An interesting Canadian study on blogs and blogging was released yesterday by the Environics Research Group. Here are their findings.
- 7% have written their own blog
- 9% have left a comment on a blog
- 32% have read a blog in the last three months
The study points out that 51% of Canadians aged 18-24 read blogs regularly which is substantially higher than the 32% national average. The conclusion arrived at in articles and the Environics press release is that these figures are higher than expected and blogs are "taking Canada by storm". Keeping in mind that these surveys were conducted with "active Internet users", I find these figures astoundingly low.
Only a third of active Internet users have read a blog in the past three months? Considering every media outlet and most companies now use blogging as a marketing tool, how could an active Internet user avoid them? I started regularly reading blogs in early 2002 and I can't imagine the web without them. Of course, I'm one of the 7% of active Internet users who has their own blog, so maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask.
At first I was also quite surprised that only 7% of active Internet users wrote a blog, but then I thought about it and realized that no one else in my family blogs, none of my friends blog except this guy and this guy and I don't think anyone I've worked with over the past eight years has one.
Blogging isn't for everybody. It's a big commitment, a lot of work and not everybody wants to write for hobby. Maybe 7% is pretty good. It's the 32% figure I don't understand.
