Last month we ran a survey on four Forrester-related blogs: Web Strategy by Jeremiah, The Forrester Blog For Interactive Marketers, Groundswell, and here. Jeremiah and Jen have already posted results on two of those; let me tell you more about what survey takers thought of this blog.
First of all – thanks for reading. I know who some of you are from your comments and your attention is much appreciated.
So on to the data. The sample size was fairly small, which tells me to consider the results as directional.
I had the highest percentage of readers who read every post.
I am the least helpful at informing actions you take at work or delivering industry-specific insights. I also happen to be the least likely to inform you about cutting-edge marketing technologies or help you justify your marketing investments. I am also least likely to be used as a less expensive source of Forrester information. So it’s clear to me that readers of this blog are not using the content as an alternative to Forrester’s syndicated research.
And more so than other Forrester blogs, I provide you with entertainment! A full 21% higher than the 2nd place finisher (Jeremiah) and a full 46% higher than the marketing team blog – which makes it seem ridiculously boring. Maybe it can has lolcats?
76% of survey respondents subscribe via RSS and no one prints out posts to read on paper. Zero people also said that there are too many posts. (side note – many people ask me how I have time to blog. answer – I don’t know, it just happens.)
The top form of content respondents would like to see? Opinion and editorial. What you’d least like to see? How-to guides. I guess you’re not going to invite me over to help assemble your Ikea furniture.
More than other blogs, readers would like to see more images. That’s why I included the picture of my dog above. I upload most of my pictures to Flickr. But also more than other blogs, you’re happy with what you’re getting here. While we’re on the topic of content, you can find me on Twitter and Facebook as well.
Are you still reading? It’s likely you are, because the data tells me so.
Let’s talk Net Promoter. My blog has a NPS of -12%. Yes, that’s negative twelve percent, which means readers are not at all likely to recommend this blog to a friend. All three of the other blogs were positive, by a large margin. So you’re reading, but you don’t want to tell anyone you’re reading…I’d like to imagine that you read BPK as a guilty pleasure, like reading People or sneaking a pint of B&J in one sitting.
So that’s the data – here’s my analysis. The differences from other blogs don’t surprise me – after all, I see this as a personal blog. Work-related posts are either exclusive on the team blog or cross-posted here. I think it’s clear and I think readers can live with the disclaimer from my "about" page: the contents of this blog are my personal opinions and not those of my current or former employers.
Again – thanks for reading! I honestly appreciate your time. If there’s one thing I’d like to see more of in the future, it would be reader comments. And maybe we can start with you telling me what you think about this data below!