A new research on French blogosphere uncovers key traits of those who read blogs, including how they consult blogs to learn more about and communicate with brands. An exclusive study on the U.S. market will be available in the next edition of the BaroBlogs: Barometer Blogosphere planned for September 2006.

France is one of the leading blogging countries and its blogosphere is growing fast. The study was conducted with a sample of 795 respondents, which represented French Internet users, from June 26 to June 28, 2006.

The results give an interesting view of how blogosphere was developed in other countries outside the U.S.

Check out some of the results:

• 26.7 percent of the French online population (26.52 million) visit a blog at least once a month
• 18.8 percent have posted a comment on a blog
• 8.1 percent have created their own blogs

Why French Internet users consult blogs?

• Get information (74.4 percent)
• Share experiences (57 percent)
• Look for advice (56.7 percent)

Age groups who visited a blog to get information:

• 70.3 percent age 16- to 24-year-olds
• 40.5 percent of 35-year-olds

If you think user generated content and relationship building are indeed important to today’s marketing, then you are in for big:

• 92.2 percent agreed that blogs enable the greatest freedom of expression
• 81.3 percent agreed that blogs are both reactive and interactive
• 75.7 percent said that blogs create close relationships between people
• 62.9 percent considered blogs more critical than any other source of information

Top four most popular subjects for French Internet users:

• News blogs (54.2 percent)
• Music blogs (46.2 percent)
• Leisure blogs (43.8 percent)
• Cinema blogs (41.6 percent)

Some more demographic information:

• Sports blog are read by mostly men (44.6 percent) v. women (17 percent)
• Medical blogs are consulted by mostly women (32.8 percent) and men (11.7 percent)
• Music is popular among 16- to 24-years-old (61.4 percent) and less for the 50+ years-old (27.4 percent)

What kind of blogs do people consult?

• Personal blog: passionated, diary, travel book, photo-blog (90.0 percent)
• Association’s blog (46.3 percent)
• Media blog: journalists, news, etc. (38.2 percent)
• Brands blog (29.9 percent)
• Political blog (20.8 percent)
• Professional blog: internal communication tool / external business (13.7 percent)
• Blog e-commerce (13.6 percent)
• Top executive blog (7.4 percent)

Here are some interesting and important results of the survey related to branding:

• 29.9 percent of French Internet users have visited a brand blog
• 22 percent of respondents said they consult blogs to get brand information

What is your brand value if a quarter of your prospects can find others badmouth about your business but nothing from your part to fix it? How can it boost your credibility if not only you have a blog, but also build a serious relationship with your readers and fix customer service problems?

Respondents confirmed the importance of blogs as a great opportunity to open dialogue with the brand and engage with the brand on a new level:

• I can express myself when I has bad experience with the brand (82.8 percent)
• I can test the new products launched by the brand (74.8 percent)
• I can consult the opinion of the other visitors on the brand, products, and services (70.3 percent)
• I can inform and find advices on the products and services of the brands (62.0 percent)
• I can express myself when I am happy of my experience with the brand (61.4 percent)
• The possibility of exchanging my opinion on the products and brand with other visitors (58.4 percent)
• Brands answer questions more quickly (57.8 percent)
• I can take part in the creation of new products (54.8 percent)
• It allows me to collect information, councils on various subjects related to the universe of the brand (50.7 percent)

Brand blogs allow incredible opportunity to exchange information and open dialogues with customers. A blog can be used to turn dissatisfaction to a brand positively by adequately respond and take action to improve customer service. The majority of the respondents agreed:

• 46.9 percent answered “Yes, somewhat”
• 35.5 percent answered “Yes, completely”
• Only 13.9 percent answered “No, not really”
• Only 3.6 percent asnwered “No, not at all”

And finally, when it comes to a blog’s influence on the brand image:

74.4 percent answered “in a somewhat positive way”
• 23.6 percent answred “in a really positive way”
• 0.7 percent answered “in a somewhat negative way”
• 1.3 percent answered “in a really negative way”

Thoughts: Those who think a blog affects brands negatively probably have experienced some discouraging events in the past. And, more likely, didn’t know how to handle those.

There is no choice other than to participate proactively. Neglecting, pretending that they do not exist, only makes the matters worse. Responding in an inapproriate way could bring some damage to brand image.

Use a blog to respond professionally. They will be read by others. Prospects will buy from those who respond to their problems.

Source: iMedia Connection.