WebMD top online health site in July with more than 8M visitors

WebMD top online health site in July with more than 8M visitors

More than 8 million unique visitors logged onto WebMD in July, making it the top online destination for health information, according to Nielsen//NetRatings NetView. According to WebMD CEO Wayne Gattinella, the site's reputation keeps it popular even in a crowded online market. "As an assortment of new commercial health sites launch every month, we see consumers relying more on the credible health sites they already know and trust," Gattinella says. "We expect WebMD traffic to continue to expand as we introduce major site enhancements later this year." MSN Health ranked second to WebMD with 5.3 million unique visitors, followed by About Health & Fitness, with 4.6 million visitors. AOL Health came in fourth with 4.2 million visitors, and drugstore.com rounded out the top five with 3.9 million.

Three Ways to Ride the Long Tail

What Marketers Should Know About Reach, Niches and Big Media in the New Landscape

By Steve Rubel

Published: August 29, 2006

One of this summer's hottest beach reads is "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson. By now you probably already know the book's thesis: The future of creating demand lies not at the head of the curve (e.g., the most popular hits created by Big Media) but rather down the "Long Tail" of niches.

Through rich anecdotes and examples, Anderson does a wonderful job documenting the Long Tail's impact on media and marketing. He makes plain how the blogosphere and online communities are creating an environment where a thousand points of light can outshine the largest of media. However, where the book falls short is in giving marketers a playbook. Here are three ways marketers can thrive in a Long Tail world.

Rethink reach
Reach metrics are the currency of the advertising community. We're obsessed with eyeballs, gross ratings points and page views. But in a Long Tail world, reach has entirely new meaning. Many niche sites, for example, can't hold a candle to the traffic at the head of the media curve. However, what they do have going for them is credibility. If your brand is mentioned five times on a site that your 20 most influential customers trust, that's gold. Word of mouth will only ripple from there.

Fund niches
In the last few years, some niches have crystallized nicely. For example, it's easy to find thriving communities obsessed with BlackBerries and other gadgetry. The same goes for political blogs. Whether you're a Lefty or a Righty, you have a home. However, sometimes the Long Tail doesn't flow down into the niches you care about most. Marketers should play a role in funding the development of communities that give these birds of a feather places to flock together.

Demand more from media
Big Media has done a nice job adapting in the Long Tail environment -- editorially. For example, news sites regularly link to blog posts, photos or videos uploaded by citizens. However, where they're just getting started is in the sales side of the house. The Washington Post took a big step recently when it launched a blog ad network. Demand that your media partners help you find ways to build your brand through niches like the Post does.

~ ~ ~
Steve Rubel is a marketing strategist and blogger. He is senior VP in Edelman's Me2Revolution practice.

Cool, and interesting...

http://www.fypower.org/res/challenge/

Marketers should use online discussion boards to reach moms

Marketers should use online discussion boards to reach moms

Online discussion boards are a great way for marketers to reach out to moms, because this consumer segment relies heavily on word of mouth. According mom marketing agency BSM Media, the majority of moms rely on recommendations to make purchases, reports MediaPost. For example, 64% of moms say they rely on recommendations when buying products for their children and 55% rely on recommendations when buying products for their homes. Moms' reliance on recommendations combined with their Web use--71% say they use the Internet for product information or advice--makes social networking sites and discussion boards the ideal place for marketers to get their brand messages across. Social networking sites continue to pop up online for moms, including a first-of-its-kind blog directory by Johnson & Johnson's Baby division to help moms find each other online. Learn more about marketing to moms on BSM's Web site:

http://www.bsmmedia.com/bsmmediaindex.php

About.com Launches Podcast Series Focused on Heartburn, Acid Reflux; Six-part Program Provides Tips to Consumers on Coping with Heartburn and Acid Reflux

About.com Launches Podcast Series Focused on Heartburn, Acid Reflux; Six-part Program Provides Tips to Consumers on Coping with Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation :

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 2006--About.com has launched a six-part podcast series to educate consumers on how to cope with heartburn and acid reflux disease. The series, sponsored by AstraZeneca, is featured at http://heartburnpodcast.about.com . It will provide listeners with in-depth knowledge on topics such as: What Causes Heartburn; Acid Reflux and Your Diet; How to Talk to Your Doctor about Acid Reflux; Exercising with Acid Reflux; and How Stress Affects Your Acid Reflux.

The series is the first of its kind on About.com. Each podcast will be approximately three to five minutes long and will be distributed monthly on About.com. Older podcasts will remain available to visitors throughout the series.

"Podcasts provide an exciting new format for delivering trusted health information. Users can now choose to listen online or take the information with them," said Marjorie Martin, general manager, ABOUT Health. "This series on heartburn and acid reflux disease should provide the millions of sufferers with the tools to better manage their condition."

Dr. Mona Khanna, M.D., M.P.H. is the program's host. "Dr. Mona" is a quadruple board-certified practicing physician and Emmy award-winning medical correspondent.

"This program is another example of AstraZeneca's commitment to providing support, education and resources to patients to better manage their conditions," said Dana Settembrino, brand communications manager, AstraZeneca. "The podcasts allow us to provide educational information to patients in a unique and creative way."

About.com consistently ranks as a top destination in the online Health & Fitness category for content sites, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. ABOUT Health offers original content on a range of diseases and conditions by way of About.com's unique Guide network. These physicians, medical professionals, patient advocates and authors offer a friendly, pragmatic "voice of reason" on health topics, including women's health, heart disease, pregnancy, diabetes, senior health and others.

About About.com

Founded in 1996, About.com is the leading online source for original consumer information and advice and was acquired in March 2005 by The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2005 revenues of $3.4 billion, which includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals sponsors "For Dummies" book, Web site

Valeant Pharmaceuticals sponsors "For Dummies" book, Web site

Valeant Pharmaceuticals is teaming up with the successful "For Dummies" instructional series to educate patients and promote its new drug Cesamet, which treats chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. The effort includes a special edition book, "Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects for Dummies," and a Web site, ChemoForDummies.com. The site offers a free copy of the book to registrants. Users can also opt-in to receive more information about new treatments. Although the site is not branded to the drug, it does feature Valeant's logo and a link to the corporate site. ChemoForDummies contains very little content about chemotherapy or cancer and instead simply promotes the book. However, the site does include links to outside cancer resources, such as the American Cancer Society. The Cesamet site itself is still under development.

Interesting idea, medicore execution...

http://www.safetytown.com/