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Blogging loses appeal for US teenagers

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A U.S. study has indicated that US teenagers are losing interest in blogging and switching to shorter and more mobile forms of communication.

Blogging loses appeal for US teenagers - But teens are not using Twitter in large numbers. While teens were bigger users of almost all other online applications, Twitter was an exception, the study found.

Blogging loses appeal for US teenagers – Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

The number of 12 to 17-year-olds in the US who blog has halved to 14% since 2006, according to a survey for the Pew Internet and American Life Project. It suggests they prefer making short postings on social networking sites, and going online on mobile phones.

But the study also found a modest rise in blogging by those aged 30 and older. The increase from 7% in 2007 to 11% in 2009 is believed to be responsible for the prevalence of blogging within the overall adult internet population remaining steady at roughly 10%.

Micro-blogging

The study released on Wednesday found that blogging had steadily declined in popularity among both teens and young adults to 14%.

As the tools and technology embedded in social networking sites changed, and use of the sites continued to grow, young people appeared to be exchanging “macro-blogging” for “micro-blogging” with status updates, it concluded.

Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher for Pew and the lead author of the study, told the Associated Press that the ability to do status updates had “kind of sucked the life out of long-form blogging”.

More young people – 55% of 18-29 year-olds and 27% of 12-17 year-olds – were also accessing the internet from their mobile phones, increasing the need for brevity. One student said teenagers had lost interest in blogging because they needed to type quickly and “people don’t find reading that fun”.

But teens are not using Twitter in large numbers. While teens were bigger users of almost all other online applications, Twitter was an exception, the study found.

Ms Lenhart doubts that blogging will disappear. She believes those who blog for personal reasons will instead focus more often on important events such as a wedding, a trip or the birth of baby.

Source: BBC

Social sites eclipse e-mail use

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Social network sites such as Facebook and MySpace are now more popular than personal e-mail, finds a report.

The Nielsen survey of users’ habits found that 67% of all those going online were spending time at social network and blogging sites.

Social sites eclipse e-mail use - Facebook is grabbing more and more of web users' time.

Social sites eclipse e-mail use – Facebook is grabbing more and more of web users’ time.

Interest in the category is growing four times faster than the other top four sectors, said the report. In the UK one in every six minutes of the average web user is spent at a social site, it found.

“Social networking has become a fundamental part of the global online experience,” said John Burbank, chief executive of Nielsen Online in a statement.

“Social networking will continue to alter not just the global online landscape, but the consumer experience at large,” he said.

Nielsen measures interest in categories by the percentage of the web audience that regularly visit such sites. The latest statistics suggest that 65.1% of web users use web e-mail but 66.8% are turning up at social network sites.

This means, said Nielsen, that about one in every 11 minutes a web user is online is spent at one of the sites Nielsen counts in its “Member Communities” category which includes both blogs and social network sites.

Of these sites, Facebook has highest average time per user, found Nielsen.

The researchers also found that social networking sites are managing to reach a very broad swathe of web users. The fastest growing segment of users turning up and using social sites over the last year was among 35-49 year olds.

In particular, the report noted, almost a quarter of Facebook’s users were known to be over 50 years old.

More and more people want to get at their favourite social site and update via mobile, found Nielsen. In the UK the numbers of Britons looking at a social site via their phone was up 249%.

Source: BBC

25 social interaction metrics or how to measure your social media marketing campaign

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by Claudia “Havi” Goffan

How do we measure the effectiveness of your brand's social media marketing campaigns?

How do we measure the effectiveness of your brand’s social media marketing campaigns?

Social media has evolved into an every day way of interaction and communication for a large part of the population. And this evolution started in the last century when social media commenced amidst the original chats in chatrooms and blogs. The first blog was created in the late 1980’s: http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/ and it is still alive and well today. Online dating sites, also a part of social media, started with online chats and became famous in 1988 with the movie “You’ve Got Mail”. In 2008, one out of nine couples that got married that year, actually met online. It is expected that the U.S. online dating market will reach $932 million in 2011.

Companies are starting 2010 with sparkling new social media campaigns and everybody knows it’s about the engagement, right? So, how do we measure the effectiveness of your brand’s social media marketing campaigns?

The ultimate approach to social media marketing campaign measurement will look at the things that really matter: sales, profits, customer satisfaction and loyalty. But that may take some time and you need to know how to gage the effectiveness of your social media marketing campaign to see if you are headed in the right direction in order to meet those objectives. Therefore, I wanted to share with you 25 social interaction metrics of key performance indicators to use with your social media marketing campaign. This is not an exhaustive list neither it is listed by order of importance and each social media marketer needs to identify the ones that are most suited for them.

I hope you find them useful and that you feel free to share additional ones with us and with our readers.

  1. CTR
  2. Re-Tweets/Mash-ups/Re-posting
  3. Bookmarks
  4. Comments
  5. Downloads
  6. Email / newsletter subscriptions
  7. Number of Fans/Followers
  8. Feedback
  9. Forward to a friend/Invite / Refer
  10. Amount of Group activity/interaction
  11. Number of downloads or widget installations
  12. Key page post-activity
  13. Ratings
  14. Onsite Messaging
  15. Posts
  16. Number of Registered users (new / total / active / dormant / churn)
  17. Report spam / abuse
  18. Reviews/ Testimonials
  19. Social media sharing / participation (activity on key social media sites, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc)
  20. Tagging (user-generated metadata)
  21. Time spent on key pages
  22. Time spent on site (by source / by entry page)
  23. Total contributors (and % active contributors)
  24. Uploads (add an item, e.g. articles, links, images, videos)
  25. Views (videos, ads, rich images)

Mega News 1st and Only Interactive News in Hispanic TV

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Mega News ‘Edicion Nocturna’ 1st and Only Interactive News in Hispanic Television’

What: Mega TV is proud to be the first and only Hispanic broadcaster to have a news show that gives the community and audience a voice in its content and reporting. “Edicion Nocturna,” airs on Mega News and uses the Internet and new media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Skype to give audiences the opportunity to report live and be a part of the news.

How: Hosted by journalist Fernando Del Rincon, one of the most respected political analysts in Mexico and the United States, Mega News “Edicion Nocturna” uses Skype, a free Internet service, to allow the audience to participate via Webcam from anywhere around the world. Twitter and Facebook also play an important role in the way the audience can interact live with the news. Host Del Rincon reads the public’s Tweets on the show as they are submitted.

Several audience interactions have already been successful. A Facebook user recently commented on the controversy of the video of child actors in Puerto Rico who were playing with weapons on Factor Del Rincon News’ Facebook page, essentially turning this viewer into a Web news reporter. The video caused a legal investigation by the island’s Government because they did not know if the weapons were real. Additionally, through the use of Skype, viewers spoke about the Maras and their possible relationship as role models that the children actors in Puerto Rico follow.

“This is a stepping stone for future generations of the media. I feel proud to be a pioneer and a channel of the people’s voice,” said journalist and TV host Fernando Del Rincon.

When: Every Monday through Friday at 10:30 P.M. ET / 7:30 P.M. PT, and 11:30 P.M. in Puerto Rico.

Where: Mega TV Channel 22, Channel 57 in West Palm Beach, Channel 32 in Las Vegas, Channel 169 on DirecTV in Puerto Rico, Channel 30 in Puerto Rico, Channel 38.2 in Orlando, Channel 36.2 in Tampa, Florida, Channel 40.2 in Charleston, Channel 19.2 in Palm Springs, CA, and Channel 405 on DirecTV Mas in the main cities of the United States.

www.mega.tv

SOURCE Spanish Broadcasting System

‘Frente a la Crisis – Facing the Crisis’

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Economy crisis impact on Latinos examined in new Radio Bilingue series

Families across the nation are feeling the dire effects of the current economic crisis but probably none more so than Latinos, who may be the hardest hit by job loss, home foreclosures, loss of health insurance and deeper poverty – topics that are the focus of a new national series by Radio Bilingue: “Frente a la Crisis/Facing the Crisis.”

Economy crisis impact on Latinos examined in new Radio Bilingue series

Economy crisis impact on Latinos examined in new Radio Bilingue series

This comprehensive, multimedia series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The California Endowment. “Frente a la Crisis/Facing the Crisis” takes an inside look at the effects of the economic crisis in the Latino community, and is airing on Satelite Radio Bilingue’s nationally-distributed news and talk services, Linea Abierta and Edicion Semanaria de Noticiero Latino.

Linea Abierta broadcasts daily at noon and Edicion Semanaria airs weekly on Fridays at 4 p.m. — each featuring weekly episodes of the series over a twelve month period that began in September.

Linea Abierta broadcasts weekly talk shows on the economy, featuring roundtable discussions and interviews with newsmakers, and Edicion Semanaria airs in-depth feature reports, on issues ranging from health insurance loss, to accessing food to green jobs.

In addition, the national coverage will include visits by the Linea Abierta team to the epicenters of the recession to broadcast stories from the communities hardest hit by the economy. The live broadcasts will portray on the national airwaves outstanding efforts at the local level, including community-organizing initiatives, citizen ideas and government programs to help workers and homeowners get out of the economic crisis. The network’s online platforms also are being used as part of the informational media campaign.

In Central California — ground zero for joblessness and foreclosures in the nation — the project includes a specialized look at the impact of unemployment on Latinos through live talk shows, promotional spots and educational messages on employment issues and services.

Radio Bilingue is working with community partners to connect Spanish-speaking Latinos with resources to navigate the unemployment insurance system, apply for benefits, learn about eligibility requirements, emergency compensation, extended benefits, reemployment services, self-employment and small business help.

Funds are provided by: The California Endowment, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, James Irvine Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and ZeroDivide Foundation.

www.radiobilingue.org

Source: Radio Bilingue