Bloggers Trusted More Than Celebrity Endorsements

According to a new study from BlogHer, people are now more influenced by the opinion of a blogger than a celebrity when it comes to learning about products or making a purchase.

The BlogHer 2011 Social Media Matters Study, co-sponsored by Ketchum, also shows that 78 percent of female American adults online actively use social media, and of those, 20 percent are motivated to consider products promoted by a blogger they know and trust than by promotions featuring a celebrity (13 percent).

"Over the last four years we have measured and reported the growing trust women have in the bloggers they read, and how that translates directly into influence and purchasing decisions," said Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer co-founder and chief operating officer. "In 2011, we can see that this trust has paid off, as readers report that high satisfaction with the results of such purchases regularly sends them back to blogs and social media to seek out recommendations by bloggers they trust."

This year’s survey shows that blogs play an increasingly influential role in people's purchasing decisions:

 

• Fifty-three percent of U.S. women blog readers have purchased a product based on a blog recommendation. That number soars to 80 percent of the BlogHer population.
• The general population trusts blog advice because of their satisfaction with past purchases based on blog recommendations.
• The top three types of products the general population seeks reviews and recommendations for on blogs are consumer electronics (35 percent), computer hardware/software (33 percent) and movies (33 percent). Among the BlogHer community, the priorities shift to food/beverage (67 percent), clothing/shoes (67 percent), and movies (62 percent).
• Forty-seven percent of U.S. blog readers tap into blogs to find new trends or ideas, 35 percent to find out about new products, and 25 percent for help with a purchasing decision.

"With social media being viewed as one of the most promising media vehicles by CMOs and other senior marketers, the findings in this study will be particularly useful in developing strategic marketing initiatives," said Kelley Skoloda, partner/director of the global brand marketing practice at Ketchum. "Consumers are adopting social media and digital applications at unprecedented rates, so marketers have more opportunities than ever for two-way conversation and relationships. Marketers must seize these opportunities now or risk falling behind their competitors in the race for online consumer engagement."