Day 2: The What and Why of Blogging

Why have blogs become a significant part of the media landscape so quickly? Just what is it that makes the medium of blogging so compelling? What are bloggers blogging about and why?

Most bloggers write about multiple topics, and both personal and professional topics are equally popular. Half of bloggers consider their style to be sincere, conversational, humorous and expert. Although there is a perception of blogging as a means for writing a tell-all or gossiping, “snarky” and “confessional” fell to the bottom of the list of self-described styles among the bloggers that we surveyed.

Our survey of over 1000 bloggers reveals that both personal and professional topics are equally popular, with most bloggers covering multiple topics. Half of bloggers consider their style to be sincere, conversational, humorous, and expert in nature. Although there is a perception of blogging as a means for writing a tell-all or gossiping, those blogging styles fell to the bottom of the list among the bloggers we surveyed.

The majority of bloggers openly expose their identities on their blogs and recognize the positive impact that blogging has on their personal and professional lives. More than half are now better known in their industry and one in five have been on TV or the radio because of their blog. Blogging has brought many unique opportunities to these bloggers that would not have been available in the pre-blog era.

Blogging topics are diverse

Both personal and professional topics are equally popular. Forty percent of bloggers consider their blogging topics outside of these categories. “Other” blog topics include: 2008 election, alternative energy, art, beauty, blogging, comics, communication, cooking/food, crafts, design, environment, internet/Web 2.0, Jamaica, and media/journalism.

Three-quarters of bloggers cover three or more topics. The average number of topics blogged about is five.

There were some global differences. Music is more popular and politics is less popular in Asia, while personal, lifestyle, and religious topics are less popular in Europe.

Sincere, Conversational, Expert and Humorous are top blogging styles

We asked bloggers how they would describe their blogging styles. Although there is a perception of blogging as a means for writing a tell-all or gossiping about others, snarky and confessional were at the bottom of the list in terms of blogging styles. Half of bloggers consider their style to be sincere, conversational, humorous, and expert in nature.

Some differences emerged across all segments. International bloggers tend to be less conversational and snarky. Asian bloggers tend to be more motivational and confessional, while European bloggers are more confrontational. Women tend to be more conversational in their blogging style, while men tend to be expert. Finally, those under 34 are more confessional in their blogging style, while those over 35 are more expert in their style.

Fewer than one in five bloggers consider themselves snarky or confessional.

Self expression and sharing expertise are the top reasons for blogging

Self expression and sharing expertise are the top reasons for blogging followed by networking and gaining entry into the traditional media world. Career advancement and monetary reasons are cited by one in four bloggers as their motivations for blogging. “Other” reasons include: activism, book publicity, personal satisfaction, self promotion, share my passion, to become known as an expert, and our favorite: “to bake half-baked ideas.”

Continued on the next page

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