Day 2: The What and Why of Blogging - SOTB 2009 - Page 2

Author: sussman / Published: October 20, 2009 at 6:00 am

Feature navigation: Intro Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Motivations and Consequences Generally, respondents say that they blog for one of three distinct reasons: speaking one’s mind; sharing expertise and experiences with family and friends (old and new); and making money or doing business.

Unsurprisingly, most bloggers are interested in voicing their opinions – 71% say they blog at least in part in order to speak their minds, and it’s the most salient reason why Hobbyists take to the keyboard. Part-timers are interested in speaking their minds – but they’re even more interested in sharing their expertise (72%) and supplementing their income (61%). Intriguingly, many fewer Pros say that supplementing their income (17%) is driver of their blogging – though they are very interested in attracting new clients for the businesses they work for (53%). Self Employeds are most interested in attracting new clients (72%).

Over half of the corporate bloggers blog to attract new clients for their business, while most part-timers (61%) want to make additional money and almost three quarters self-employed bloggers try to draw in new customers for their business. But no matter the type of blogger, the most important reason for them all is either to share their experience and expertise or to speak their mind.

Perhaps because of the emphasis on speaking one’s mind in the blogosphere, 30% of respondents say it’s at least somewhat important that they conceal their real identity on their blog; the leading reason for anonymity is that bloggers are concerned that family or friends could be exposed or harassed as a result of their writing. 19% are concerned that their employers might disapprove of their views.

63% of respondents say that blogging has led them to become more involved with things they’re passionate about as a result of blogging. Respondents report that blogging has had chiefly positive impacts on their personal lives; just 6% say that relationships with friends or family members have suffered as a result of blogging, while 42% have become friends with someone they’ve met in person through their blog.

In addition to its positive personal impacts, bloggers have experienced positive career impacts. 58% say that they are better-known in their industry because of their blog, and 15% s say that they have more executive visibility within their company as a result of blogging. Bloggers see significant business benefits as well.

Plans for the Future

Blogging is on an upward trajectory in many ways - 57% say that their future plans include blogging even more (including 74% of 18-24 year olds) - 35% - including 43% of part-timers – plan to publish a book. - Mobile blogging will continue to expand as well, as 20% plan to do so in the future.

The rise of the professional blogger continues. Part-Timers, Pros, and Self-Employeds are blogging as much as or more than ever (73%, 76% and 80%, respectively), while Hobbyists are blogging somewhat less.

>

Respondents who are blogging more often are doing so primarily because they enjoy interacting with the audience they’ve found (59%) and other bloggers (46%). Business impact is less of a broad driver, though 74% of Self-Employeds say that it has proven valuable.

The key driver of decreased blogging is an increase of work and family commitments, which is reported as a factor by 64% of those who are blogging less. 34% of those who are blogging less say it’s because they are devoting more time to microblogging services such as Twitter, and 32% blame the time they spend on social networks.