Corporate Blogging to Grow

Looks like corporate blogging is expected to grow. Given the recent trends in blogging sites, I'm not surprised.

Jupiterresearch's "Corporate Weblogs: Deployment, Promotion, and Measurement" report finds that 35% of large companies plan to initiate corporate blogs this year. That will make for nearly 70% of large companies operating a corporate blog when combined with the existing 34% already maintaining a blog.

Jupiterresearch also reports that only 32% of marketing executives said they use corporate blogs to generate word-of-mouth around their company's products or services - an underutilized activity given the nature of the blogosphere.

For more details you can purchase the report and a 30 minute discussion with the analyst from Jupiterresearch, but thankfully MediaBuyerPlanner provides a free synopsis.

Filed In: Jupiterresearch MediaBuyPlanner Corporate Blog Word of Mouth

Media & The Millennials

I first read brandUNITY's post, which then motivated me to read the actual article from Mediaweek regarding the Millennial Generation's (ages 9-28) impact on media businesses over the next 10 years.

At 79 million, one million larger than the Baby Boomer Generation, the Millennials have grown up using multiple media platforms at the same time consuming 20 hours of media a day all within 7 hours of clock time.

Much of this group gets its information from word-of-mouth especially as social networking sites become increasingly popular. According to Brent Magrid, president & CEO of Frank M. Magrid, 18 million 13-28 year-olds use social networking sites each day.

However, promotional messages from TV stations and networks still remain as important method, but crafting messages for this group need to be more cutting edge than traditional.

With their need to multi-task using multiple media platforms, marketing to Millennials further enforces the importance for integrated advertising campaigns.

On another note, with the Millennial Generation being larger than the Baby Boomer Generation I wonder what the state of certain government (i.e. Social security, Medicare, & Medicaid) and private health care services will be like as this group grows older? We're already seeing a growth in demand for health care services and retirement communities as Baby Boomers retire. Yet, those same services will likely suffer as the Baby Bust Generation retires and the Baby Boomers naturally move on only to have the need increase again with the Millennials. I suppose everything is cyclical.

Filed In: Millennial Baby Boomer Marketing Word of Mouth Advertising Campaign Messages Health Care Retire

More Tools for Search Advertisers

According to MediaPost Publications, Microsoft is launching a Web site, Adlab.microsoft.com, that provides search advertisers with more services to manage their online campaigns. The site is a joint effort between MSN's adCenter and Microsoft's Research, which monitors all of MSN's properties with ad sales.

Specifically, Microsoft is offering:

• A variety of analytics for strategizing keyword buys.
• Keyword categorization engine
• Data on 10,000 keywords with that number growing to 10 million in the next several months.

Just goes to show that as the demand for online advertising continues to grow, the process continues to become more refined.

Filed In: Microsoft MSN AdLab Keyword Search Advertising

Newspapers Competing with Blogs?

Although newspapers have the largest overall audience, blogs are quickly making an impact. Forrester Research found that blogs and newspaper web sites have the same audience share, about 17 percent, among Internet users between the ages of 18 and 24.

Given this latest trend, CNET reports that newspapers are seeking opportunities to get involved in the blogosphere.

• The Associated Press recently signed a cross-marketing deal with Technorati, a search-engine for blog postings. Technorati will scan for blogs that include links to AP stories, and the search will then create a web page where it will display the blogs in addition to original AP stories.
• BlogBurst, a blog syndication service, provides newspapers with the ability to publish to any of its more than 1,500 blogs.
• The American Statesman, newspaper in Austin, TX, offers tools for people to create their own blogs, which can be posted on the newspaper's web site.

However, being a news agency and getting involved in the blogosphere comes with its share of challenges.

• The Washington Post had to deal with plagiarism issues when it hired a former Bush administration aide to write a blog.
• The Los Angeles Times recently announced it was discontinuing the column and Internet blog of a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, because he posted comments on his blog and other online sites under assumed names - a violation of the Times' policy.
• Boring content - managing editor of the Dallas Observer, says that too often newspaper blogs are filled with leftovers from stories too long to fit in the paper that day.

For more information on newspaper readership view Newspaper Circulation Down.

Filed In: Newspaper Blog Burst Blogosphere Associated Press Washington Post Los Angeles Times Technorati