The Unsuspected Influence Of Blogs

Bloggers are the new influencers.

Technorati‘s latest report on digital influence includes some surprising information. In particular, blogs are the most influential websites – with the exception of retail and brand sites that are in a league of their own in this regard – on consumer purchasing decisions.

Blogs outweigh all other digital channels, including social networks, due to their positive perception among consumers in terms of confidence, popularity and influence.

This is a very interesting result for at least one reason: After the age of experts (personified by opinion leaders) and that of artificial intelligence (embodied by Google), we are entering a third age in terms of influence: That of our friends.

For centuries, experts have told us what we should think and decide. Then, during fifteen years, they were gradually replaced by artificial intelligence with Google sorting out for us the unlimited amount of information available on the web. Now it is our contacts and friends on social networks who guide our thinking.

The fact that bloggers have more influence than social networks in Technorati’s ranking is a challenge – or a simple delay – to the omnipotence of social media.

Why are bloggers so influential? In my opinion, the reason is that they combine the qualities of the three successive sources of influence mentioned above:

• They have some expertise in their field.
• They have the ability to sort out the information available on the web for the benefit of their readers.
• They have the characteristics of the Average Joe and could be friends with us on social networks.

This is why bloggers are the new influencers.