They have the power to send stock prices plummeting, and consumers count
them as more credible than advertising and e-mail marketing. But odds are
you have no idea who they are. Marketers, meet the bloggers.
They have the power to send stock prices plummeting, and consumers count
them as more credible than advertising and e-mail marketing. But odds are
you have no idea who they are.


There are about 15 million active blogs read by 57 million people, a number
that gives bloggers great credibility, power and influence as sources of
information for everything from news to corporate reputations to product
purchasing.

“This is simply not a passing fad that can be ignored,” said Michael
Gartenberg, analyst with Jupiter Research.

For instance: A few weeks ago, the well-respected tech blog Engadget
published reports that Apple’s iPhone and Leopard operating system would be
seriously delayed. Apple’s stock price took an immediate dive, dropping some
$4 billion in market capitalization before it was discovered that the
information came from a fake leaked memo. Apple was not amused, although its
stock did level out by the end of that same day.

Spackle for credibility gap
One of the big reasons blogs have such impact is their credibility among
readers. In a February poll from We Media and Zogby Interactive, 72% of
adults said they were dissatisfied with the quality of American journalism
today. Another 55% said bloggers are important to the future of American
journalism, and 74% said citizen journalism will play a vital role,
according to the poll.

Consumers are also taking bloggers’ word before they buy. A late 2006 Ipsos
MORI survey found that blogs were a more trusted source of information than
advertising or e-mail marketing. One-third of respondents said they had
decided not to buy a product after reading a negative blog post, while 52%
were persuaded to buy after reading a positive review.