US report finds 17% of internet time spent on blogs and social networks
A new US report from The Neilsen Company has found that time spent on social network and blogging sites accounted for 17% of all time spent on the internet in August 2009.
Year on year, estimated online advertising spend on the top social network and blogging sites increased 119%, from $49 million in August 2008 to $108 million in August 2009.
The share of estimated spend on these sites has also grown, increasing from a 7% share of total online adspend in August 2008 to a 15% share in August 2009.
Jon Gibs, vice president, media and agency insights, Nielsen’s online division, said: “This growth suggests a wholesale change in the way the internet is used
“While video and text content remain central to the web experience – the desire of online consumers to connect, communicate and share is increasingly driving the medium’s growth.”
While several industries decreased their overall online ad spend year on year in August, spending on the top social network sites increased across the board.
Recent comScore figures revealed that social networking sites accounted for more than 20% of all US display ads viewed online in June.
Elsewhere, eMarketer forecast that US marketers will increase their social network ad spending by 13.2% in 2010, to $1.3 billion.
| Estimated Spend on Top Social Network Sites* | Year on Year % Growth | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Aug-08 | Aug-09 | On Social Network Sites* | On All Sites |
| Entertainment | $1,097,700 | $10,012,800 | 812% | 40% |
| Travel | $473,700 | $2,198,200 | 364% | -11% |
| Business to Business | $683,400 | $1,941,700 | 184% | -8% |
| Automotive | $1,110,200 | $3,085,800 | 178% | -26% |
| Health | $1,131,500 | $2,754,900 | 143% | 8% |
| Web Media | $11,231,800 | $26,855,700 | 139% | 30% |
| Software | $526,400 | $1,202,500 | 128% | -29% |
| Financial Services | $3,233,900 | $6,415,900 | 98% | -10% |
| Public Services | $6,836,500 | $13,203,100 | 93% | 13% |
| Telecommunications | $12,449,500 | $23,550,300 | 89% | -1% |
| Consumer Goods | $1,913,400 | $3,349,200 | 75% | 8% |
| Hardware & Electronics | $654,000 | $1,022,900 | 56% | -47% |
| Retail Goods & Services | $8,101,400 | $12,556,800 | 55% | -12% |