Content is still king, says Online Publishers Association

Research released by the Online Publishers Association says that, despite the growth of social networking, content is still king. Internet users continue to spend the majority of their time with content sites and the time they're spending is coming at the expense of e-mail and instant messaging. There's been a 24% increase between 2003 and 2009 in time on content sites such as NYTimes.com and ESPN.com.

“In the six years that the IAI has reported on how consumers are spending their time online, we have seen some significant shifts, most notably the emergence of Community,” said Pam Horan, president of the OPA. "While Community has grown, data from the IAI proves that Content is still king; these sites continue to be a place where consumers spend the majority of their online time and provide an environment for brand marketers to reach and engage with consumers.”

Category	2003 Avg *	2009 YTD	Change in Share
Content	34%	42%	+24%
Communications	46%	27%	-41%
Commerce	16%	13%	-19%
Community	N/A	13%	N/A
Search	3%	5%	+67%
*Note: 2003 average is May through December 2003, and 2009 average is January through May 2009.