Hurrah for blogs! BBC news
As many blogs were the work of individuals, many believed that they were more honest and reliable because they were not subject to the same marketing pressures as corporate or commercial websites which are created by web developers as well as every other tool like logo, business cards and more.
Shoppers use blogs for bargains
Many see blogs as trustworthy sources for what they should buy
Consumers are starting to use weblogs, or blogs, as guides to what they should and shouldn’t buy, finds a survey.
More than three-quarters of those questioned in the research said they consulted blogs before going shopping.
Respondents said they trusted blogs because they were written by real people and based on actual experiences.
The survey suggests that blogs could soon rival other media as sources of trustworthy information about products and services.
Daily data
In the survey of attitudes to blogs most of those questioned, 77%, said they thought the regularly updated web journals were a useful way to get insights into the products or services they should buy.
As many blogs were the work of individuals, many believed that they were more honest and reliable because they were not subject to the same marketing pressures as corporate or commercial websites.
“Consumers are tired of marketing gloss and so the interest in blogs is not surprising,” said Paul Halfpenny, product manager at survey sponsor Hostway.
“We all want impartial advice and information, as far as consumers are concerned blogs deliver this,” he added.
The messages on blogs about the merits or mistakes in gadgets or consumer goods can reach a huge audience, said Mr Halfpenny.
Those most likely to let opinions on blogs influence what they bought, 83%, were those in the 25-34 age group.
As yet, though, the research found that consumers still thought almost every other form of media was at least as trustworthy as blogs.
Almost half, 49%, thought blogs were as credible as articles in magazines, 46% thought web journals were as trustworthy as newspapers and 40% thought web logs and TV news programmes were just as reliable as each other.
Blogs are more transparent and honest – therefore for shopping or political discussion blogging has got to be the way forward.
We must keep blogging!
Most blogs are biased in some way so I think you have to check lots of blogs to get a true opinion of something. I would also think that blogs are much more open to bribery/fraud etc than traditional print. People can write whatever they like in blogs, whether it’s true or not. So beware, it might be all lies..
Having said all that, I do mostly trust the advice I get on blogs, so I’m not sure at all what I’m going on about 😉
Yes, but this is assuming that bloggers themselves do not have their own private agendas or mischeivious sides. Plus, as one gets the feeling that they are in direct communication with the blogger it can be easy to fall into the trap of automatic belief due to a mistaken intimacy.
I fully support the use of blogs as a source of advice for the discerning reader.
Vote Green!
This is a joke, right?
Blogging is about SHOPPING?
Next thing you’ll be telling me consumer confidence is a measure of how well the country’s doing.
Oh.