Popularity of blogs continues to grow

The popularity of blogging continues to grow, both in the number of blog readers and in the number of blog publishers. This per a report on the continued rise of blogging from eMarketer today.

More than half of web users will read blogs this year. By 2014, readership will rise to more than 150 million Americans, or 60% of the internet population in the US.

12% of the online population will update a blog at least monthly this year. By 2014 that proportion will increase to 13.3%.

Per Paul Verna, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report:

Trends in blog reading are expected to maintain an upward course as blogs continue to gain influence in the mainstream media. But there is a caveat to this forecast: Over time, blogs will continue to become indistinguishable from other media channels.

I don’t see that caveat as a negative. For bloggers it means that they are becoming an accepted part of online media. In time, lawyers and other professionals who are blogging are unlikely to be viewed any differently than reporters and columnists from major mainstream and trade publications.

Though the growth in the number of bloggers will only increase by 10% in the next four years, having 12% of Americans blogging is an amazing figure in and of itself. That’s a lot of folks contributing to online media.

Also to be factored in is the fact that blogging for business by U.S. companies is on the rise while the growth in personal blogs is slowing. Business blogs, including blogs by lawyers and their business clients, are going to make up a larger percentage of the total number of blogs.

Despite the growth in other social media such as Facebook and Twitter and their ease of use, the popularity of blogging continues to rise.