December 21, 2011
by jonathan at 2:10 PM
We are always happy to see people using Topix to discuss what matters most to them, especially when it involves civic issues and encourages people to become more involved in the democratic process.
Case in point, a
Topix thread is giving the citizens of Herkimer, NY a forum to discuss a controversial school merger proposal. Though the school board has put forth great effort to hold town hall meetings and information sessions to raise awareness of the pending vote, the citizens of Herkimer have carried the debate online where everyone in town has equal chance to voice their opinion.
Though part of a larger grassroots effort involving Facebook groups and personal websites, the Topix thread serves as a prime example of how administrations as well as individuals can make use of local forums to educate and forward debate on a number of relevant issues.
For more information please read this article from the Herkimer Telegram:
November 16, 2011
by jonathan at 3:40 PM
Topix CEO, Chris Tolles, took part in a recent Street Fight
Summit panel discussion about the increasing relevance of hyperlocal content in
political campaigns.
Chris spoke of how hyperlocal ad inventory becomes a very
valuable commodity during election cycles, "It all of a sudden becomes a place
where there's a lot more inventory -- the folks who are buying it are looking
for good places for it, so those of us in publishing-land have the opportunity
to try to create a good home for that."
Others discussed how politicians have the unique opportunity
to leverage hyperlocal content to speak directly to their constituents. The effect of which could have demonstrable
impact on swing voters in smaller communities.
You can view the discussion in its entirety here:
November 1, 2011
by tolles at 5:29 PM
We commissioned Equation Research to do a survey of over 1,000 people regarding the link between voting and online commenting behaviors, and the results were really interesting.
The research found an increasing number of citizens
turning to each other (versus one-to-many sources such as traditional news
outlets and candidate-driven leaflets, etc.) for guidance on key issues. Research uncovered voters using the Internet
as their preferred venue for this exchange of ideas. Specifically, more than two-thirds
(68 percent) of voters use the Internet as their primary source of information
about candidates and political issues, second only to television (78 percent). Online
news also ranked the most helpful political information source, with 89 percent
of respondents calling it somewhat or extremely useful
Even more surprising, more than a quarter of voters (27
percent) participate in political discussions or debates online.
Other key findings include:
- The primary reason voters participate in online
political discussions is that participants dissect issues in greater depth than
traditional media (81 percent of those active online somewhat or completely
agreed).
- Over half of all respondents agreed online
discussions provide an array of opinions, not just extreme sides. This number
jumped to 89 percent when asked of those who actively participate in online
discussions.
- 24 percent of voters agree somewhat or completely that online conversations drive
their vote. Of those that participate in political debate online, 58 percent
say the conversations drive their vote
The research also addressed political advertising. 68 percent of those active in
political conversations online say they are more likely to pay attention to
advertising on a site where they participate in political discussion and
debate. Two out of five voters say they are more likely to see political
advertising as credible if it is on a website that has both positive and
negative commentary about the candidate.
And, 48 percent of voters ranked the Internet as the second most
impactful advertising medium, second only to television (66 percent).
For the 2011 Politics Online Report, Topix and its partner
Equation Research surveyed 1,008
U.S. residents, over 18 who vote in
elections. The mean age of respondents was 44 with a mean income of $70,000
annually.
Here's an infographic of the results (click on it for a human readable version :-)
And a great writeup by Read Write Web of this and other information from Digitas:
October 5, 2011
by jonathan at 1:35 PM
A recent study shows that top news sites are attracting a large female audience. According to the report Topix has the largest percentage of women readers of all the news aggregators as they make up 56.2% of our overall audience.
These stats should be of particular interest to politicians who are increasingly trying to find ways of garnering the female vote. Luckily Topix provides a perfect venue for candidates to speak directly to their constituents and potential voters have equal footing to engage in the conversation.
View the results of the study here:
July 6, 2011
by jonathan at 10:09 AM
Tom Grubisich from
Street Fight has posted an interesting article about the struggle hyperlocal sites such as Topix face when trying to increase engagement of their users.
July 5, 2011
by jonathan at 8:54 AM
A recent survey conducted by Topix about the state of local advertising has garnered some interest from the press. Below are three articles outlining the results of the survey and an interview with Topix CEO, Chris Tolles discussing the role that Topix plays in this geo-targeted rush for advertisers to reach local markets.
February 11, 2011
by tolles at 5:28 PM
Mathew Ingram at GigaOM talked to me this week, and I think he hit all the salient point about how local ads monetize best in a local context -- 4X better -- and how hard it is to grow local traffic
If you follow Topix - this is a great piece...
February 1, 2011
by amy at 1:46 PM
It's not just awards season in Hollywood. Topix has just won a prize of its own.
A winner in the Consumer Services: Community Platform category, Topix is the largest local online community in the U.S.
This year's OnMedia winners were selected based on "the innovative nature of the company; the impact that we thought their products might have on their respective markets; and their ability to leave a lasting impression on our audience."
Also, don't miss Topix CEO Chris Tolles tomorrow morning in the OnMedia panel: "Growing Revenue by Staying Local."
Meanwhile, this VentureBeat story makes some mighty fine reading, Topix Sees Its Future in Politics.
While there's no red carpet, you can still check out all of the OnMedia 2011 Winners here.
December 10, 2010
by jonathan at 2:56 PM
Countless times we have heard from our users how they would love to leave their houses but are afraid they might miss something happening in their favorite forum. Now our intrepid devotees can once again take a walk around the block without losing the ability to converse virtually with their friends and neighbors (yes we can appreciate the irony.)
Announcing the release of a brand new Topix iPhone app.
All the great features from Topix.com are right there in the
app. Quickly and easily log into the Topix forums, read and reply to threads,
or start your own. Participate in local threads or check out the most popular
discussions from over 360,000 forums available on Topix.
The app will even notify you if someone
replies to one of your posts. So you will never miss a thing.
The Topix iPhone app is available in the App Store now. Grab
it here and take your talk on the road.
December 3, 2010
by jonathan at 2:39 PM
Retailers are predicting a 2.5% increase in holiday sales over last year but the economy is far from recovered and with the national unemployment rate hitting a 7 month high at 9.8% it makes sense that people would want to be frugal this year
.
We decided to ask our users if their spending habits have changed since that last time Santa made his rounds.
So far the results indicate that the majority of respondents will be holding their pennies in a vice again this year.
To weigh in with your own 2 cents (or less if you can't afford it)
click here.
Happy Holidays from Topix
