e-Influentials prefer web to print ~ 2 to 1

“Influentials,” the 10% of the population that leads the other 90%, are over-represented online, according to a Roper survey commissioned by WashingtonPost.com. (If the Post is trying to influence web influentials, why put the findings in 1.2MB PDF?)

The numbers are grim, if you’re stranded in print. When “online influentials” wanted to “learn more about topics that interest me” 87% turned first to the web, with 50% turning second to magazines. For “sharing views and opinions” 51% turned to the web and 19% turned second to newspapers.

But the numbers can be read as negative even for traditional publishers like WP with strong online strategies, says entrepreneur Arnold Kling. He points out “The Roper study appears to be commissioned as a way to help convince advertising agencies to buy on the Web. But the typical Web ads are Old Media, and my guess is that they do not affect the ‘influentials’ very much.” Too bad the Roper folks didn’t think to ask about blogs. (Thanks Hylton.)