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September 22, 2008
August Sessions Per User: Journal Sentinel in Top 10
Drudge Report Keeps No. 1 Spot in Nielsen Rankings
The Drudge Report kept its No. 1 spot in August in monthly sessions per user among Nielsen Online’s Top 30 Current Events & Global News Destinations, slipping again from 20.5 sessions per user in July to 19.4. Daily Kos jumped up several spots to No. 2 with 11.2 sessions per user.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel moved into the top 10 in August, with 6.1 sessions per user, up a full session per user from July. Thirteen newspaper Web sites are now on the top 30 list from Nielsen, including newcomers Politico and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. MediaNews Group returned to the list after a brief absence.
Notable newspaper moves this month:
- Cox Newspapers moved from 30th place to 20th place, increasing their sessions per person from 3.6 to 4.2.
- Hearst Newspapers moved from 19th place to 12th place, increasing their sessions per person from 4.3 to 4.9.
- The Star Tribune and Media General Newspapers dropped a few places, and The Buffalo (N.Y.) News and the Salt Lake Deseret Morning News both exited the list.
Nielsen Online provides these numbers to the Newspaper Association of America on a monthly basis, showing traffic and sessions per person* to the top 30 sites in the “News” category based on July 2008 numbers. It takes into account U.S. home and work Internet usage, and it shows both unique visitors to each brand or channel and sessions per person.
* Note on the following numbers: Auto-refresh features on Web sites (i.e. when a Web site page reloads automatically) does not increase the number of sessions. For more information about the metrics, go to www.netratings.com.
^ Indicates Home and Work audience duplication projections did not meet minimum sample size standards. Combined home and work audience estimates for these sites may exhibit increased variability month-to-month as a result.
| Brand or Channel |
Sessions Per Person |
Unique Audience (000) |
| 1. drudgereport.com |
19.4 |
3,661 |
| 2. Daily Kos |
11.2 |
1,189 |
| 3. Fox News Digital Network |
8.4 |
13,902 |
| 4. CNN Digital Network |
8.3 |
38,821 |
| 5. AOL News |
8.1 |
23,114 |
| 6. Yahoo! News |
7.4 |
40,787 |
| 7. MSNBC Digital Network |
6.3 |
52,212 |
| 8. Google News |
6.1 |
12,137 |
| 9. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
5.4 |
1,295 |
| 10. Breitbart.com |
5.2 |
2,588 |
| 11. Zwire^ |
5.0 |
1,018 |
| 12. Hearst Newspapers Digital |
4.9 |
8,428 |
| 13. TWC News Websites^ |
4.7 |
848 |
| 14. Real Clear Politics |
4.7 |
1,478 |
| 15. Gannett Newspapers and Newspaper Division |
4.6 |
14,454 |
| 16. WorldNow |
4.6 |
8,030 |
| 17. Media General Newspapers |
4.5 |
1,762 |
| 18. NYTimes.com |
4.5 |
19,862 |
| 19. Star Tribune |
4.4 |
2,578 |
| 20. Cox Newspapers |
4.2 |
4,935 |
| 21. Netscape^ |
4.1 |
1,331 |
| 22. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
4.1 |
1,188 |
| 23. Politico |
4.1 |
3,630 |
| 24. USATODAY.com |
4.0 |
10,403 |
| 25. Tribune-Review Online^ |
4.0 |
639 |
| 26. MediaNews Group Newspapers |
3.9 |
7,485 |
| 27. National Review |
3.7 |
1,016 |
| 28. St. Louis Post Dispatch^ |
3.7 |
1,192 |
| 29. IB Websites |
3.6 |
5,753 |
| 30. Belo Television |
3.6 |
3,601 |
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September 19, 2008
Digital Resarch for Online Sales Reps
In just about every edition of the Online Publishing Update, I’ve been including interesting research nuggets about the online audience that might be useful for online ad sales reps to keep in their arsenal. Here’s a roundup of the most interesting ones from the past few months:
Research for Sales Reps
Media multitasking is less common than you think: Although young people are more likely than older adults to media multitask, less than half the people read the newspaper or surf the Web simultaneously do other things. This research shows that Web site visitors and newspaper print readers are engaged with the product. According to Mediamark Research & Intelligence, Among all adults, 55 percent of those who read a print newspaper at home do so "without involvement of other media." When surfing the Web at home, 53.8 percent of adults do not media multitask. (More information from MediaWeek)
Newspaper site visitors are more likely to act on ads than other local site users:Consumers generally trust local advertising on newspaper, magazine and TV Web sites, according to a new survey from the Online Publishers Association. More than 40 percent of local online media users said they are likely to take action after seeing a local ad on one of those sites. “Newspaper [Web sites] rank first with 46 percent of consumers taking action – including making a purchase, going to a store, conducting research – after viewing a local ad,” according to the Online Publishers Association. (More information from OPA)
Ads on branded content sites more effective than ads on portal sites: According to the Online Publishers Association, “major content sites, by dint of the familiarity and distinct identity they have with users, can improve brand favorability and purchase intent more than other sites,” PaidContent.org reported. OPA President Pam Horan said, “It's an absolute fact with online advertising: environment matters. In nearly every category measured, ad effectiveness scores on branded content sites were numerically higher than on the Web in general, on portals or on ad networks. Whether it's the trust they engender or the audiences they attract, branded content sites deliver better advertising results.” (More information from the Online Publishers Association)
Web coupon usage is increasing: Although the Sunday newspaper still reigns supreme for grocery coupons (27 percent of Americans clip grocery coupons each week), Internet coupons are quickly gaining popularity. Internet Retailer reported 11 percent of consumers got coupons from the Web last year, up from 8 percent in 2006, according to data from Scarborough Research. comScore reported visits to coupon sites increased 21 percent in the past year. (More information from Internet Retailer)
“Integrators” and “net-newsers” rely on newspaper Web sites: Although newspaper print readership is generally down, the number of people going online for news at least a few times each week is still increasingly. The majority of Americans say they “check in” on the news from time to time during the day – which means they are repeat newspaper Web site visitors. There are four segments in today’s news audience: integrators, net-newsers, traditionalists and disengaged.
Integrators are 23 percent of respondents to a Pew survey this summer. Integrators “who get the news from both traditional sources and the Internet, are a more engaged, sophisticated and demographically sought-after audience segment than those who mostly rely on traditional news sources.” Integrators spend the most time with news on a typical day of the four segments.
Net-newsers are 13 percent of respondents with a median age 35 (youngest segment). “Net-newsers not only rely primarily on the internet for news, they are leading the way in using new web features and other technologies.” (More information from Pew)
High gas prices are encouraging people to shop online: The high cost of gas is encouraging more people to shop online. At many retailers where brick-and-mortar store sales are slow, online sales are up. (More information from The New York Times)
The Web is more interesting to pre-teens than TV: The Internet is winning out over television for children ages 10 to 14, according to a study recently released by DoubleClick Performics. “The study found that 83 percent of Internet users in that age bracket spent an hour or more online a day, but only 68 percent devoted that much time to television,” according to The New York Times. “The study found that the children often did research online before making a purchase -- or bugging their parents to make one.” (More information from The New York Times)
Also, this is a great blog entry from the Online Journalism Blog’s Paul Bradshaw. The full blog entry has a lot more information and details you can use, and the comments on the blog entry have additional advice. This isn’t research-based, but it’s interesting and useful anyway:
10 Ways Ad Sales People Can Save Newspapers
The Online Journalism Blog published some frank advice for newspaper ad sales people this week. The blog's “10 Ways Ad Sales People Can Save Newspapers” entry focused on digital media and included the following (see the blog for details on all 10 items):
1. Stop treating web ads as second class.
2. Stop selling adverts on static pages.
3. Sell advertising against search terms.
4. Give ad sales people access to the Internet.
5. Enable the long tail of small businesses to advertise without you doing it for them.
6. Think beyond the banner: get creative about online advertising.
7. Think about vouchers.
8. Sell advertising aimed at the non-local market.
9. Sell video ads as well as the production of video content.
10. Work in networks.
Bonus: Don't take digital growth for granted.
NAA’s Moving to Mobile
"Moving to Mobile" is a growth and development guide from the Newspaper Association of America that covers the many aspects of mobile for newspapers. Articles include the following and more:
- Mobile Advertising: The Next Big Thing Hasn't Arrived (But It's On Its Way)
- SMS Programs: Potential in 160 Characters or Less
- How Newspapers Can Cell Themselves to Youth
Note: We have a Webinar on mobile advertising coming up Sept. 30. Click here to register and get more information!
NAA’s Zooming In on Online Video
While still a small percentage of total and local online advertising, online video represents an enormous opportunity for newspapers to grow revenue and audience. “Zooming In on Online Video: A Development & Growth Guide for Newspaper Web Sites” is intended to help newspapers of any size develop profitable video applications.
NAA’s Local Search Opportunities for Newspapers (Plus Webinar on Monday!)
Newspapers are finding new and varied ways of tapping into the search space. Some are blending news and targeted advertising content with more sophisticated search tools. Learn more about newspaper's efforts at local search with case studies from Boston.com, Ottoway Newspapers, GateHouse Media and others.
And don’t forget about this:
 Local Search: Strategies for Audience and Revenue Growth Webinar
After much experimentation, newspapers are finding ways to serve smaller advertisers online, some through enhanced local search capabilities, some through SEO services and others through interactive business directories. This Webinar will explore two successful models for capturing non-traditional advertisers, one from a small-market newspaper and one from a larger market organization.
August 19, 2008
Drudge Holds No. 1 Spot in Sessions per User; Pittsburgh, Buffalo Join List
Data from Nielsen Online - July 2008
The Drudge Report held onto the No. 1 spot in July in monthly sessions per user among Nielsen Online’s Top 30 Current Events & Global News Destinations, slipping just slightly from last month to 20.5 sessions per user from 21.2 last month.
In the top 10, Daily Kos slipped a few places, leaving room for Fox News Digital Network to jump into the No. 2 spot. The Deseret Morning News dropped a few notches as well.
Nielsen Online provides these numbers to the Newspaper Association of America on a monthly basis, showing traffic and sessions per person* to the top 30 sites in the “News” category based on July 2008 numbers. It takes into account U.S. home and work Internet usage, and it shows both unique visitors to each brand or channel and sessions per person.
Newspapers
This month, 12 of the top 30 from Nielsen are newspaper companies, up from 10 last month. New newspaper additions to the top 30 were The Buffalo News (3.9 sessions per user) and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (4.0 sessions per user).
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel made the biggest move this month, jumping from 23rd place to 15th. Nielsen Online reported the newspaper now has an average of 5.1 sessions per user.
Other newspaper moves on the list from last month to this month:
- Gannett’s Newspaper Division moved down just slightly, from 13th place to 15th.
- The Star Tribune moved up to 14th place from 15th.
- The New York Times moved to 20th place, down four spots.
- Media General moved up spots to 16th.
- USAToday.com moved down to 28th from 24th.
- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Cox Newspapers remained in 28th and 30th place, respectively.
* Note on the following numbers: Auto-refresh features on Web sites (i.e. when a Web site page reloads automatically) does not increase the number of sessions. For more information about the metrics, go to www.netratings.com
^ Indicates Home and Work audience duplication projections did not meet minimum sample size standards. Combined home and work audience estimates for these sites may exhibit increased variability month-to-month as a result.
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| Brand or Channel |
Sessions per Person |
Unique Audience (000) |
| 1. DrudgeReport.com |
20.5 |
3,254 |
| 2. Fox News Channel |
8.2 |
11,540 |
| 3. CNN Digital Network |
8.1 |
32,977 |
| 4. AOL News |
7.9 |
22,010 |
| 5. Daily Kos ^ |
7.7 |
875 |
| 6. Yahoo! News |
7.2 |
35,225 |
| 7. ksl.com ^ |
6.9 |
973 |
| 8. Google News |
6.3 |
10,776 |
| 9. Netscape |
6.0 |
1,617 |
| 10. MSNBC Digital Network |
5.7 |
37,516 |
| 11. Deseret Morning News ^ |
5.6 |
931 |
| 12. Star Tribune |
5.5 |
1,536 |
| 13. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ |
5.1 |
1,311 |
| 14. Media General Newspapers |
5.1 |
1,699 |
| 15. Gannett Newspapers/Newspaper Division |
5.0 |
13,254 |
| 16. TWC News Web Sites ^ |
4.8 |
975 |
| 17. Breitbart.com |
4.3 |
2,743 |
| 18. NYTimes.com |
4.3 |
19,513 |
| 19. Hearst Newspapers Digital |
4.3 |
8,225 |
| 20. Townhall.com |
4.1 |
1,035 |
| 21. WorldNow |
4.1 |
9,070 |
| 22. Newsmax.com |
4.1 |
3,192 |
| 23. Real Clear Politics |
4.1 |
1,033 |
| 24. IB Web Sites |
4.0 |
5,633 |
| 25. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
4.0 |
1,027 |
| 26. USAToday.com |
3.9 |
10,404 |
| 27. Gannett Broadcasting |
3.9 |
5,010 |
| 28. St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ |
3.9 |
1,014 |
| 29. The Buffalo News |
3.9 |
417 |
| 30. Cox Newspapers |
3.6 |
5,842 |
August 12, 2008
More Newspapers Twittering
I’ve been out of the country without my computer (or any Web access!) for the past week, and found this in my flooded e-mail inbox when I returned:
This entry from Erica Smith’s graphicdesignr.net shows the June 2008 numbers from newspapers that use the micro-blogging service Twitter to post breaking news or sports updates or otherwise communicate with the audience.
When I wrote about newspapers using Twitter more than a year ago (click here), only a handful of newspapers had jumped in, including The New York Times, The Oregonian, and The (Nashua, N.H.) Telegraph, to name a few. Now, the list is at more than 300 and growing.
With any subscription service, as newspaper people know, there’s “churn.” This seems to be the case with Twitter, too. Similar to text-message alerts, it’s possible that people stop “following” a newspaper’s feed because there are too many messages or just because of the frequently noted Twitter downtimes.
Regardless, it’s encouraging to see that so many newspapers have adopted Twitter because it shows that newspaper digital media executives are really paying attention to whatever might be the “next hot thing”.
Some of the more notable statistics from Smith’s entry (as of early August):
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The number of known newspapers on Twitter, according to Smith, is 303.
-
The average number of followers for those 303 newspapers Smith is following on Twitter was 131.85, slightly lower than the month before.
-
The New York Times had the most followers with 5,199. USA Today’s Pop Candy had 2,088, and The Wall Street Journal had 1,230. (These are for the main NYT and WSJ feeds; more people have subscribed to topic-specific feeds such as business or politics or breaking news.)
July 30, 2008
OPU: Newspaper Sites Attract 66.4 Million Unique Visitors in Second Quarter
Today’s Online Publishing Update is here on the Digital Edge blog to make room for a special edition of the OPU that NAA e-mailed to Digital Media Federation members this morning. Want to get the OPU in your inbox? Check it out here today and get it 3x/week by joining the Digital Media Federation! If you have questions about the OPU or about the Federation, please ask me at beth.lawton@naa.org.
July 16, 2008
Nielsen: Drudge Report Leads Top 30 in Sessions per Person; Newspapers Shift on List
Although DrudgeReport.com again has the highest number of sessions per person by far, MSNBC now tops Yahoo! News on unique audience.
Nielsen Online provides these numbers to the Newspaper Association of America on a monthly basis, showing traffic and sessions per person* to the top 30 sites in the “News” category based on May 2008 numbers. It takes into account U.S. home and work Internet usage, and it shows both unique visitors to each brand or channel and sessions per person. (For more information about the sourcing of these statistics, please visit www.netratings.com.)
Newspapers
The Deseret Morning News, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, suddenly moved into the top 10 on the sessions per person list; the newspaper wasn’t listed last month. The newspaper instituted a redesign last year that included article commenting, a “most popular” list and several other features that have increased traffic to the site. However, The Deseret News was not able to explain the sudden jump this summer in Nielsen’s numbers, as they don’t reflect internal numbers.
Other newspaper moves on the list from last month to this month:
- Gannett’s Newspaper Division moved down just slightly, from 12th place to 13th.
- The Star Tribune moved up to 15th place from 19th.
- The New York Times moved 16th place, down one spot.
- Media General moved down two spots to 18th.
In the bottom 10 of this list: Hearst Newspapers Digital, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and washingtonpost.com moved up slightly; USAToday.com dropped slightly; and, Cox Newspapers moved off the list (from 28th place last month).
Like last month, 10 of the top 30 in this list are newspapers or newspaper companies. (For more newspaper company metrics from Nielsen, click here.)
* Note on the following numbers: Auto-refresh features on Web sites (i.e. when a Web site page reloads automatically) does not increase the number of sessions. For more information about the metrics, go to www.netratings.com
^ Indicates Home and Work audience duplication projections did not meet minimum sample size standards. Combined home and work audience estimates for these sites may exhibit increased variability month-to-month as a result.
| Brand or Channel |
Sessions per Person
|
Unique Audience ('000) |
| 1. drudgereport.com |
21.2 |
2,709 |
| 2. Daily Kos^ |
10.0 |
936 |
| 3. Fox News Digital Network |
8.2 |
10,471 |
| 4. AOL News |
8.2 |
22,081 |
| 5. CNN Digital Network |
7.3 |
33,417 |
| 6. Yahoo! News |
7.1 |
34,992 |
| 7. Deseret Morning News^ |
6.4 |
905 |
| 8. Google News |
6.4 |
10,543 |
| 9. ksl.com^ |
5.9 |
982 |
| 10. Netscape |
5.8 |
1,690
|
| 11. MSNBC Digital Network |
5.8 |
37,644
|
| 12. Breitbart.com |
5.7 |
1,980 |
| 13. Gannett Newspapers and Newspaper Division |
5.1 |
12,405 |
| 14. Newsmax.com |
5.1 |
2,711 |
| 15. Star Tribune |
5.0 |
1,844 |
| 16. NYTimes.com |
4.5 |
17,650 |
| 17. Townhall.com |
4.4 |
1,025 |
| 18. Media General Newspapers |
4.4 |
1,798 |
| 19. Real Clear Politics^ |
4.4 |
1,008 |
| 20. IB Websites |
4.1 |
6,079 |
| 21. WorldNow |
4.1 |
7,957 |
| 22. TWC News Websites^ |
4.1 |
1,114 |
| 23. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
4.0 |
1,450 |
| 24. USAToday.com |
3.9 |
9,626 |
| 25. wasingtonpost.com |
3.8 |
9,062 |
| 26. Hearst Newspapers Digital |
3.6 |
7,372 |
| 27. Gannett Broadcasting |
3.6 |
4,806 |
| 28. Cox Newspapers |
3.4 |
5,122 |
| 29. GTGI Network |
3.4 |
1,631 |
| 30. worldnetdaily.com |
3.4 |
1,209 |
June 16, 2008
Nielsen: Drudge Report Leads Top 30 in Sessions per Person; More Newspapers Join List
Newspaper Sites Set Record for Unique Audience
This month there was some movement in Nielsen’s top 30 Online Current Events & Global News Destinations.
Nielsen Online provides these numbers to the Newspaper Association of America on a monthly basis. The data shows traffic and sessions per person* to the top 30 sites in the “News” category based on May 2008 numbers. It takes into account U.S. home and work Internet usage, and it shows both unique visitors to each brand or channel and sessions per person. (For more information about the sourcing of these statistics, please visit www.netratings.com.)
Although DrudgeReport.com again has the highest number of sessions per person by far (indicating, perhaps, that people return to the site multiple, separate times during the month), Yahoo! News still reigns on unique audience, followed (somewhat closely) by the MSNBC Digital Network.
Drudge Report also reigns in sessions per person, breaking 20. The second- and third-place rankings switched places this month, though they remain far behind Drudge Report. Daily Kos is now second in sessions per person (9.6) and Fox News Digital Network is now third (8.7 sessions per person).
A rising tide lifts all boats: The average sessions per person for the month of May were higher than those in April (though individual entries may have dropped).
Note that 10 of the top 30 in this list are newspapers or newspaper companies – one more than last month! Newcomers to the newspaper list are washingtonpost.com and Hearst Newspapers Digital. MediaNews Group, which ranked 30th last month, is not on the top 30 list this month.
Newspaper Sites Set Record in Unique Audience
Newspaper Web sites attracted more than 69.4 million unique visitors (41.7 percent of all Internet users) in May, a record number. This is a big jump over last year. In May 2007, newspaper Web sites attracted 60.3 million unique visitors (37.8 active reach), according to a custom analysis provided by Nielsen Online for the Newspaper Association of America. For comparison, in April, newspaper Web sites attracted 64.3 million unique visitors (39.1 percent active reach).
Other stats from May (all down just slightly from last month):
-
43.81 pages per person
-
39:51 time per person
-
7.91 visits per person
* Note on the following numbers: Auto-refresh features on Web sites (i.e. when a Web site page reloads automatically) does not increase the number of sessions. For more information about our sourcing guidelines, go to www.netratings.com
| Brand or Channel |
Sessions per Person |
Unique Audience (000) |
| DrudgeReport.com |
20.1 |
3,008 |
| Daily Kos ^ |
9.6 |
1,201 |
| Fox News Digital Network |
8.7 |
10,132 |
| CNN Digital Network |
7.8 |
33,101 |
| AOL News |
7.8 |
22,524 |
| Yahoo! News |
7.2 |
35,846 |
| Economist.com |
6.5 |
789 |
| MSNBC Digital Network |
6.2 |
35,184 |
| Google News |
5.5 |
11,356 |
| Netscape |
5.3 |
1,947 |
| Breitbart.com |
5.2 |
2,318 |
| Gannett Newspapers, Newspaper Division |
4.9 |
14,629 |
| WorldNow |
4.9 |
7,523 |
| NYTimes.com |
4.5 |
21,340 |
| Townhall.com |
4.5 |
1,181 |
| Media General Newspapers |
4.5 |
1,459 |
| worldnetdaily.com |
4.4 |
962 |
| Star Tribune |
4.3 |
2,337 |
| IB Websites |
4.2 |
5,943 |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
4.2 |
842 |
| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
3.9 |
1,359 |
| Real Clear Politics |
3.8 |
1,794 |
| Newsmax.com |
3.8 |
3,375 |
| washingtonpost.com |
3.7 |
9,204 |
| Zwire |
3.7 |
1,539 |
| TWC News Websites ^ |
3.7 |
1,110 |
| USAToday.com |
3.7 |
10,785 |
| ksl.com |
3.6 |
754 |
| Hearst Newspapers Digital |
3.5 |
7,955 |
| Gannett Broadcasting |
3.4 |
4,735 |
^ Indicates Home and Work audience duplication projections did not meet minimum sample size standards. Combined home and work audience estimates for these sites may exhibit increased variability month-to-month as a result.
May 20, 2008
Nielsen @Plan: Newspaper Sites Attract Affluent, Politically Interested Visitors
Data from Nielsen's @Plan service highlighted that newspaper Web site visitors are more politically engaged than their Internet counterparts. The data also indicates that people who read newspaper Web sites are more affluent and multi-media savvy than the online audience as whole.
May 09, 2008
Zooming In on Online Video: A Development & Growth Guide
Last year, research from the Newspaper Association of America revealed that the majority of newspaper Web sites features video. Results from this 2008 NAA survey, which looks more closely at the area, show newspapers' video operations are quite extensive. This is a pleasant and encouraging surprise from an industry going through a difficult period of change.
To help newspapers further develop their video initiatives, NAA has developed a guide to online video.
April 23, 2008
Some Newspaper Web Sites Reaching 20 Percent of Their Market
Scarborough releases Newspaper Audience Ratings Report
Just in case you missed it, Scarborough Research yesterday released their 2008 Newspaper Audience Ratings Report, which shows print newspaper, online and total audience ratings for 161 newspapers in the U.S.
Some of the newspapers’ Web sites in more tech-friendly/tech-heavy markets are reaching almost 20 percent of the market (or more!), which is great! It’s not as much as the print newspaper, of course, but it’s healthy and growing. Those include Austin American-Statesman (19 percent), The Washington Post (22 percent), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (18 percent), The San Diego Union-Tribune (18 percent), and several others that had 16 or 17 percent.
April 15, 2008
Study: Consumers Combine Web, Print to Evaluate Purchases
The following is from this morning's press release from NAA and Google:
New consumer research conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo and commissioned by Google indicates that consumers frequently combine use of newspapers and the Internet to evaluate and make purchases, the Newspaper Association of America said today.
According to the study, among people who research products and services after seeing them advertised in newspapers, two-thirds (67 percent) use the Internet to find more information. Of that group, nearly 70 percent of consumers actually make a purchase following their additional research.
For more information, see the full press release (coming really soon) in the NAA.org press center.
April 14, 2008
Newspaper Web Sites Attract Record Audiences In First Quarter
Newspaper Web sites attracted more than 66.4 million unique visitors on average (40.7 percent of all Internet users) in the first quarter of 2008, a record number that represents a 12.3 percent increase over the same period a year ago, according to a custom analysis provided by Nielsen Online for the Newspaper Association of America.
April 09, 2008
Borrell: Newspaper-Owned Web Sites Dominate Local Ad Space
The following is part of a Newspaper Association of America press release issued this morning. The full release will be at www.naa.org/presscenter later today.
Newspaper-owned Web sites maintained a three-to-one lead over other local competitors in advertising market share last year, capturing 26.9 percent of the market, according to data from Borrell Associates’ fifth annual local online revenue survey. The study examined more than 3,000 local web operations.
“This survey provides further proof that local advertisers recognize newspaper Web sites as an indispensable way to reach their best customers,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “The trusted name brand, quality content and desirable audience delivered by the medium’s digital properties are critical to advertisers in today’s crowded media landscape.”
According to the survey, newspaper-owned Web sites earned more than $2 billion in local online advertising revenue in 2007, a figure that surpasses all local online media companies combined and represents a 27 percent share of the total local online ad market. Local Yellow Pages and television Web sites were next with 9.5 percent of the market each, while radio stations captured 2.1 percent.
The survey indicates that video, the fastest growing segment of local online advertising, generated $363 million in 2007, with local online advertisers expected to spend $1.2 billion in 2008 (nearly a four-fold increase). Newspaper-owned Web sites have seized a foothold in this area as well, with a 26 percent share of all local online video advertising – more than any other local competitor.
March 28, 2008
Online Ad Revenue on Newspaper Sites Jumps 19 Percent in 2007
From an NAA press release today:
Advertising expenditures for newspaper Web sites increased by 18.8 percent to $3.2 billion in 2007, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. Spending on newspaper Web sites has now grown to account for 7.5 percent of all newspaper ad spending last year (up from 5.7 percent in 2006).
For last year’s fourth quarter, advertising expenditures for newspaper Web sites increased by 13.6 percent to $847 million versus the same period a year ago, marking the thirteenth consecutive quarter of double digit growth for online newspaper advertising since NAA started reporting online ad spending in 2004.
Read more of the press release here…
March 19, 2008
Nielsen Online Names Top 30 News Sites
The following is data from Nielsen Online on the top 30 sites in the “News” category based on February 2008 traffic. This data takes into account U.S. home and work Internet usage, and it shows both unique visitors to each brand or channel and sessions per person. For more information about the sourcing of this data, please visit www.netratings.com.
Nielsen Online is providing these data sets to the Newspaper Association of America on a monthly basis.
Top 30 Online Current Events & Global News Destinations, ranked by Sessions per Person
Brand or channel; sessions per person; unique audience (000)
1. drudgereport.com; 19.9; 3,445
2. Daily Kos^; 8.9; 1,204
3. Fox News Digital Network; 8.3; 10,177
4. CNN Digital Network; 7.9; 37,181
5. AOL News; 7.7; 21,119
6. Yahoo! News; 7.4; 35,274
7. MSNBC Digital Network; 6.4; 34,013
8. ksl.com^; 6.0; 796
9. Breitbart.com; 5.3; 2,674
10. Google News; 5.3; 12,050
11. Gannett Newspapers and Newspaper Division; 5.1; 13,998
12. NYTimes.com; 4.9; 18,975
13. Netscape; 4.8; 2,709
14. Townhall.com; 4.7; 1,152
15. Media General Newspapers; 4.6; 1,761
16. GTGI Network 4.5; 1,345
17. Star Tribune; 4.3; 2,108
18. TWC News Websites; 4.1; 840
19. NewsMax.com; 4.0; 4,054
20. Zwire^; 3.9; 1,089
21. Cox Newspapers; 3.9; 5,197
22. washingtonpost.com; 3.8; 10,441
23. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; 3.8; 1,259
24. The Buffalo News^; 3.7; 502
25. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; 3.6; 1,472
26. MediaNews Group Newspapers; 3.5; 5,850
27. USATODAY.com; 3.5; 10,571
28. WorldNow 3.5; 10,588
29. IB Websites; 3.4; 7,565
30. St. Louis Post Dispatch^; 3.4; 1,022
^ Indicates Home and Work audience duplication projections did not meet minimum sample size standards. Combined home and work audience estimates for these sites may exhibit increased variability month-to-month as a result.
This data, also from Nielsen Online, shows the monthly traffic and other data for newspaper-based Web sites for February 2008:
66,456,096 – monthly unique audience for newspaper sites, an increase of 13.2 percent (year over year)
41 percent – active reach, an increase of 9.4 percent (year over year)
3,064,613,644 – total page views on newspaper sites, an increase of 8.5 percent (year over year)
46.05 – page views per person
January 24, 2008
Newspaper Online Audience Continues to Grow
The Newspaper Association of America and Nielsen Online this morning announced the unique audience for newspaper Web sites grew significantly in 2007. From the press release:
"Average monthly unique audience figures for newspaper Web sites grew by more than 3.6 million in 2007, a record year for the industry and an increase of more than six percent over 2006 numbers....
January 23, 2008
Testing EveryBlock...
Hooray for a journalism-related, database-driven map mash-up that really shows how it should be done!
 EveryBlock launched this week in Chicago, plus New York and San Francisco. The site “filters an assortment of local news by location so you can keep track of what’s happening on your block, in your neighborhood and all over your city,” according to the site.
Here’s an excerpt from the site’s launch announcement:
“’What's happening in my neighborhood?’
“For a long time, that's been a tough question to answer. In dense, bustling cities like Chicago, New York and San Francisco, the number of daily media reports, government proceedings and local Internet conversations is staggering. Every day, a wealth of local information is created -- officials inspect restaurants, journalists cover fires and Web users post photographs -- but who has time to sort through all of that?
“Our mission at EveryBlock is to solve that problem. We aim to collect all of the news and civic goings-on that have happened recently in your city, and make it simple for you to keep track of news in particular areas. We're a geographic filter -- a "news feed" for your neighborhood, or, yes, even your block.”
But instead of just doing a Google maps mash-up with local news stories from mainstream media outlets or user-contributed content, the EveryBlock team has gone into government databases (think real estate, building permits, crime, restaurant inspections, etc.) and Flickr photos, “missed connections” from craigslist, reviews from Yelp and more. And, of course, they have more to come.
 I searched around my old stomping grounds in Chicago (zip code 60616, near the intersection of 18th and Indiana Ave. just south of downtown). When I expected a map to come up after clicking ‘search’, I got a list – a really long, but very easily readable list – that included one restaurant inspection, 17 recent crimes, four business licenses, seven business reviews (all of these had addresses, by the way). Plus, the page included listings for similar categories from yesterday and several days past. Some days had listings of Flickr photos and news articles, too.
Clicking on a crime item led to a page with a map (of course) and details about the incident. Clicking on the news article led to a page with a map, a summary of the story and a link to the story on the original Web site (probably a key negotiating component for EveryBlock). You can also click on the date to get back to all the EveryBlock content from that day, click on the map to find more stuff and more.
Though the list format seems to be the default choice when you search on a zip code or address, the easily accessible map tab brings you to a map with dots – click on a dot to find out more, and click on the categories on the left to switch what’s shown on the map.
This is more powerful than other map-based journalistic applications I’ve seen because of the number of layers here – it’s more than just news and Google ads like YourStreet; it goes far beyond crime (one of Adrian’s earlier projects was ChicagoCrime.org, and several newspapers have done similar projects); it does more than reviews. But even with all the layers, the navigation makes the information manageable and interesting. This site is capital-I impressive. I’m a huge believer in the journalistic power of databases (thanks to some influential thinking from Rob Curley, Levi Chronister and Rich Gordon), and this is a great demonstration of that.
Holovaty, who worked on this project thanks to a Knight News Challenge grant, is the subject of a Poynter.org Al’s Morning Meeting today. (The interview is a quick-read.)
It’s not entirely unrealistic (ok, perhaps aside from expenses…) for a dedicated group of developers and journalists to build this for their own news site – the relationships with the local government should already be in place, and there are a ton of business opportunities here: advertisers can purchase dots, for example, that link to coupons.
I got to work with Adrian Holovaty and a little bit with Wilson Miner in Lawrence, Kan. several years ago – they’re both unbelievably smart and truly nice people. I don’t know Paul Smith and Daniel X. O’Neil, but if they hang with Adrian and Wilson, they must be really talented and cool people, too. Congratulations to all of them on the launch.
January 14, 2008
The Engagement Problem
comScore announces new metrics service
In today's Online Publishing Update, I included a quote from a column by comScore Chief Research Officer Josh Chasin. In his column, which ran in the Washington Post this weekend, Chasin argues in favor of the "engagement" metric for measuring Web sites.
October 31, 2007
Still Growing! Online Audience for Newspaper.coms Increases
Newspapers have big feet, study says
We've just released a lot of good data and information to put in your print and online sales team's arsenal.
More than 59.6 million people visited newspaper Web sites in July 2007, a nine percent increase over the same period a year ago and the second largest monthly audience since NAA began tracking these numbers in 2004 (May 2007 ranks first with nearly 60.3 million visitors). The figure is part of the fall 2007 Newspaper Audience Database (NAdbase) report released today by the Newspaper Association of America.
The full press release is available here.
In related news, NAA released a study on the "newspaper footprint" showing that... well, newspapers have really big feet: Based on an analysis of Scarborough Research data, "nearly eight in 10 adults (77 percent) read a newspaper in print or online each week. The analysis also provides a portrait of the readers behind the numbers, ranging from online purchasing decisions to household income and education level."
Here are a few quick highlights from the Newspaper Footprint study:
- Eighty-five percent of individuals with a household income of $100,000 or more read a newspaper in print or online each week.
- Newspaper readers are highly educated – nearly nine in 10 adults (89 percent) with a post-graduate degree read a newspaper in print or online each week (as did 84 percent of college graduates).
- Newspapers’ weekly footprint reached more than eight in 10 adults (82 percent) who made online purchases in the last year.
- Consumers planning to purchase a new vehicle rely on newspapers for advertising information. Eight in 10 (81 percent) of those planning to spend $35,000 or more on a new car read a newspaper in print or online in the last seven days.
- Newspapers reach consumers who have long grocery store receipts. Nearly eight in 10 adults (78 percent) who spent $150 or more on groceries in the past seven days read a newspaper in print or online during the same time period.
- Newspapers’ weekly footprint reaches 84 percent of adults with a home valued at $300,000 or more.
If you're interested in learning more about newspapers' online operations, we released a report called "Newspapers' Online Operations: Performance Report" last week. NAA based the findings on close to 180 surveys newspaper digital media professionals answered. The executive summary and links to the full study are available through the Oct. 24 Digital Edge blog entry.
Later today, NAA is hosting a Webinar called "Creating a World-Class Sales and Marketing Team." The Webinar is at 2 p.m. ET, and registration is still open. (The registration page includes more info on what the Webinar is about.)
October 24, 2007
Newspapers' Online Operations: Performance Report 2006 Released
The following is the Executive Summary from the "Newspapers' Online Operations: Performance Report 2006," released today by the Newspaper Association of America....
August 31, 2007
Online Expenditures at Newspaper Web Sites Up Again
Again, things aren't so bad. NAA put out a news release today stating the following: "Advertising expenditures for newspaper Web sites increased by 19.3 percent to $796 million in the second quarter versus the same period a year ago, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America....
August 17, 2007
Newspaper Web Site Traffic Going Up. Down. Sideways. Diagonally?
Shorenstein study shows mixed results; bloggers criticize traffic numbers
"So USAToday.com traffic is either up, down, or down a lot over the past few months. Take your pick." -- Recovering Journalist blogger Mark Potts
August 15, 2007
News Consumers Show 'Brand Promiscuity'
McKinsey data: News consumers use 12 to 16 brands for news weekly
News consumers divide their sources among 12 to 16 brands each week on average, including television, the Web, magazines, newspapers and radio. The McKinsey Group refers to it as “brand promiscuity.”
July 23, 2007
Another Record-Breaking Quarter for Newspaper.coms
If you visit newspaper Web sites, you deserve credit for helping break yet another online traffic record. In the second quarter of 2007, more than 59 million people – that’s 37.3 percent of all active Internet users) – visited newspaper Web sites based on monthly averages.
May 30, 2007
Audience Building Initiative: Asbury Park Press' DataUniverse
The Asbury Park Press has established a section of its Web site called “DataUniverse,” which consists of searchable databases of public records, such as public employee salaries, criminal convictions, crime reports and property assessments. In five months since DataUniverse went live in December 2006, it generated more than 25 million page views. DataUniverse is the subject of the most recent Audience Building Initiative case study from Prof. Rich Gordon of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
May 07, 2007
Nielsen//NetRatings Data Highlights Attractiveness of Newspaper Web Site Audience
More on the Newspaper Story from NAA
Today, the Newspaper Association of America released new information from Nielsen//NetRatings’ @Plan service about the attractive newspaper Web site audience. Nielsen//NetRatings based their analysis and data on 25 markets across the United States. Over the past several years, NAA has sponsored research to support the online newspaper value propostion, with a focus on the characteristics of online newspaper users. Below is a summary of findings from some of that earlier research.
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