Cambridge, Mass.-The popularity of blogging by b2b marketers appears to be waning, according to Forrester Research's "How to Derive Value from B2B Blogging" report released Monday.

Forrester attributed the decline to misalignment between investment and expected returns.

Fifty-three percent of marketers surveyed said blogs were either marginal or irrelevant in their 2008 marketing strategy.

After counting 36 companies starting corporate blogs in 2006 among its survey sample, the number fell to 19 in 2007. This year, Forrester counted just three new blogs launched in the first quarter.

The report was based on a survey of 189 b2b marketers and a review of 90 b2b marketer blogs, including those of Autodesk, BMC Software, HP, Fair Isaac, RSA Security and TIBCO Software.

Forrester suggests b2b marketers give corporate blogging another go by employing a few basic strategies including honing their voice on other public forums first, becoming a resource rather than simply promoting the brand and finding a way to fill a distinct niche.

—Carol Krol