Comments on: Are we overselling blogging?

By: Jay

Jay — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:28:35 +0000

But why does it look like, based on the numbers, people have the HARDEST time trusting blogs in general? There seems to be a perception about blogs that they the least trustworthy way a company or individual can express themselves. THAT’S the part no one seems to want to address in the conversation. I suspect it’s because most of us can’t handle the fact that we’ve been doing a crappy job selling people on blogs and blogging.

By: Dave Fleet

Dave Fleet — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:59:01 +0000

Hey Jay. I would say it’s the same reason – to use a similar example to my earlier one, I’m no more likely to trust a random person in the street than I am to trust an anonymous company statement.

I’m guessing that people, when asked about blogs in general, don’t trust “blogs.” I don’t. However, if you ask someone about a particular blog of someone that they’ve read for a while, who they’ve grown to trust, that result may be different. Of course, that’s just speculation.

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:16:50 +0000

Thanks Dave. Although I do agree with your point about companies earning trust, what do you think would account for “Personal blogs” being at 18% trustworthiness (only 2% higher than company blogs) while “Email from a company or brand” is at 28%?

By: Dave Fleet

Dave Fleet — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:47:39 +0000

I think part of the reason for the situation is decades of companies NOT being trustworthy – of saying one thing and doing another; of talking TO people, not with them and only even doing that when it suits them.

And, yes, the less scrupulous among us may be making blogs out to be just another channel to continue the “same old.” I’m no more likely to trust a faceless corporate blog than I am to trust an anonymous statement from that company.

Trust is earned. Most companies haven’t earned it.