If you're reading this blog post, you're on the cutting edge

In a enlightening/sobering post over at Seth Godin's blog (They didn't get the memo), he sites that:

"31.4% of Americans don't have internet access.

90% of the people in France have not created a blog.

88% of all users have never heard of RSS.

59% of American households have zero iPods in them.

30% of internet users in the US use a modem.

1% of internet users use Digg on an average day."

Some of these stats don't suprise me.

For example, I don't have an iPod, although I have a b-day coming up next month, so I hope to change this soon :-). I also use a modem. I do use an RSS reader (Pluck), thanks to Andy, but I'm still not sure exactly what it is. To top it all off, I haven't use Digg, ever (nor can I claim to actually know what Digg is).

Apparently, the only things that redeem me from being a backwards technophobe :-) are that I do have a blog and I do have internet access.

But really, I think what these stats show is that there is a never-ending learning curve when it comes to technology, and that even if you're at the cutting edge on some parts of it, you could be light years behind in other aspects. And that's okay.

I remember 6 months ago when someone tried to explain to me what a blog was, and I was like, "Yeah, right, whatever..." I didn't get it then. Now I do.

We all learn at our own speeds, and when our minds are ready to accept the next tidbit of technology, then it opens wide enough for us to take it in. 

Comments

[Penelope Trunk]

These are intersting statistics. I think another thing they show is how out of touch bloggers can get with the mainstream.

I think we all have to remember this when we're trying to sell something to the 99% of people who aren't in the blogsphere.

[Sharon]

Hi Penelope--

Thanks for your insightful comment. This is so true--there is a huge percentage of the population that doesn't use the internet at all, and also a significant portion of the mainstream that doesn't get its news from blogs or the internet.

You're so right--a blog is not an effective marketing tool for many types of businesses, and if you start using one without taking your target market into consideration, then you're destined for disappointment.

I think that most successful bloggers (when I say successful, I mean that their blog is really working for them, bringing them money/clients either directly or indirectly) are very niche oriented and have target markets that embrace technology. Or, they already have a following, and their fans follow them to their blog.

For a biz like mine that is technology based and virtual, I've been amazed at the number of folks from all over the world who have found me through my blog. If your biz is global and technology based, a blog can be really effective at taking down geographical barriers when marketing.

So we may be screening out lots of folks who don't participate in the blogosphere, but at the same time, we're extending the reach of our marketing efforts to a global level. We're catching some clients in our net who we never would have come into contact with otherwise. I guess it's a trade off and definitely something to keep in mind (and be realistic about).

Have a great day!
Sharon