Branding and Positioning = Blogging

A study called "Harnessing the Power of Blogs," sponsored research by BuzzLogic and conducted by JupiterResearch, a Forrester Research company, recently was released.

The coverage about the study, posted on ClickZ, claims blogs influence buying/purchasing more than social sites. But, after careful review, I believe the correct statement should be advertisements on blogs influence buying/purchasing more than advertisements on social sites. Regardless, there are some great stats on blog use and response to advertisements on blogs.

And, according to the story, a blog "plays a greater role than social networks, likely because bloggers establish themselves as an authority on a topic, particularly in niche areas, and create a relationship with the consumer."

The point? Blogging is quickly becoming the new "executive positioning" and "thought leadership" tactic. Many clients want to be viewed as leaders in their respective industries or have their executives positioned as thought leaders, but shy away from blogs potentially due to the interactive or two-way feedback mechanism, but is that really so scary? Really ... what's your reason NOT to blog?