"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Working from home is the new normal for many Americans.  After 6 long months of connection issues, my dog barking at delivery people, and the buzz of lawnmowers, and neighbors’ gardeners in the background, I finally feel like I have this work from home thing nailed.  Who says working from home is not productive?  In fact, some reports say that up to 99 percent of remote workers would like to continue doing so to some extent (Marinova, 2020).

For me, I literally roll out of bed, jump on my awaiting notebook computer, and plow through emails (all before most people wake up).  It’s my new normal, and I’m embracing it.  I feel like I am 1000 times more productive at home, on a typical day I am clocking 12-15 hours as I am always “on” – even current statistics support this increased effort – up nearly an hour more (of work) per day (DeFilippis, Impink, Polzer, Sadun & Singell, 2020). Not to mention, I can wash clothes and vacuum in between meetings.  Why didn’t someone think about this mass telecommuting productivity business sooner?  How can companies lure folks like me back into the traditional and mundane “cubby” I once called my office?

For someone like me, the allure of a “corporate office” has now been replaced by a fold-up card table in my son’s room.  Often times, I hear executives on Zoom calls stating they want people back in the office because they don’t trust employees – for some odd reason, they have a sense folks are not productive?  I wonder to myself, “well, did they trust me and the hundreds of other employees when we were sitting in the office staring at our computers?”

Being home should not equate to not being trusted; a manager should be “managing” their employees and ensuring proper touchpoints (video calls, and the like) throughout the week or even during a daily check-in.  The concept of someone not being trusted should reflect on the manager, not their employees.  Keeping tabs on employees is a manager’s responsibility, but must be done in moderation to not cross over into “micromanaging” territory.  Any perceptions of an employee not being productive just because they are working from home is – quite frankly – hogwash.

The new norm is here to stay.  Let’s face it, working from home is not always being “on the clock.”  For a wife, a mother of two, and full-time (and half) employee, there is much more that can be done when the working hours are spent at home; making it so much easier to be more productive in all of these roles.

References:

DeFilippis, E., Impink, S., Polzer, J., Sadun, R., & Singell, M., (2020). Collaborating during coronavirus: The impact of COVID-19 on the nature of work (NBER Working Paper No. 27612). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/papers/w27612

Marinova, I. (2020). 28 need to know remote work statistics of 2020. Retrieved from https://review42.com/remote-work-statistics/

Philosophers have long proposed the question, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody to hear, does it make a sound?” People have debated this question and provided answers that it physically makes a sound because the falling tree is disturbing the surrounding air.  However, if nobody is there to hear the sound, the falling tree cannot be processed through the mental cortex.  The human brain can process what is heard, but the individual has to listen to what the noise is, and that requires intentional listening to discern what the sounds are. 

Children are taught that sounds are associated with individual animals like the moos for a cow and a duck quack.  As children grow up into adulthood, they learn to listen, and advertisers have been filling those sounds with engaging commercials to excite the consumers. A recent article at www.ppcprotect.com suggested that the average person is subjected to 6,000-10,000 ads a day.  Advertisements come from online platforms, television, billboards, print ads, radio, and streaming services that inundate our thoughts.  So when there is a break of silence, the difference is deafening.  According to research by Ang, Leong, and Yeo (1999), silence encouraged more attention from viewers because it creates a contrast from the rest of the commercials. 

School children are known to be noisy sometimes, and a technique teachers have used to silence the classroom involves switching the lights on and off as a cue.  The lights’ switching interrupts the current environment, and children naturally settle down to investigate the change.  Commercials have traditionally used loud volume settings or actively engaging sequences to capture the audience, but creative marketing had transitioned some advertisers to incorporate intentional silence.  An example of this technique was a commercial from YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21JMhKVbnEk) that highlighted a Mercedes-Benz driving quietly through snow-covered mountains and family caroling breakouts within the vehicle.  The constant contrasting of singing and silence provided the viewer with excitement and calm throughout the advertisement.  The Mercedes-Benz commercial succeeded in capturing the moments that required silence to sell the cause.  The silent sequences offered the viewer moments of peace to process their thoughts and evaluated potential feelings from the quietness.  Many individuals routinely designate quiet time for prayers and meditation because silence gives opportunities for clarity.  Advertisers use these same moments of intentional silence to persuade the consumer towards their brands.

When was the last time you had a moment of quiet in your life, and how did that make you feel?  The barrage of advertisements has overstimulated our thoughts, and maybe targeted silence can help reinvent the way we listen to marketing campaigns.

References

PPCProtect. (n.d.). How many ads do we see a day. Retrieved from https://ppcprotect.com/how-many-ads-do-we-see-a-day/

Swee Hoon Ang, Siew Meng Leong, and Wendy Yeo (1999) ,”When Silence Is Golden: Effects of Silence on Consumer Ad Response”, in NA – Advances in Consumer Research Volume 26, eds. Eric J. Arnould and Linda M. Scott, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 295-299.  https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/8265/volumes/v26/NA-26

Mercedes-Benz. (n.d.). Commercial. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21JMhKVbnEk

When it comes to marketing and advertising, brands are always on the hunt for the next big thing that allows them to create brand awareness and generate sales. One sector that seems promising and relatively new is the E-sports (Electronic Sports) sector. E-sports is an industry in which video gamers play competitively in leagues and tournaments globally, in-person, and online. E-sports offers a variety of sports games that people can choose from and then compete in. Some of the bigger professional tournaments offer large prize pools, for example, “the International” tournament, in the game of DOTA 2, gave out over $15 million in prize money to the winning team in 2019. Teams often play under the banner of an organization and these organizations frequently have multiple teams competing in various video games, offering potential partners a wide range of exposure. Some of the most famous organizations include Cloud9, Team Liquid, FaZe clan, Fnatic, Optic Gaming, and Natus Vincere.

Between 350 and 400 million people watch e-sports online and in-person, and the numbers of viewers for some of the biggest e-sports events have surpassed those of real sports. During the 2016 world finals for the game League of Legends, more than 43 million people watched, while game 7 of the NBA finals in that same year had 31 million viewers worldwide (Chapman, 2017). With global viewership increasing rapidly, some of the world’s biggest brands have started forming partnerships with organizations and have invested in the industry.

American apparel giant Nike has struck a deal with the League of Legions Pro League (LPL) in China and is also sponsoring the Brazilian professional Counter-Strike team FURIA (Srivatsan, 2019). Mountain Dew has partnered with the biggest platform, organizer, and host for games in the world, the electronic sports league or ESL; while BMW is sponsoring the American professional gaming organization Cloud9 (Fitch, 2019). Other brands that have started getting involved include: Red Bull, which is sponsoring professional teams ENCE and BIG; and Adidas, which has signed with the most watched streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins as well as French pro team Vitality.

Many brands are aware of the effects of what Berger (2013) describes as social currency, in which brands can benefit from good game mechanics and consumers staying engaged, motivated, and wanting more. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, player and spectator numbers have climbed dramatically and offer even greater exposure for brands (Allenstein, Gediehn, Lehmann & Singer, 2020).

Influencers have also contributed to e-sports becoming more powerful, particularly with celebrity endorsements. Many celebrities and influencers have invested heavily into the industry and are quite active online themselves. Whether it is OBJ streaming his game play of Call of Duty, Neymar Jr. playing Counter-Strike Global Offensive, or Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios streaming game play of Fortnite, many celebrities have either picked up playing and streaming or actively invested into the industry. Michael Jordan invested $26 million into aXiomatic gaming; Drake became a co-owner into 100 Thieve’s Fortnite devision; NBA star Steph Curry invested into world famous e-sports company TSM; and Shaquille O’neal directed some of his dollars toward e-sport organization NRG (Chan, 2020).

These questions remain: Where will e-sports go from here? Will e-sports be able to compete with real sports in terms of contracts, wages, etc.?

Reference:

Allenstein, U., Gediehn, O., Lehmann, S., & Singer, D. (2020, August 03). Esports and the next frontier of brand sponsorships. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/e-sports-and-the-next-frontier-of-brand-sponsorships

Berger, J. (2016). Contagious: Why things catch on. Simon and Schuster.

Chapman, J. (2017, July 06). Esports: A Guide to Competitive Video Gaming. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.toptal.com/finance/market-research-analysts/esports

Fitch, A. (2019, March 12). Cloud9 announces BMW as automotive sponsor. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://esportsinsider.com/2019/03/cloud9-announces-bmw-as-automotive-sponsor/

Srivatsan, S. (2019, December 22). 2019’s Top Ten brand integrations in Esports ” TalkEsport. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.talkesport.com/originals/2019s-top-ten-brand-integrations-in-esports/

A special report by Edelman has reported that brand trust is critical for developing customer loyalty. In fact, 53% of consumers view trust as the second most influential factor when shopping, right behind price. A finding especially relevant considering today’s climate is that for 74% of consumers, a brand’s level of social impact is a major determining factor in whether or not they can trust the brand. Additionally, 80% of consumers want companies to “solve society’s problems.” In a time of political, social, and economic unrest and a global health crisis, brand trust may be the biggest competitive advantage companies can have when trying to distinguish themselves from competitors as well as keeping customers motivated to shop.

So we know from the numbers that brand trust is important to the consumer, but how does it benefit companies? First, 60% of people with high brand trust say that they’re comfortable sharing personal information with the brand – that means more consumer data made available. Second, 78% with high brand trust say they will recommend the brand to others and even defend the brand against criticism. (As Antony Young details in Brand Media Strategy, word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools.)

The hard part is that brand trust is not something that can be bought – it requires a relationship between the company and a consumer. But how can brands establish this relationship and therefore, loyalty and trust? A Forbes article suggests 2 ways organizations can earn brand trust:

1. Be truthful in their advertising.
2. Be transparent about privacy and handling of consumer data.

How else can brands earn trust from their consumers? What makes you trust some brands over others? What problems within society should organizations take more initiative to “solve”?

Sources:

Waring, J. (2020, October 02). Council Post: Three Steps To Becoming A Brand People Trust. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2020/10/05/three-steps-to-becoming-a-brand-people-trust/

Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust in 2020. (2020, June 25). Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.edelman.com/research/brand-trust-2020

Our world is currently in the middle of social unrest and racially charged tribalism. We have enabled the people we love to participate in divisive conversations that have now led to the prominence of white supremacy in mainstream media. Social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have given a voice to thousands of white supremacists and other terrorists organizations throughout the world. Additionally, these platforms have helped cement white supremacy as a brand and given them a solid foundation to hold ground on. We also know that Facebook and Twitter host many online tribes, creating a haven for hate groups and terrorists to reach and galvanize their target audience (Daily Times, 2018).

Tribalism is nothing new to society. Abderlahim (2019) states a tribe’s definition as a common culture, belonging, loyalty, and group identity. Additional research shows that individuals have strong feelings of belonging and adherence to a tribe (Nothwehr & Haynes, 2008).

The domestic terrorist group, Proud Boys, are mostly using tribalism to recruit new members as the President of The United States has solidified their efforts and white supremacy. In a debate with Joe Biden (2020 Presidential Nominee), the president would not denounce white supremacy and further told the Proud Boys the following, “Proud Boys, Stand Back and Stand By.” By the president not denouncing white supremacy, the Proud Boys have created a more substantial foundation because they have become legitimized by the world’s most powerful leader. The Proud Boys are now able to use their platform to recruit vulnerable men and women who also feel marginalized from society. To put it into perspective, Isis is an example of a marginalized tribe that has taken their cause to social media outlets and have used these channels to distribute messages of hate to reach and recruit (Awan, 2017).

How do we get out of the cesspool? Many of us have participated with social media and have helped sustain its growth year over year. We have helped create a data mining and manipulative machine that is now working against our reality and truth. As Ian says in Jurassic Park, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

As mentioned, Twitter and Facebook have helped propel misinformation and online tribalism to the likes we have never witnessed. We have never been here before. So where do we go?

References:

Abdelrahim, Y. M. S. (2019). Tribalism and corruption: Scale construction and explorations beyond national culture(Order No. 13895354). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2241846174). Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/2241846174?accountid=14749

Awan, I. (2017). Cyber-Extremism: Isis and the power of social media. Society, 54(2), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-017-0114-0

Nothwehr, D. M., & Haynes, F. H. (2008). That they may be one: Catholic social teaching on racism, tribalism, and xenophobia. Orbis Books. 

Speaking of social media influencers, who are in your mind? Are they the highest-paid YouTube stars, Instagram KOLs, or popular creators on Tik Tok? And have you ever purchased products online because of their recommendations?

According to a report on eMarkter, 65% of Gen Z internet users in the US have increased their digital spending since the Covid-19 (“eMarketer”, 2020). Furthermore, another report, written by Blake Droesch, states that the top two factors affecting their purchase behaviors are friends and influencers/bloggers on social media platforms (Droesch, 2019). Therefore, influencer marketing becomes a crucial business strategy to reach the younger generation. They tend to follow trending styles and are more likely to purchase the item if their favorite KOL has recommended it on the channel. Besides facilitating sales, influencers can help populate the brand, establish trustworthiness, and build connections with consumers. Thus, they play an essential role in social commerce. Since many companies are involving the strategy, the question is, who are the right influencers should the brand collaborate with?

Nano-influencer becomes a trend. Compared to the popular, well-established mega influencers with over millions of followers, nano-influencers have many advantages that can benefit the brand and should not be sneezed at. According to Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, nano-influencers are in the tier of 1,000-10,000 followers (“Mediakix,” n.d.). It sounds like they can reach only a certain number of people; however, they can profoundly impact the brand.

First, their followers have a higher engagement rate (Komok, 2020; Ismail, 2018). Based on the report on Hype Auditor, users with 1k-5k followers have a 5.6% engagement rate, while influencers with more than 1M have only 1.97% (“HypeAuditor”, 2019). That is, nano influencers can engage with higher followers. When the brand partners with these people, such as having them to be ambassadors, the positive message for the product gains greater visibility that makes more attention from followers. They have a better relationship with online users, and users are willing to comment or interact with the content they advocate (Leyes, 2020). Furthermore, influencers will also utilize features, such as “poll questions” and “Ask me anything” on Instagram, to engage the new product with consumers. The higher replies rate can reflect their interest in the product. 

Take my friend, Choi, for example. She has 1.5k followers on her life-style Instagram account. She says certain fans are very engaging that they replied to every image and the story she posts. They are truly interested in her opinion, and they will have conversations about various topics, including her sponsored products.

Why do these influencers have a higher engagement rate? One of the main reasons is that they are reachable and approachable. Nano-influencers are often closed with fans that build strong connections with audiences (Komok, 2020; Leyes, 2020). Like my friend Choi, when her fans messaged her, she was willing to reply to them and always be genuine. Soon, she developed a closer relationship, and it brings out trustworthy, credibility, and word of the mouth that matters to fans (Leyes, 2020). As a result, when she advocates a product by sharing her personal experience, it is more persuasive to her loyal followers. 

Furthermore, unlike mega-influencers whose images are always well-polish and flawless, an approachable influencer who is like a friend next door (Komok, 2020). It makes followers feel that “If they can make it, I can make it too!” If the brand can bring out that message, it resonates with consumers more, which helps to sell a product. Further, take myself as an example. When I purchase newly released cosmetics, I often go to YouTube and watch nano influencers who have fewer subscribers to see how the actual makeup product is presented. I believe these people are closer to my reality, so their thoughts on the product are more authentic and useful to me. As a result, a single nano-influencer with limited fans may not reach out widely, but they can be focused on a specific group (e.g. people who are interested in beauty, sports, cooking, ect.) and affect their perspectives. 

Nano-influencers are flexible in budgeting and easier to work with (“Mediakix,” n.d.). To elaborate, well-established mega influencers usually have their own branding, and it is not easy for a marketer to find someone perfectly aligned with their product style/image. On the other hand, smaller influencers may be more relevant to your brand (Komok, 2020), since they have their unique niche audience. Also, nanos might still be developing their brand, and will be more likely to adjust their position to fit the business product. Further, they are cost-effective (Komok, 2020; Leyes, 2020), and marketers can lower the campaign budget by collaborating with them, since nanos may charge less than mega influencers. Yet, the partnership may bring them fame, so it achieves a win-win situation for the business.

Collaborating with nano influencers is an emerging marketing strategy. However, some problems need to be overcome. For example, it may be time-consuming for marketers to find many appropriate nanos rather than partner with a single mega KOL. Also, nano-influences may have higher uncertainty on their posting, since they are not full-time and may not have an agency to manage the job. However, uncertainty can convert to new opportunities. Nano-influencers are a group of people that can make a significant impaction on business. Marketers should seize the chance to create the strategies and affect social media users’ purchasing behaviors.

References:

eMarketer. (2020). US Internet Users Who Have Increased vs. Decreased Their Digital Spending Since the Coronavirus Pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.emarketer.com/chart/237928/us-internet-users-who-have-increased-vs-decreased-their-digital-spending-since-coronavirus-pandemic-by-generation-may-2020-of-respondents-each-group

Droesch, B. (2019). Influencers Could Help Drive Social Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.emarketer.com/content/influencers-could-help-drive-social-commerce

Ismail, K. (2018). Social Media Influencers: Mega, Macro, Micro or Nano. Retrieved from https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/social-media-influencers-mega-macro-micro-or-nano/

HypeAuditor. (2019). The State of Influencer Marketing 2019. Retrieved from https://hypeauditor.com/s/auditor/resources/The-State-of-Influencer-Marketing-2019.pdf

Mediakix. (n.d.). What Are Nano-Influencers? Retrieved from https://mediakix.com/blog/what-are-nano-influencers/

Komok, A. (2020). What Are “Nano-Influencers” and Why You Should Care. Retrieved from: https://mention.com/en/blog/nano-influencers/

Leyes, K. (2020). How To Leverage Nano-Influencers To Grow Your Brand. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/04/13/how-to-leverage-nano-influencers-to-grow-your-brand/#99628f47cbe0

Have you ever thought about how the brands you purchase from are a reflection of you are or, at least, how you want to be perceived? Does wearing lip gloss from Glossier make you feel more chic and trendy? Does wearing Nike clothing make you feel more sophisticated and athletic?

Let’s take a deeper look into why brand personality is important for marketers to take into consideration when growing consumer loyalty and engagement.

The concept of brand personality is most often defined as a brand having a unique set of human resembling characteristics and persona (Aaker, 1997; Freling, et al., 2011). Brand personality is what drives consumers to view brands as if they were human by pairing it with a recognizable visual aesthetic and distinctive voice.

The most notable study on brand personality was conducted by Jennifer Aaker in 1997. In the research Aaker (1997) categorized and summarized brand personality into five different human personality traits including sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness.

How does this relate to consumers? Well, people like people who they’re like or want to be like — the same is true with brands. We love brands that have similar characteristics to ours, or one that we aspire to have.

Over the years, organizations and management have acknowledged the pivotal role brand personality has on consumer loyalty and engagement (Freling, et al., 2011). Consumers use brand personality to identify and assess if a brand fits their own personality, be it their actual or intended personality (Huang, & Mitchell, 2014). By creating a brand personality that closely mirrors a consumer’s personality, organizations are able to attract their audiences to become emotionally attached and loyal to the brand.

People like to share and be associated with things that make them look good, smart, and/or hip.

There is a belief that if consumers use products or have relations with an appealing brand then they will perceive themselves to have the same persona or personality of that brand. Consumers often pick and choose the brands they interact with as a way to incorporate the brand’s personality to their own sense of self (Gao, Wheeler, & Shiv, 2008). In other words, people can prefer to use and relate to certain brands as a way of affirmation or enhancement to their own self-image.

For example, brands can often have certain traits associated with their brand image or personality like how Calvin Klein may be associated with “upper-class” or Abercrombie may be associated with “arrogance” (Trabold & Mathur, 2011). How a person wants to be perceived, could affect how they engage with a brand based on the personality a brand showcases.

Brand personality does not always have to an extension of how a person wants to be perceived but instead, consumers can also have relations with a brand to possibly get the same traits to be tied to them. For example, a person may not be masculine or want to be perceived as masculine but if they use or have relations with a brand like Harley-Davidson motorcycles, then maybe image will be correlated to them (Aaker, 1997; Gandara & Hellgren, 2011).

So the next time you pick up an item at Target, think about what does that item says about you? Better yet, take brand personality into consideration when you write copy for your company. Who are you trying to connect with?

References

Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379703400304

Dvornechuck, A. (2019). Brand personality: Traits of top brands. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@ebaqdesign/brand-personality-traits-of-top-brands-19c58890770f

Gandara Gil, A., & Hellgren, D. (2011). Brand Personality: Impact on Brand Trust and Consumer Preferences: A comparative study of Germany and Sweden.

Gao, L., Wheeler, S., & Shiv, B. (2009). The “Shaken Self”: Product Choices as a Means of Restoring Self‐View Confidence. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(1), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1086/596028

Freling, T., Crosno, J., & Henard, D. (2011). Brand personality appeal: conceptualization and empirical validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(3), 392–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0208-3

Huang, H., & Mitchell, V. (2014). The Role of Imagination and Brand Personification in Brand Relationships. Psychology & Marketing, 31(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20673

Trabold, L., & Mathur, P. (2011). Is Abercrombie Making Me Arrogant? the Impact of Brand Personality Traits on Post-Consumption Behavior. Advances in Consumer Research, 38. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1808605137/

References:

Have you ever wondered: “I have heard about blogs… But, I really don’t know much about them?” You are not alone. In fact, blogging has been around, believe it or not, since the 90’s.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word blog with two entries: First, a blog is “a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer”; Second, a blog “is a regular feature appearing as part of an online publication that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors” (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Blog Definition). Both definitions are quite accurate.

Prior to blogging becoming mainstream, for many Internet users, “journaling” preceded it, where writers’ contributions would include thoughts about specialized subjects, where they believed they could offer expertise and/or commentary (Levit, 2009, para. 4). Still, to this day, blogging follows the aforementioned format. However, almost every conceivable subject is available on the Internet, and, if it is not, it can quickly be created by bloggers of similar subjects. In addition, if blogging content is not found on a specific subject, the beauty and flexibility of blogging is that a web user can begin his or her own blog.

Blogging has moved beyond the hobby and spare time category for many writers; today, depending on the content published, blogging can be extremely lucrative. Some bloggers have turned their written content into a regular source of income, with some creating blogging empires with millions of readers. Nevertheless, “only 2% of bloggers earn over $150k per year” (Blogging Statistics, n.d., para. 28).

In 2020, blogging has evolved to include written posts well beyond personal thoughts. There is still a personal dimension to blogging that is not found in the writing of many professional publications in print. Consequently, blogging has become an effective way to communicate one’s thoughts in a warm and meaningful way.

Today, “there are over 152 million blogs on the internet”, with “new blog” content developed in less than one second (Blogging Statistics, n.d., para. 4). On the Internet alone, approximately 25% of URLs are connected to blogs (Blogging Statistics, n.d.). And, most web browsers would indicate they read at least one blog, if not more, on a regular basis.

References
Biersdorfer, J. (2014, July 21). Where to start when starting a blog. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/technology/personaltech/where-to-start-when-starting-a-blog.html
Blogging statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://99firms.com/blog/blogging-statistics/#gref
Coll, S. (2010, May 31). What I learned about blogging. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/news/steve-coll/what-i-learned-about-blogging
Levit, A. (2009, June 21). To blog or not to blog. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124553744783134641
Merriam-Webster. (n.d., n.d.). blog [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blog