Blogging is used by businesses to drive sales, build reputation, and increase traffic.
Regarding the first point – sales – some businesses have found greater success than others. It seems business-to-business companies have had more success finding sales leads and long-term clients. Retailers have either struggled to find the same direct link between blogging and sales, but there has been results showing a link between the influence of sales coming from blogs.
Blogging Sales in the Beauty Industry
A recent study from BlogHer shows that women are actually more likely to be influenced by a trusted blogger when buying health & beauty products than they would be by traditional print advertising.
Blogs Drive Beauty Product Purchases
Indeed, according to a study conducted by BlogHer, blogs are more than two times more likely — 63% — than magazines — 26% — to have inspired a beauty product purchase over the last six months.
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“Trusted blogs have as much influence on purchase decisions as traditional media,” said Stephanie Smirnov, president of DeVries Public Relations.
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Still, women buy beauty products offline at a rate four times greater than online, as women say they typically research online and buy offline.
Traditional media outlets have long reported the news, but over the years some traditional outlets realized people are looking for opinion and interpretation of the news. Bloggers have found success by providing the opinions and interpretation people are looking for.
Readers are influenced by blogging voices. Readers will gravitate towards a blogger they like. They want to find opinions to help themselves for their own opinions.
In the example of the beauty industry it makes sense that women would find bloggers they trust and find greater influence from those bloggers than they would from a traditional ad buy or other traditional forms of media or advertising.
Blogging for Businesses
These results are becoming more typical in many industries.
Companies are starting to reach out to bloggers as an attempt to form partnerships. What is even better is when companies form a blog of their own. These companies can develop voices from within the business. Over time readers interested in specific industries will trust the blog and eventually the opinions of the writers. This is the power of influence that can make or break purchasing decisions. It’s not a dishonest thing. Blogging takes work and even the slightest bit of dishonesty along the way will leave a blog without readers. People are smart and they can sniff out BS fast. The key for companies is to be honest, forthcoming, and trustworthy in their blogging.
When blogging is done correctly a business can build influence.
In the businesses world, having influence is gold.
Blogging can drive sales.