Standout: Trusted blogs’ influence among readers is increasing

Cristina Blanaru Digital & Media, Social Media, Studies

Romanian agency Standout made, in the end of 2014, the 4th edition of Romanian Blogs Audience Study (SABR 2015), which questioned 8,800 participants and referred to 56 blogs covering 12 thematic categories (personal, celebrity, media, gastronomy, tech, DIY, mothers, tourism, feminine, fashion & beauty, youth&adolescents, urban culture).

Compared to the previous edition of the study, SABR 2015 saw an increased participation, from 40 to 56 blogs. The previous edition of the study covered 2008-2009, 2010-2011 and 2012-2013. Standout intends to release a similar study for Romanian vlogs and video content channels in the following period, as it is currently working on it.

SABR 2015, made during the second half of 2014, shows that almost 3/4 (67,19%) of main Romanian blogs’ readers bought products and services recommended by the blogs they read. Also, 77,64% readers changed or confirmed at least once more their opinion over a product, service or company after reading bloggers’ opinions.

Many blogs, that developed during the last years both in terms of audience and community effervescence, built among readers, with well argued opinions and proper recommendations, a trust capital which is essential to run successfully campaigns

Ionut Oprea,

General Manager  Standout

The study shows that the audience of Romanian blogs consists mainly of young people, with higher than the average income and superior education. Among those, 75% have under 40 y.o., 83,5% have higher education and 55,4% have a monthly income bigger than RON 2,000 (with 13,2% earning over RON 6000 a month). Moreover, they are active internet users with accounts on social networks (87,7% on Facebook, 41,1% on Google+, 28,45% on YouTube, 20,46% on Twitter) and which bring in discussion in their friends groups subjects they read about on blogs.

When it comes of readers’ job level, most are working as middle management (18,3%), 15,6% are freelancers or partners in a business, 7,3% are upper management and 9% are students