As the public has become more wary of conventional mass marketing, companies have been regularly turning to outside bloggers to spread the word about their products and services. And this isn’t limited to celebrity bloggers like the Kardashians – ordinary citizen bloggers have also proliferated.

Initially, the purpose of blogging may simply have been to record an individual’s daily musings, similar to an online diary. But it didn’t take long for this open platform to generate a group of well-versed individuals who voice unbiased opinions on brands or products they like, acquire a loyal audience and impact buying decisions. According to a 2005 article in The New York Times, companies once viewed blogs as an “informal network of consumer opinion.” Now, while consumers’ trust in traditional forms of media has dropped, blogs are increasingly seen as goldmines of information. They also have been outpacing other forms of social media when it comes to helping consumers make informed decisions on product purchases. 

According to a recent 24-country blogosphere study from Technorati, 42% of bloggers globally talk about brands – the good and bad - on their blogs. The same study also shows that bloggers are a well educated and affluent group, with the majority having university degrees and one-third making more than USD $75,000 annually.  It’s no wonder their influence continues to grow.

Realising the vast potential of bloggers, companies looking for external brand ambassadors have been regularly tapping into this marketing avenue with no signs of slowing down. In the Technorati study, a third (33%) of bloggers say they have been approached by a brand to write about or review products on their blog, and 41% said that a brand's overall reputation affects their willingness to write about it. eMarketer has reported that corporate blogging is now mainstream, with over a third of US companies using blogs for marketing purposes. This is expected to grow to 43% by 2012, a huge increase from the only 16% of US companies using blogs for marketing back in 2007.

In a 2010 New York Times article (“Honey, Don’t bother mommy. I’m too busy building my brand”), senior manager of Federated Media, Pamela Parker says the blogosphere “is where authentic conversation is happening” and the place marketers want their brands to engage in socially.

As blogging continues to rise in popularity, the most engaged group of bloggers has been women, particularly with “mummy blogs” discussing topics from new baby products to tips on raising children. eMarketer says there are 3.9 million women with children under 18 years old who write blogs. Often, this group of stay-at-home mothers was in the business world before focusing on their blog.  

The incentives for mothers, and other influential consumers online, to create popular blogs range from simple ad revenue or sponsorships to paid journalism or marketing. A number of companies have also created affiliate programs, financially compensating bloggers and others online who directly link readers to the company’s product or service online. 

To better define the relationship between companies and bloggers, the United States’ Federal Trade Commission in 2009 began requiring  bloggers to fully disclose whether they have any relations with companies when blogging about their products. This includes disclosing any payments, whether financial or in the form of products as the FTC considers such activity an endorsement.

Blog authors looking to hone their skills as well as legally make money with their blogs can sign up for a variety of blog boot camps and conferences. The Secret to Success is Support runs one of the largest social media conferences for mummy bloggers (90 percent of attendees are mothers), teaching them how to make their blogs more professional to attract revenue.

But in order to tap into the blogger’s world, companies need to play by blogger rules, and marketers need to manage the delicate balance that is needed with bloggers; otherwise they risk being at the receiving end of the blogger’s (and the public’s) negative reactions. Spamming bloggers with irrelevant material that they would never write about can easily be rewarded with mocking posts, and if a blogger is seen to be only a mouthpiece for a company, rather than providing legitimate objective views, consumers may get turned off. Brands must realise that any leverage they have with blogs is based on providing them with useful content, hence reinforcing the power play between them.

Conversely, many independent bloggers may blog about their favourite brands regardless of any connections (financial or otherwise) with the companies. Examples include customer blogs about Starbucks and Gatorade. The Gatorade blog, by Darren Rovell, discusses whether the advertisements or labels on the energy drink are accurate. Such bloggers fall more into the category of “customer evangelists” as they inform and provide the arena for consumer discussions to take place, rather than getting paid for their musings. Companies would do well to pay close attention to these types of bloggers as they typically provide unbiased opinions that their readers highly value. 

Though an official alliance may not ever blossom between bloggers who do not support advertisements or those who steadfastly retain the independence of their blogs, brand marketers can continue to better understand their consumers from the interactions such bloggers have with their readers. With increasing transparency, companies should understand that more attention is being paid to both the paid and non-paid bloggers, whether they like it or not.