A recent study released by O2 and TNS MRBI reports that while almost half of small business managers use SMS messaging for business communications, increasing from 29% four years ago to almost half (49%) today. That's no surprise given the penetration of mobile phones in Ireland
The survey reported that there is mixed attitudes to blogging with almost half of SME owner managers are unaware of what a blog is - and that just over one in 16 (6%) SME respondents has started a business blog while 5% have a personal blog.
Perhaps O2 and TNS MRBI should take a listen to our PodCamp Ireland podcasts for some case studies from entrepreneurs who can outline the benefits they have found from business blogging or the recent Sunday Times article about women and blogging in Ireland to add perspective to their report?
These figures don't surprise me - in fact from the workshops I've facilitated on the subject of marketing on a shoe string budget where we've presented to over 2000 owners of small businesses in the last 9 months, far less than half of the audience would know what a blog is. And where businesses have effectively implemented a blog as part of their online marketing strategy, many people would not know they are reading a blog versus a page on a website.
The study goes on to state that 57percent of the 300 SME's surveyed don't have a website (that reinforces my research where I surveyed independent consultancy practices and 60 percent of the companies who had been in business more than 10 years had no website.
Rather than reading this as discouraging information on the state of the blogosphere in Ireland, I think these results are encouraging and should not dissuade us from implementing a blogging strategy as part of your overall communications or marketing programme.
In fact here is what the the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Office in Ireland have to say about blogging:
The Irish blogging scene is still in its infancy. It is however gaining more and more prominence as a forum for exchanging views and helps feed mainstream media with ideas. Blogging gives ordinary citizens a platform to speak their mind to a wide audience. It gives people the ability to bypass the traditional media, and engage with others irrespective of geography, income or status. It is truly the most democratic of all media.
Blogging has the opportunity to influence direction and debate of EU policy. Many MEPs and Commissioners maintain regular blogs, which allow them to discuss policy directly with people around the world in a manner that would otherwise be impossible.
They are hosting a "Blogging and Social Media Conference" on October 4th 2008 at European Union House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2.
The theme of the conference is: Organise, Activate and Influence: Social Activism Online in Ireland and the plan is that they will discuss ways in which "civil society can harness the power of the blog and increase debate on a topic as well as enhance activism".
The keynote address is to be delivered by Zack Exley who is said to have worked closely in the Barack Obama presidential election team who will be talking about trends in blogging online in the US and how the current presidential race has changed online political dialogue.
You can find the conference programme for Organise, Activate,Influence Social Activism Online in Ireland HERE - be sure to register soon if you are interested in attending - the event is free.
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