Fermentation Readership and Intimidation
Having just finished a survey of the readers of this blog, I wanted to report on one finding in particular that should be of interest to PR folks, advertisers, readers and, obviously, me.
Sixty two (62) Percent of FERMENTATION readers do now or have "worked in wine, restaurant, beverage retail or wine-related industries".
This makes FERMENTATION a "Trade Media Outlet". For advertisers, it means that if you want to access the eyeballs of members of the wine industry, FERMENTATION isn't a bad choice. The same of course can be said of trade related firms that are seeking coverage.
I've known this about my readership for some time now. What's interesting is that when I last took a survey of FERMENTATION readers in 2006, 50% of survey respondents reported working or have worked in the wine or restaurant or alcoholic beverage industries. That's roughly a 25% increase in the percentage of people who are in the trade that read this blog over a three year period.
In the end, it means that roughly 15,500 unique industry types read FERMENTATION on a monthly basis.
Let me be honest about on thing. This is intimidating to me. Where insightfulness is concerned, I don't fall anywhere but on the middle rungs of the ladder. There are folks who have far more creative and interesting takes on the wine industry. And make no mistake, this blog is about my "take" on things. Rarely is there original reporting a la Wine Business Monthly, Wines & Vines, Wine Industry Insight, Wine Spectator or other media where a trade readership is significant.
Good point Tom. So often bloggers are expected to dedicate massive amounts of time for no return. Who else in the world is doing this? And for those of us, most of your readers, in the biz we need to make a living!
Cheers.
Tom: Sometimes a “take” is more insightful than original reporting. I read you because I like your take. I read the Monthly and Wines & Vines for different reasons; no comparison.
Don’t be intimidated, Tom. Remember what Victoria Geng said: “The person who steals your pants still gets into them one leg at a time.”
15,500 readers can’t be wrong. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Tom,
Funny timing of this post. I replied to a comment on my blog re: the transition from the traditional outlets of wine info to the bloggers. I should have included you in the trailblazers.
“As the wine industry continues to reinvent itself (due to the realization of the capabilities of the Internet), you will see a transition away from the somewhat stuffy institution that wine has resembled for quite a few years. Trailblazers like Gary Vaynerchuk, Tyler Coleman and hopefully many others will continue to push out the old guard and build upon their progress.”
Keep it up!
By the way this was part of an interesting exchange re: The Billionaire’s Vinegar. Hope you check it out.
Your honesty is appreciated – a matter transparent throughout. – no doubt a major contribution to the size of your readership, and the success of your blog.
But aren’t we here to add to life, not just to get what we can from life?
In your case, you observe, record, tabulate & communicate. You use your five senses. . . . and you share them with us.
And sometimes with emotion too.
Great, please keep it up.
Keep up the good work, Tom. As I’ve told you before, you were an inspiration and a guide to me in my own blog.
Tom,
Your writing is good to read, your opinions–not always good ;)–worth reading, your manner too civilized for the daily coarseness out there.
As long as you have made it clear to readers that these are your opinions and not the news, I don’t see why you should feel intimidated. That would be so if you claim that your opinions are the news, and you obviously make no such claim.
Stop fretting. But do recognize that every writer goes through a burn-out feeling, and it seems to happen especially with opinion writers. Sometimes our own heads are too big for what’s inside them.
No need to feel intimidated. There’s a reason we’re all here reading in the first place.
Part of the reason we read is you do have an opinion and a perspective. I appreciate and read many of the trade publications but the often to be as un-biased as possible. Sometimes we need some different view points, opinions and perspectives to get the gears turning. Keep it up!