Dow Jones Newswires reports a growing number of investors – particularly women – are turning to blogs for free financial advice that’s presented in a friendly, non-aggressive manner.
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“Blog operators say women in particular are trolling online blogs to learn market terminology and gain a deeper level of financial sophistication. Blog users say they like to read about another person’s uncensored financial experiences before they consult a broker who might be biased toward certain products such as funds or insurance.
Blog operators say women in particular are trolling online blogs to learn market terminology and gain a deeper level of financial sophistication. Blog users say they like to read about another person’s uncensored financial experiences before they consult a broker who might be biased toward certain products such as funds or insurance.
Some of the more popular blogs are posted by established columnists or authors, largely because their credentials give them a level of trustworthiness in an otherwise anonymous environment. On America Online, for instance, finance expert Jean Chatzky writes a blog called “Jean’s Journal” in which she expounds on topics like holiday spending, budgeting and paying down debt.
AOL is racing to keep up with the demand for blogs, which the service refers to as “journals.” The company says it plans to launch more journals by well-known finance experts later this month. In August 2003, AOL gave its members the ability to build blogs, and more than 440,000 journals have been created on topics ranging from personal finance to cooking.”
Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.
He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.
