a blogger’s readers
By Pat Law™ • Sep 15th, 2008 • Category: The Digital StrategistOn 12 September, Friday, I plurked a request for readers of blankanvas to participate on my Readership Profile survey. With 34 questions, the survey was a remarkably painful one which even I will consider giving a miss, if I didn’t know the requester well enough.
It is with this in mind I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who have bothered, including Jaywalk, Daryl Tay, Nicole, Claudia, Mintea, Cowboy Caleb, Serendipity, Barffie, Designsojourn, Yin, Su Min, Nadnut, Janellee, and Supriya. Coffee/ beer on me, the next time we meet. 
Why do you bother? I hear you ask.
Isn’t Google Analytics sufficient?
No, it isn’t. Google Analytics, or any other Internet monitor for that matter, can only provide competitive intelligence from quantitative research perspective but not from a qualitative research perspective. The latter is crucial and almost imperative to gathering meaningful consumer insights.
What do I mean? Let’s see.
Quantitative research tells me that you’re living in Singapore, you came from Cowboy Caleb’s blog, and you have spent a total of 56 secs on my blog. It also tells me that you’re a repeat visitor, who have been on my blog for 5 times this week.
It doesn’t tell if you’re a runner.
It doesn’t tell me if you are a blogger.
It doesn’t tell me if you’re old enough to be my mother.
Or if you’re young enough to be my child.
It sure as hell ain’t gonna tell me if you’d rather visit Facebook than CNN.com.
The blogger is not the target audience. He or she is merely the medium. His or her readers are the target audience brands are trying to get to. I get the impression, from my random conversations with fellow bloggers, that we recognise our blogs to be that of magazines. What’s the one thing that we bloggers lack against the magazines? What’s the one thing that’s stopping brands from advertising with bloggers?
The Readership profile report.
Put yourself in the shoes of a client, say, Levi’s, and you’re to launch a new campaign for your cult line, Fenom. Now, a pair of Fenom jeans goes at a price tag of USD1,000 and ABOVE. Only the discerning Elite of the streets are aware of this brand. The mass market wouldn’t, and chances are, they can’t afford it anyway. You cannot afford to have a bunch of little wannabies clad in your Fenom jeans for that will kill the brand’s image and alienate your core target audience.
If you had to pick a Singaporean blogger to seed your jeans to, who would you pick? Knowing the blogger is easy, but do you know who the blogger’s readers are? Are you second guessing or do you really know? Are you confident enough to invest say, USD10,000 into a blog without knowing exactly who you’re promoting your jeans to?
I don’t blame a client for raising such concerns each time I propose a Social Media solution that includes recommended bloggers for sponsorship. The concerns are fair, and I think it’s about time we stop our arrogant I think therefore it’s right bullshit. If I’m a client, I want numbers, and I want data. I’m the one who needs to answer for my investments.
It is on this note that I’ll like to leave you with my readership profile for blankanvas which you can also download here (detailed version provided upon request, please email me). I urge for all of you bloggers to start doing the same and invest a little time into gathering qualitative data. The excellent measurement service I use, Crowd Science, is one I would recommend but unfortunately, applications have closed at this point.
Here’s a question to all. If I am to provide you with the same measurement service, will you be interested in signing up?
Loading …UPDATE [18 September 2008]
You’ve heard me rave about Crowd Science’s non-intrusive measurement service. You may have heard the likes of TechCrunch, Mashable and VentureBeat sing praises about it too. Guess what? Now’s your chance to sign up for the otherwise completely unavailable invite-only measurement service too!
The kind people at Crowd Science have decided to extend this extremely exclusive invitation to a total of 50, and I repeat, 50, readers of blankanvas. Yes you, Miss or Mr Blankette! Simply sign up here and provide this invitation code: BLANKANVAS
Now is this awesome or what? Special thanks to Ana Goldbach (I love your “Crowd Scientist” title, mate) and everyone at Crowd Science.
Hurry along now. I have only 50 slots to give away.
Pat Law™is a Digital Strategist who, in her time in the Adland, has marketed a range of global brands including adidas, Cadbury Schweppes, Chrysler, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Johnnie Walker, L’Oréal, and Royal Salute. A self-confessed Social Media junkie, Pat has since joined the 360° Digital Influence team at Ogilvy PR. Pat also writes for iSh, LOTL International, and Singapore Architect.
Email Pat | All posts by Pat Law™
LOL! I love your readership profile! Damn! I gotta get myself one of those!
the readership profile’s interesting. however, i blog only to salvage whatever shreds of sanity i still possess. so i don’t really give a damn about my readership.
the solitary negative vote’s mine. “P
We are cheapolaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Would love to have the readers’ profile for my blog. But I guess the problem would be to first get them to do it. Generally, readers are ermm not so keen to do this kind of profile. Unless they’re close friends or are bloggers like us who see the importance of such survey results. If not, we might not get an accurate result or some might get only 10 replies?
I gotta say it puts an interesting spin on the question why blog? though…are we still telling everyone what WE think, or are we now pandering to brandworld again? Are you profiling for your sponsors or for you? Content and assumption of Readership in my experience defines spend to even start with - to put yourself in the mix you’ve gotta have the right brand feel, non?
Wow! Thanks for the post. Its very insightful. And thanks for the invite! its awesome
This has been something I’ve been looking for for some time… thanks Pat for highlighting this!
Phew! Manage to get mine. Thanks Pat.
nadnut, well your wish has come true.
grey, we blog for different reasons, I agree. I’m glad you do so to keep your sanity alive.
Cheers me dears.
barffie, we all are, online.
claudia, likewise for any primary research exercise conducted, we will always face the problem of having our readers not want to participate. Which is why incentives were born. Although I personally am against incentives that are too attractive - the last thing I want is a reader to participate for the sake of getting a freebie (the “anyhow answer” symdrome).
I don’t think we should shoot down primary research because of our gut feel. And that’s why I appreciate Crowd Science so much. The survey doesn’t pop out immediately if you’re a first time visitor (and therefore “why the fuck should I help you?”). Rather, the survey pops out after determining if you’re a repeat visitor (and therefore more probability of being loyal).
I’m dying to see the data of all our local bloggers who’ve signed up since I first posted this article.
Hey Breeny,
How’s life treating you in dreary old London? Thanks for swinging by my blog. To answer your question, I am profiling, first and foremost, for myself before my potential sponsors. It’s always good to understand what my blog stand for, to the target audience, and who are the people who are attracted to my blog to begin with.
I try, at all times, to avoid “I think therefore it’s right” because often or not, I’m not! That said, it would be naive to think we do not make key assumptions in our proposals.
Pleasure’s all mine, nicole, Daniel and DT! Be sure to spread the word about to all local bloggers you know.