Readers of your business blog don’t come along just to find out your latest news. No, according to research from the market research company Synovate, most people read blogs for the opinions they carry, not for their news value.

The study was really looking at how much value people placed in blogs and how popular they were in America. However, hidden away in the study’s statistics is the fact that 65% of blog readers visit those blogs to read the opinions of the writer. Only 15% of blogs are read for their news content.

What this means for business bloggers is that you are more likely to gain loyal readers for your company web site if it has opinions rather than mere “fact”. In other words, stop providing “news updates” and the like. Instead, give your views on the news. Indeed, having a web page entitled “news” looks likely to be a turn off for your visitors in the first place.

So, if your business blog includes things like “updates” or “news” – stop…! Convert those items into opinions and your reader loyalty looks set to increase.