Blogosphere analyzed
By Asha

In 2010, comScore ranked Technorati Media as the 4th largest social media property and the 3rd largest blog property. Technorati.com, the flagship site, is the world's first and largest blog search engine and a robust community blogging platform.

Technorati has published its State of the Blogosphere 2011 report. Since 2004, its annual study has followed growth and trends in the blogosphere. This year's topics include: blogging and social media, bloggers and traditional media, traffic and analysis, brands and marketing in the blogosphere, bloggers' motivations and consequences, monetization, and changes within the blogosphere over 2011.

For this State of the Blogosphere 2011 report,  4114 Bloggers were polled from around the world.  The survey, which purports to represent the blogosphere, had the following breakup

1) Hobbyist: The backbone of the blogosphere, and representing 60% of the respondents to this survey, Hobbyists say that they “blog for fun” and do not report any income.

2-3) Professional Part- and Full-Timers: These bloggers represent 18% of our total group. They are independent bloggers who either use blogging as a way to supplement their income, or consider it their full-time job.

4) Corporate: Corporate bloggers make up 8% of the blogosphere. They blog as part of their full-time job or blog full-time for a company or organization they work for. These bloggers primarily talk about technology and business in their blogs.

5) Entrepreneurs: 13% of the blogosphere is characterized as entrepreneurs, or individuals blogging for a company or organization they own. 84% of these bloggers blog primarily about the industry they work in, with 46% blogging about business and 40% about technology. 76% blog to share expertise; 70% blog to gain professional recognition; and 68% to attract new clients for their business.