A recent report shows that so-called "Influentials" are becoming a force to be reckoned with online. The study, conducted by RoperASW/washingtonpost.com, took the pulse of
3,206 washingtonpost.com visitors who met Roper's definition of an Influential. Through 60 years of RoperASW research, Influentials have proven to be the 10% of the population
that shapes the attitudes and behaviors of the other 90%.
Among the key findings:
- Online Influentials spend more time using the Web (excluding e-mail) than any other media during the week.
- The Internet (56%) and Newspapers (56%) are the top media online Influentials would definitely recommend that advertisers use to reach them -- leading the list of all the
media sources queried. - The Internet is the top media source online Influentials use to research places to visit (86%) and what to buy (82%).
- Two thirds of online Influentials (67%) either are asked for or forward advice and information about products and services.
In previous research, RoperASW found that 82% of Influentials have Web access compared with 52% of the general population, ranking the Internet as a key means of reaching this
group. About 34% of the washingtonpost.com audience qualifies as Influentials. (For a similar study concerning PR executives, see PR NEWS, July 14, 2003).