Holiday Blogging Season
I came across a MediaPost Insider article this afternoon called “Holiday Shopping Season 2007: All About the Blogs”, by Tessa Rudd. The article talks about how online shoppers, and advertisers and marketers trying to reach them see blogs as helping out with “guided shopping”.
Rudd writes, “The blogosphere offers unbiased, third-party voice for consumers, while simultaneously empowering advertisers with the valuable opportunity to capitolize on the trust that has developed between bloggers and consumers. Numerous reports from the Internet advertising industry and market resea chers suggest that advertising is working on blogs. This is creating a dynamic environment where branding meets direct marketing.”
The article then goes on talking about “online e-fluencers”: “The success of advertising in the blogosophere is manifested through the relationship between the consumer and online e-fluencers. E-fluencers are often bloggers who have become experts, through research and knowledge, in a specific area of interest, such as MP3 players or GPS systems. E-fluencers become an influential and guiding player in the traditional concept of consumer-to-consumer marketing.”
In reading this article, I quickly came to realize that at least 2 items on my Christmas list this year came from specific items that were recommended on blogs. One item is a handbag a friend had recommended on her blog around fashion. If I hadn’t asked for it for christmas, I would have purchased it right from her blog - as she often posts pictures of items, linking to the product’s website to purchase.
If its wasn’t for these e-fluencers, my christmas list may have been much more barren this year (and maybe would have even saved Santa Claus some money!)