LGBTs more receptive to blogs than heterosexuals

Gay and lesbian Internet users read more blogs than their heterosexual counterparts, according to a survey by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications.

by Helen Leggatt

Not only do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) Internet users read more blogs than heterosexuals, they are also more receptive to the advertising therein. Fifty-one percent of LGBT Internet users read blogs, compared with just 36% of heterosexuals.

Other findings include:

• 28% of online LGBT adults reported reading news and current issue blogs, compared with 19% of heterosexuals.

• More than a quarter (26%) of online LGBT adults read entertainment and pop culture blogs, compared with 11% of heterosexuals.

• Nearly one-quarter (23%) of online LGBT adults said they read political blogs, compared with 14% of heterosexual adults.

• Online LGBT adults are more than twice as likely to be more positive toward ads on blogs (19%) than heterosexuals (8%).

• 27% of online LGBT adults reported posting a comment on a blog in the last month, compared with 13% of heterosexuals.

"Blogs are fast shaping the media landscape, and it is one medium that marketers and advertisers can’t afford to ignore, especially when it comes to reaching gay and lesbian influencers, voters and consumers,” said Wes Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications.

Art Epstein at gfn.com gives some great insight into the behaviour of the online LGBT community in an interesting article entitled “We Love Our Blogs… And It Shows”.