Internet marketing - competing against non-consumption across the digital divide

The digital divide is vast. Businesses, organizations, and political leaders are rushing to become part of the digital future. In a January 2005 article the BBC tells us

• Blog readership has shot up by 58% in 2004
• Eight million have created a blog
• 27% of online Americans have read a blog
• 5% use RSS aggregators to get news and other information
• 12% of online Americans have posted comments on blogs
• Only 38% of online Americans have heard about blogs

The last statistic puts things in perspective, only 38% of online Americans have heard about blogs. So how many is that?

According to Internet World Stats there are almost 203 million Internet users as of June, 2005, a 68.5% penetration according to Nielsen//NR.

That is, 38% of 68.5% translates into 26.8%. In raw numbers, that is about 77 million who are at least aware that there is a blogosphere. The other 220+ million Americans are largely unaware of blogs.

Should anyone be heartened? Or should people be alarmed? Are blogs the flash in the pan they were predicted to be?

Well in five years, 2000 to 2005, internet penetration has doubled, and that is no flash in the pan.

The question now is, how will institutions and individuals utilize this new tools, but more to the point who will be left behind and at what cost?

This is the first in a series of pieces that address that question, in-depth.