Research in a report called: Consumer Created Content: Assessing the Influence of Content-Contributing Online Consumers, maintains that bloggers are playing a growing role in the influence of what people buy, interrupting the way things are being marketed over the Internet.
In Europe especially, where there are far fewer bloggers, this "vocal minority" is having a disproportionate influence in relation to their numbers.
Jupiter says that while 53 percent of those visiting online publishing sites are "silent surfers" who don't get involved with anything interactive at all. In contrast 24 percent respond that they continuously contribute to weblogs, forums or websites.
The report affirms that to neglect the blogoshere and what is being written there in reference to companies, their products or services, is a huge mistake. The influence of certain bloggers is taken as much more consistant and accurate than traditional outlets by many.
Report author Julian Smith says:
"With the adoption of content-creation tools democratising the publishing of information, consumers will increasingly be exposed to informal, peer-produced content alongside formal, professionally created content.
"As the quantity of postings grows, organisations must pay increasingly close attention to this online contribution."
Yes! Indeed they do.
Comment Preview