NBC Local Media, which runs ten large-market sites including NBCNewYork.com and NBCChicago.com, said today it’s seen steady audience growth over the last year — up 32% in page views and up 20% in unique visitors.
NBC says the growth is fueled in part by the sites’ integration with social media, from its shareable “mood” ratings (above) to its “show off” module, which lets users posts photos and short messages. Referrals from Facebook and Twitter grew from 2% of total referrals in August ’09 to 8% in August ’10, NBC Local said in a press release.
“It’s encouraging to see such strong site performance, and especially as it relates to our social media gains,” said Greg Scholl, President of Local Platforms, NBC Local Media. “Our momentum not only reflects new product investments, but also the fact that our local news organizations have embraced expanding well beyond our core local broadcast business to provide our audiences with the information they seek.”
Even though NBC Local’s sites are tied to their broadcast properties, they’re a huge divergence from the traditional television site, targeting a younger demographic with more entertainment and “city guide” fare — and a noticeable lack of TV branding.
(Full disclosure: I work for msnbc.com, which is half-owned by NBC)
