Which is true?
Consumers trust company blogs less than any other channel.
or
Blogs have long had an avid following, but corporations are finding that blogs can be a secret sauce to building solid relationships with their customers.
Depends on who you ask, Forrester or eMarketer.
The Forrester survey goes on to say that, "Not only do blogs rank below newspapers and portals, they rank below wikis, direct mail, company email, and message board posts" and "only 16% of online consumers who read corporate blogs say they trust them."
Conversely, eMarketer states "[B]logs have more impact on purchasing decisions than social networks. One-quarter of readers said they trust ads on a blog, as opposed to 19% who trust ads on social networks."
It does seem that corporate blogs don't have a long way to go, especially considering that only 64 (12.8%) of the Fortune 500 are blogging, according to the latest
Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki report.
If the Forrester corporate blogging survey is correct, what is the antidote? Forrester analyst and author of the survey, Josh Bernoff,
declares, "This is not a plea to give up on blogging." Instead, he suggests corporations adjust their strategy based on their objectives:
"If you want to be a thought leader and helper for your customers, and you blog frequently about those customers’ problems and solutions, then you can generate trust.
"If you have created a community for your customers, your company needs a voice in that community. A blog is a natural way to meet this need.
"If you have hordes of fans, blog for them."
A number of other thought leaders have expressed their opinions about what corporations can do to improve their blogging. New media marketing consultant
Debbie Weil even wrote a book on the subject,
The Corporate Blogging Book.
(BTW, Debbie sides with the survey alledging that "Many corporate blogs are A. boring and B. not credible. They're written in corporate speak. And they gush about the company or its products or services.")
Well-known Forrester analyst, Jeremiah Owyang,
weighed in on the survey, posturing himself as the "corporate blog doctor," making a diagnosis and writing a prescription.
My favorite pundit is the ever-insightful Valeria Maltoni, who months before the Forrester survey ever saw the light of day, offered some expert advice: "Clearly not every company should have a blog...To me the most important point to consider is the organization's cultural readiness. As well, there needs to be commitment to stick with it over the long haul. This is no short term program."
Let's get back to the question of which is true. I'd like to hear your answer. Please feel free to comment.