A new survey on business blogging conducted in August by research firm Loudhouse – the results of which were presented at an event in London yesterday in which I participated – shows that blogs are rapidly becoming a credible tool for UK companies in generating business opportunities.
The research questioned managers with direct sales and/or purchasing responsibility at 300 companies with over 250 employees to discover how they and their companies use blogs to interact with existing and potential customers, and how they engage with the blogosphere to inform their own business decision making.
The survey report clearly shows positive thinking in the UK about the value business blogs may present.
Key findings:
Is blogging popular in the workplace?
- 50% of companies undertake some form of blogging, either having a blog, or encouraging employees to comment on blogs
- 64% of company blogs have been launched in the past 6 months
- 66% of managers in the survey have visited blogs in the past 12 months, 29% of those having commented on issues raised on blog sites
Is blogging a business tool?
- 31% of businesses state that their blog has generated ‘significant’ business opportunities
- A further 55% of businesses believe that their blog has generated ‘moderate’ business opportunities
- 80% of blog users visit blogs within work hours. Most blog users visit blogs at lunchtime (31%), or first thing in the morning (29%)
- 33% of blog visitors will access a blog on a daily basis. 29% visit on a weekly basis
Is there potential for blogging growth?
- 63% of managers want to understand more about how blogs can benefit their businesses
- 66% of businesses believe that blogs are becoming more influential as an information source
- 54% of respondents believe that new skills sets and approaches are needed by their organizations in order to
make use of blogs - 46% of respondents state that blogs can drive business opportunities in future
One particular result that I did find highly significant is that 64% of blogs started by companies have been launched only within the past six months, as noted above.
This reflects what I’m seeing among many of the companies I talk to about social media. It’s a very different picture compared to 2006 were there was far greater hesitancy.
It’s interesting, too, to note the variety of ways cited by survey respondents in how their companies use blogs:
The 16-page survey report, which goes into considerable detail about the research and the results from it, is available on request from Inferno PR, who commissioned the research.
[Update 18/9/07] Inferno has posted the press release announcing the survey results:
http://www.infernopr.com/news.asp?pageID=6&openMenu=6#news35
And, Loudhouse has now started a blog with commentary about the event in their first post.
Great concluding comment:
heck…we even started blogging as a result!!
Welcome to the blogosphere, guys!
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Thanks Neville – interesting. I tried to contact Inferno on the link you provided, but their contact-form on the website seems broken?
That’s not good, Trine-Maria. Hopefully Inferno will get to you directly.
Funny that neither Inferno PR nor Loudhouse seem to have a company blog, or at least none that’s prominently linked from their homepages…
Armin, the guys at Inferno do have a blog. The link to it (top right of website home page) isn’t very prominent, though. Here’s that link -
http://pilotlight.wordpress.com/
No blog at Loudhouse, though.
Now that you say it I can see the link, honestly didn’t see it when I looked at the site. I was expecting it in the menu, not well hidden in some graphics.
I mentioned that to them last week
Really a great post, Neville. such a wonderful Survey shows out blogs are tremendously performing business and acts as a pathway between customers and the employee of the companies. its really a great success for blogs in short period(64% of blogs started by companies have been launched only within the past six months). there is no doubt that very soon, the companies itself will start having their own blog website.
Really a great post, Neville. These stats are amazing. Never knew blogging was so sought after. Seems to be a great way to drive business to your website. We have been closely monitoring business blogs and are left with the fact we are late getting on board. This post is a real eye opener for sure. Thanks
Glad you found it helpful, CindyM.
I personally think that most companies nowadays utilize or minimally have a blog in operation. They may not know how to use it properly, just like many don’t know how to optimize their websites.
Blogging and software to go with it, like Comment Kahuna for instance, has really changed the marketing online world in my opinion.
For someone to NOT be utilizing blogging with their business is a major problem. Even if you are not making money from it (yet) or aren’t getting much traffic, it allows your subscribers a way to get to see a side of you that you CANNOT show in your website content or most of your emails.
I feel like a blog is basically a journal and can offer a “real” feel to prospects and allow them to get to know things about you that they otherwise would not have a format to discover those things.
That’s one of the reasons that blogs can make money…they are genuine and just offer MORE than what was offered before blogs.
Sincerely,
Craig Raphael
http://www.HomeBasedBusinessScamReviews.com
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