Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere series chronicles the rise and evolution of the Blogosphere as we know it. Since 2004 there’s been an explosive growth and application of this new approach to publishing. Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere event recently provided some startling statistics and demographics about how important blogging is for the self-employed – not just for hobbyists or large corporations. I want to share with you some of the statistics that have sold me on recommitting to writing a regular blog.

• Overall, bloggers are a highly educated and affluent group. Nearly half of all bloggers surveyed (2900) have earned a graduate degree, and the majority have a household income of $75,000 per year or higher.

• Two-thirds are male

• 60% are 18-44

• The majority are more affluent and educated than the general population

• 75% have college degrees/40% have graduate degrees

• One in three has an annual household income of $75K+

• One in four has an annual household income of $100K+

• Professional and self-employed bloggers are more affluent

• More than half are married /More than half are parents [and they find time to blog regularly]

When the 2900 bloggers at the Technorati conference were polled, they also provided insight into the impact blogging has on their business:

• 9% self-employed – and acknowledged that blogging was a key factor in their business

• Spending more time on their blog now than previously

• Reasons self-employed and professional bloggers blog:

• 71% have greater visibility because of  their blog

• 63% say clients buy because of their blog

• 56% say their company (i.e. the solo owner)  is now seen as a thought leader

• 40% say they are asked to speak at conferences directly because of their blog

All because of their blog!

According to Denise Wakeman at www.buildabetterblog.com, blogging for business is critical, it must be a key element in your marketing toolbox; the hub of your online activity. Why? Because:

• It creates massive visibility

• It allows you to diversify and be ubiquitous

• It helps you reach a new audience and reverse the client chase

• You get to engage with readers and help them become clients

• You get feedback

• It helps you hone your unique voice

• It’s a money saving tool

• It’s where you create your distinction, your personality, your expertise ? all the elements to develop know like & trust amongst your readers

• You get to share valuable content to make readers’ lives better.

• You get to foster interaction and guide public conversation to private conversation

The real message here is that it is no longer optional. It’s no longer a luxury. A blog is now a necessity.

Keeping a blog takes work. It takes discipline. But I have the motive for you (and me) that I didn’t have before. That is the HUGE ROI. The ROI of blogging can now be tracked to provide a 3:1 return! That kind of return on investment is huge when you realize that creating and publishing a blog is not expensive, it’s simply sweat equity, which solopreneurs sign up for anyway.

Related Posts

• What’s Your Online Hub?
• Top 4 Reasons Businesses Should Be Blogging
• 9 Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• How To Get More Blog Comments
• Recapture Your Blogging Zing – Teleclass

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Blogs, Marketing Planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.