Effectiveness of blogs on youths

What is a Blog?

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Blog is the abbreviated version of “Weblog” or “Web log”.

Online diary, with entries in chronological order

Common blog features include comments, email, tagboards.

Why investigate on Blogs?

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184 million people own a blog.

346 million read blogs.

(study by Technorati)

Number of people who read blogs at least once a month, grown 300%.

52% says blogs played a crucial role on purchase decisions.

(research by BuzzLogic)

Youths are the ‘net generation’ who frequent the use of Internet.

Pilot Study

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Sample size: 30 youths (age 15 to 29 years old)

Results: Blogs are the second most useful and second most popular media when searching for product and service reviews.

Research Objectives

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1. Understand the attitudes of youths towards the different aspects of blogs.

2. Identify how marketers can use blogs as an effective tool to market their products and services to youths, and the respective factors to focus on.

Research Methodology

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1. Blogger – Interview with Beatrice Tan

2. Consumers/Youth

- Survey questionnaires to 150 youths

- Based on factors (7 Cs) proposed by Rayport and Jaworski

- Context, Content, Community, Commercial

Result Analysis I: Demographics

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- Majority within 20 to 24 years old

- Generally, monthly disposable income <$500

- Mainly students

- Genders of respondents evenly distributed

Result Analysis II: Context

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Context: Layout and Design

Most important factors:

1. Ease of Navigation

2. Clarity of Text

3. Minimalistic Layout

Least important factor:

1. Originality of blog design

Conclusions

- Youths prefer a simple, clutter-free and user friendly layout and design.

- Focus should be on layout and design above the improvement on the visual appeal of blogs.

Result Analysis III: Content

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Content: Composition of Blogs

Most important factors:

1. 1. Current Information

2. 2. Transparency and Accuracy

3. 3. Topic of Post

Least important factor:

1. Personal Similarities with the blogger

Frequency of checking blogs

47% respondents check every other day

20% respondents check daily

What youths really want in a blog are:

- Youths value truthful up-to-date information

- Genuine and Personal opinions

- Prefer Substance over Style

- High readership on product review

- Ideal frequency for blog update is ‘Every Other Day’ to encourage higher readership.

Content: Presentation of Post/Content

Preferred presentation style:

- - Rich in both Visuals and Text

- - Rich in Visuals

- - Descriptive Text

An attractive blog consists:

- Visuals such as pictures and graphics accompanied by appropriate commentary

- Describe without controversial or argumentative judgments

- Mostly descriptive writing or narration.

Content: Typology of Bloggers

Readers most influenced by:

1. - Friends

2. - Established Bloggers

Blogs are influential when they are written by:

Friends – reading from someone you know, gives the blog post higher credibility and truthfulness

Established Bloggers - share interesting news and experience as well as provide exclusive product reviews and information on the latest trends.

Result Analysis IV: Community

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Community: Interactivity of Blogs

73% rates ability to interact on blog is important

Community: Mode of Sharing

Most Preferred – Comment Section

Least Preferred – Email

Split in Preference – Polls (25% - most preferred, 29% - least preferred)

What makes blog community unique to youths?

- Transcends beyond mainstream media because it provide readers opportunities to interact

- Brings readers with similar interest together

- Instantaneous and interactive responses are highly valued

- Avenues, like polls, allow readers to state preference but not voice opinions could be improved to allow sharing viewpoints

Result Analysis V: Commercial

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Commercial: Purchasing impact of blogs

50% made short listed makes and models before attempting to read the blog

47% had a good recall on information provided from the blog.

50% of the respondents frequently purchase a product recommended in a blog.

Commercial: Categories of purchase

Blogs are mostly commonly used as a point of reference for:

1. 1. Fashion Apparels

2. 2. Tech Gadgets

3. 3. Food Products

Commercial: Product Recall

- Fashion category commands highest recall rate.

- Followed by Camera, Handphones, and Computer.

What can a good blog do?

- Good blogs can have a lasting impression on readers.

- Good blogs can influence purchases directly or indirectly.

- Good blogs is a good point of reference in the 'Evaluation of Alternatives' process.

- Fashion, technology and food advertisers should capitalise on blogs.

Beatrice Tan's response:

- Readers would email her to enquire about the product details

- "blog post should consist a mixture of advertisement knowledge and real life experiences to maintain credibility and reduce occurrence of post-purchase dissonance."

How Marketers can use blogs effectively?

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Context:

- When selecting blogs, go for simple layout designs and easy navigation instead of common misconception of strong visual appeal.

Limitations:

Marketers will have to be satisfy with a passive role, as they have no control over the blog design and layout.

Sometimes the other factors outweigh the factor of layout and design.

Content:

- Encourage the blogger to use more photos, complemented with descriptive text

- Share personal experiences after product usage

- Not only show pictures of the product but demonstrate its benefits

Evaluation:

First step to make the youth read the blog post is to capture their attention.

More personal reference will improve credibility.

Limitations:

Marketers have no complete control over the blogger's presentation style.

- Repeated product mention instead of product review.

Evaluation:

Constant repetition of a product/service could increase and improve youths’ impression of the product, aiding in the recalling process when making a purchase decision.

Retain the core values of transparency and accuracy in blogs.

Limitations:

No immediate and guaranteed results.

Community:

- Viral marketing through opinion leaders

- Engage ‘everyday’ people who have extensive social networks or strong persuasive powers

- Hire through recommendations and observation of blog counters to gauge readership

- Network sites, such as Facebook, allow marketers to assess potential social bloggers

Evaluation:

Friends have the most influence over readers.

They are also people who could be in the same life stage or circumstances as their readers, hence improving the relevance of the blog post.

Limitations:

Excessive involvement of the marketer, could lose the credibility of the bloggers. As readers regard transparency & accuracy very highly.

- Read the comments posted by the readers

- Apply guerrilla marketing by hiring people to make comments to stir the discussion

- Re-designing the poll systems by allowing readers to add additional comments

Evaluation:

A successful marketing campaign does not stop at promoting its product on blogs

Discussions of readers can provide valuable insights to refine the marketing strategy or improving the product design.

Promote blogs an interactive medium for youths

Limitations:

Requires high involvement from the marketing company.

Guerrilla marketing might backfire and cause larger negative impact to the brand.

Commercial:

- Understand which stage of the purchasing decision model they are targeting

- Encourage bloggers to make comparisons against competitive products and highlight its points-of-difference

Evaluation:

Higher impact, since most youths consult a blog after narrowing down to choice set.

Limitations:

Marketers have no complete control over the blogger's presentation style.

Excessive involvement of the marketer, could lose the credibility of the bloggers.

Purchasing decision influence may vary from products to products.

- Create a competition where bloggers will blog about a specific product/service

- Encourages the masses to blog about the offering

Evaluation:

Very high reach and frequency.

Variety of writing style, content, and reviews.

Might generate interest among readers.

Limitations:

Readers might view that the comments lack accuracy, as they might be skewed to suit the competition.

- Introduce blog marketing at beginning of the product life cycle

- Target the ‘innovators’ and ‘early adopters.

Evaluation:

Low-cost in nature, hence are low risk marketing investment

Ideal for industries with short product lifespan

Matches the most preferred industries by youth (Fashion & Tech Gadgets)

Limitations:

Revenue generated for marketing using blog is difficult to quantify.

Thank You

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We hope you have enjoyed our presentation.

Now it's time to look at out tagboards for our Q&A.

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