New BlogHer Study Shows U.S. Women Increasingly Shifting to Blogs as a Mainstream...

New BlogHer Study Shows U.S. Women Increasingly Shifting to Blogs as a Mainstream Media and Communication Channel

Blogs Established as an Influential Source of Entertainment,
Information and Advice for a Loyal and Engaged Population of 36
Million Tech-Savvy Women Consumers
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
BlogHer, Inc. (www.blogher.com), one of the top women's online
networks and the Web's number-one guide to blogs by women, today
announced the release of the BlogHer/Compass Partners 2008 Social
Media Benchmark Study, which reveals compelling new insights into the
power of the blogosphere and the significant role it plays in the
lives of U.S. women. The survey, conducted with Compass Partners LLC,
illustrates several surprising new trends in social media,
specifically that 36.2 million women write and read blogs every week
and approximately half consider blogs a "highly reliable" or "very
reliable" source of information and advice about everything from
products to presidential candidates. Fully 24 percent of women
surveyed say they now watch less television because they are blogging
instead.

The survey data indicate American women are drawn to participate
in the blogosphere primarily because it provides access to the content
they want, when they want it. Survey results also indicate that the
blogging community's fundamental trust in one another has contributed
to its rapid growth. Specific survey findings show:

-0-
*T
-- Approximately, 36.2 million women actively participate in the
blogosphere every week with 15.1 publishing at least one post a week
and 21.1 reading and commenting to blogs a week
-- More than 40% of women surveyed consider blogs a reliable source of
advice and information
-- 40% of bloggers believe their biggest impact is through fostering
relationships with like-minded individuals
-- Half of women surveyed say blogs influence their purchase decisions
-- Women are so passionate about blogging that large percentages of
women said they would give something up to keep the blogs they read
and/or write:
-- 55% would give up alcohol
-- 49% would give up their PDAs
-- 42% would give up their i-Pod
-- 43% would give up reading the newspaper
-- 20% would give up chocolate (some things are sacred)
*T

"Several recent surveys indicate that our trust in institutions is
declining. We are losing trust in the government, politicians, the
media and many corporations. But as it turns out, we trust each
other," said Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer co-founder and COO. "The
blogosphere is increasingly becoming the digital 'kitchen table' where
individuals can sit down to have an authentic conversation about all
the topics that affect their daily lives - from household products to
presidential candidates."

"When analyzing data from the BlogHer/Compass Partners Social
Media Benchmark Study, I was struck by how reliable and dedicated
these women are to their blogs and their online communities. Blogging
is an integral part of their daily lives and a key source of
information and entertainment," said Susan Wright, managing director
of Compass Partners LLC. "The fact that their readers find them highly
credible and that this joint participation has achieved significant
scale, presents proactive marketers with a measurable opportunity to
engage with a highly desirable consumer demographic."

About the Survey

The BlogHer/Compass Partners Social Media Benchmark Study was
conducted in two parts; one reflecting a representative sample of the
general U.S. population of women and the other reflecting the BlogHer
network.

U.S. women sample size: 2,350 (1,250 of which were blogosphere
participants)

The BlogHer network sample size: 5,113

The data from the samples gave insight into the behaviors, trends
and purchasing habits of women online. The online survey is the first
of several that BlogHer and Compass Partners will facilitate in
six-month increments in order to examine shifts in online trends and
behaviors within the blogosphere. The general U.S. population survey
will be conducted on a yearly basis.

About BlogHer

Founded in February 2005 by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins
and Lisa Stone, BlogHer's mission is to create opportunities for women
who blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic
empowerment. BlogHer provides the number-one community and media
network of blogs by women via a community hub (http://blogher.com),
annual conferences and an advertising network of more than 1,500
qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates. BlogHer provides the
highest quality content on a range of topics, with all blogs
continually edited to meet strict editorial standards, including
content quality, category relevance and blog frequency.

About Compass Partners, LLC

Compass Partners, LLC (www.compasspartners-llc.com) was founded by
Susan Wright in 2003 as a strategic marketing consultancy anchored by
intelligent market research. Susan leverages her vast experience
gained at top tier, consumer driven companies such as Quaker Oats,
Nestle and Microsoft. Compass Partners strives to help clients reach
clarity in brand and business building challenges by uncovering
actionable consumer insights. A significant focus for Compass Partners
is in the arena of social media helping clients who want to understand
how to build community around their brands.

KEYWORDS: blog, blogging, blogging community, blogosphere, blogs,
online communities, online social networks, online web communities,
social effects of the internet on the media, social media, women
bloggers

Racepoint Group
Jade Lofton, 415-694-6703
jlofton@racepointgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008