Blog Facts

So you don't know if blogging is the way to go? Wondering if maybe it is a passing fad that will soon fall off the radar leaving us with nothing as readers move on to the next hot internet craze? Well think again, I think blogging is here to stay leaving us bloggers with a chance to earn income for the rest of our lives. How much income depends on a lot of things....

I came across some interesting statistics about blogging today on the Blog World Expo website. Some of these you may already know. I thought I did until I really got thinking about them, the numbers are hard to grasp really, but here goes, in no particular ranking. The statistics from Blog World Expo are in bold, my comments are underneath:

1) Over 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog. That means you and me Baby! We're members of a not very exclusive club....of course if you are making a full time income blogging you are a member of an exclusive club.

2) More than 147 million Americans use the Internet. That is only Americans, what about the rest of the world, talk about a marketplace.

3) Over 57 million Americans read blogs. These are your people, your readers, or at least the ones in the U.S.A. Don't forget the rest of the world as I mentioned in number 2 above. That's not all, from what I have read elsewhere, blog readership is growing as blogs become more well known about. I liken it to televison in the early days, not everyone had one, nor did they even know about them, but as word got out...well just look at it.

4) 1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog. That is your competition, almost 2 million Americans all trying for the same advertiser dollar or product sale. Another reason why being unique is important if you are serious about making money from your blog. The good news is, that is only a small percentage of people who have a blog. (see number 1 above) Don't forget, a lot of folks who say they maintain a blog do so for personal reasons, or started one and only update it infrequently at most. I figure the 1.7 million who indicated that one of the reasons they blog is to make money update frequently, but even then not all of them. This is an advantage to those of us who are serious about making money blogging, we can post frequently and get the lead.

5) 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years. Companies are realizing the importance of blogging and the impact that well written blogs can have on their company image, and product sales etc. Not to mention the important interaction between companies and their customers that blogging can allow. These are job opportunities for bloggers just waiting for us around the corner.

6) 9% of internet users say they have created blogs . I don't think this is a very useful stat...maybe I just don't quite get it....I guess it is just another way of looking at number 1 above. Of course there is a big difference between saying you have 'created a blog' and maintaining a blog on a regular basis. If you are a serious blogger I know you find it hard to believe, but lots of blogger start a blog, and lose interest in a short time. Truck driving isn't for everyone but neither is blogging.

7)6% of the entire US adult population has created a blog . Another version of the stats from number 1) and 6) only targeted at Americans, not taking into account the millions of others world wide.

8)Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs . Technorati, what can I say? If you aren't using it, you should be.

9)Over 120 thousand blogs are created every day . I'd love to know how many of the 120,000 created actually continue one, two, three months out and further. I suspect that number drops off dramatically. Especially when the bloggers find out that regardless of the media buzz, this isn't a get rich quick business.

10) There are over 1.4 million new blog posts every day . we're a busy bunch, us bloggers....never at a loss for words. I myself am probably responsible for about 6 or 7 of those 1.4 million posts per day.

11) 22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs . Oh please, please, pleaaaaaseee, let one of those 22 be one of my blogs....

12) 37% of blog readers began reading blogs in 2005 or 2006 . I started in 2005 myself...how about you?

13) 51% of blog readers shop online. Uh-huh...I have the remaining 49% visiting my blog daily...they don't buy anything online....but seriously, I think that is because blog readers who build a relationship or at least an affinity toward certain bloggers tend to trust their word, and the products they endorse. Secondly, blog readers are fairly progressive, probably younger and not as afraid of online shopping as some of the older folks...who don't read blogs...that must be the 49% who visit my shops....

14) Blog readers average 23 hours online each week. That's just an hour short of a day, one day a week...that is a lot of time reading blogs. Of course bloggers spend about 1500 hours a week online writing their blogs....checking their hit counters, looking at their Adsense earnings and wondering if they can pound out another blog tomorrow....

So there ya go, some blogging statistics that I personally found interesting. I think we are on to something big here guys (and girls) we just gotta ride it into submission...and figure out what to do with it!

Of course if you really want to find out about blogging, I guess the Blog World Expo in Las Vegas is the place to go. It's on November 8 and 9th, 2007. Unfortunately other commitments, like well..poverty are keeping me from attending, but if you go, let me know how what you thought of it, I can live vicariously through you.....

Good luck blogging!
Jack

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