Social networks may be the rage on Madison Avenue these days, but another form of user-generated media - blogs - have become a popular form of self-expression among a small, but influential group of
users. According to new estimates released Tuesday by Mediamark Research Inc., Americans who wrote a blog n the last 30 days comprise less than 4% of the adult population, but their influence -
especially in terms of product reviews and federal disclosure rules, has prompted the Federal Trade Commission to propose new standards for consumers blogging product testimonials and endorsements.
MRI also found that 10.1% of U.S. adults visited a blog in the last 30 days, while only 3.4% actually wrote one during the same period.
The heaviest activity among blog
browsers and writers is among users in the 18-24 and 25-34 age brackets, according to MRI. Adults ages 18-24, for example, are 118% more likely to have written a blog (in the last 30 days) than the
total adult population.
The incidence of both visiting and writing blogs declines consistently in the higher age ranges. Just 6.4% of adults aged 55-64 visited a blog in the last 30 days while
only 1.3% of them wrote a blog.
PRESS RELEASE
Who's Blogging? | % Adults | % Ages 18-24 | % Ages 25-34 | % Ages 35-44 | % Ages 45-54 | % Ages 55-64 |
Visited a Blog in the Last 30 Days | 10.1 | 15.5 | 16.1 | 12.0 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
Wrote a Blog in the Last 30 Days | 3.4 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 1.25 |
Source: Mediamark Research & Intelligence, Spring 2009
Survey of the American Consumer |