In fact, 66 percent of the women between the ages of 18 and 35 surveyed said they read blogs at least once a week and 69 percent said they were more likely to consider making a purchase after reading a positive review on a product. In all, more than half of young millennial women (58 percent) say they are more likely to purchase something they see on a blog. It’s clear that a blogger’s stamp of approval can be like gold if a brand is trying to sell something.
People purchase from blogs because the subjects are relatable. With so many millennial women reading blogs every week and making purchases based on what they see, it’s important for brands looking to reach that audience to tap into the right bloggers. It works in the same way celebrity endorsements do. According to Advertising Age, Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse found that celebrity endorsements increased sales for brands up to 20 percent. Given Bloglovin’s data, it looks as if a blogger endorsement could be just as or more effective, at least when it comes to selling to millennial women. Of course, bloggers often have a smaller audience than celebrities, but linking up with enough bloggers could really make an impact.
The Internet is by far the most influential medium through which millennial women make purchases. A total of 53 percent said that the net has a strong or moderate effect on what they buy, beating out television and even fashion magazines. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about bloggers being “over,” a trend that’s come and gone. An article on Fashionista suggests that native advertising on blogs isn’t drawing in the sort of results brands are looking for anymore. “Bloggers argue that brands aren’t upfront about what they’re looking for in terms of tangible results, and brands argue that bloggers are unable to deliver anything tangible.” Brands are paying bloggers huge sums of money to endorse products and often feel cheated when they don’t get the kind of boost they feel they need. But the fact that there is no metric standard when it comes to these sorts of partnerships is partially to blame. The article also notes that brands often focus on pairing up with “top” bloggers for projects, forgetting that there may be others who may not have the same name recognition as Bryanboy or the Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine, but may have more luck in producing the kind of results they’re looking for.
But these findings from Bloglovin’ prove that all is not lost on the blogger front. People still want to and will buy from bloggers, it’s just about setting a standard and eyeing the right people, as opposed to the most recognizable. It’s important for brands to find that right market, which is difficult to navigate since blogs are a relatively new medium, and both sides are still trying to navigate and fix the kinks. Bloglovin’s numbers are encouraging for advertisers as far as possibilities for sales. If more than half of women are willing to buy something they see on a blog, it could be helpful for brands to actually think about what these women are buying in the first place and decide whether or not their products are in line with the tastes of the audience. A blogger’s stamp of approval can be very fruitful, as long as you’re planting the seeds on fertile grounds.
[via tFS inbox]
