10 Jun Research shows journalist endorsement still stronger than social media
There is no question that blogs and social media are incredibly effective ways of getting your message across and we champion the rise of these outlets as giving more power to the smaller business.
However, and not entirely surprising, a new survey by Nielsen, a global big player in information, has shown that the third party recommendation of journalists and professional reviewers has a greater effect on consumers with their attitude towards brands.
The study was wide-ranging too with the effect just as marked on an electric toothbrush as a high performance car.
The research showed there are two reasons for this and they are that branded content was too partial and also user reviews aren’t as informative.
The report’s recommendations states: “Advertisers may want to consider increasing the exposure to expert content to build greater trust, while also supplementing with branded content and users reviews to build familiarity and influence opinions about the product.”
In a nutshell, what it is saying is good old word of mouth endorsement from those with a bit of clout still carries more weight than you telling the world how great you are.
This means establishing a reputation through traditional press then building it up through branded content outlets such as blogs and news sites is the sensible way forward.
The man whose company commissioned the study Peyman Nilforoush of inPowered, brand specialists, says the people responsible for bringing a brand’s tale to the press should also have some control over the content of your marketing too.
It makes sense and it is why at Nolan PR we ask to have a great involvement in the social media and blogging of clients.
We live in a world where we are all bombarded with messages coming at us from dozens of angles. This isn’t going to change and whilst some in the PR world bemoan change we embrace it.
Social media is here and here to stay, but the report just shows like all things in life those who have earned the right to judge are those worth listening to most intently. That’s reassuring. Maybe the world isn’t changing as fast as we all thought.
