Web traffic to the blog pages of the top 10 online newspapers in the US grew 210% year over year in December, according to new research from Nielsen//NetRatings.
The overall unique audience growth to these online newspapers was 9% year over year. Unique visitors to blog pages accounted for 13% of their December 2006 internet traffic, up 9% points from 4% in December 2005.
Carolyn Creekmore, senior director of media analytics, Nielsen//NetRatings, said: “As web 2.0 becomes a predominant online consumer model, traditional publishers are adopting interactive forums like blogs.
“It makes perfect sense for online newspapers, where responding to a blog posting is like writing an instant letter to the editor.”
The overall unique audience to the top 10 online newspapers skewed male, with 60% men and 40% women. Among newspaper blog pages, this skew intensified, with 66% men and 34% women. But both men and women are contributing to unique audience growth in this arena, with men increasing 226% and women increasing 183% year over year.
“Men tend to be both early adopters of new technologies and avid consumers of news,” said Creekmore. “That having been said, women make up slightly more than half of the active Internet universe and we can expect them to play an increasingly significant role in blog consumption.”
| Gender Composition at Top 10 Online Newspapers and their Blog Pages, December 2006 |
| Gender |
Newspapers |
Blog Pages |
YOY Growth at Blog Pages |
| Male |
60% |
66% |
226% |
| Female |
40% |
34% |
183% |
Alterian recently published the findings of its fourth transatlantic annual survey of over 500 direct marketers, marketing service providers and agencies, which revealed that online activities will be the direct marketing spending priority of 2007 (see Online To Be Main Marketing Spending Priority Of 2007).
Related Links
