“Influential Blog Index” Lists Hill Favorites

Washington - Adfero Group today announced the release of its Influential Blog Report, a comprehensive evaluation of blog activity relating to 17 legislative priorities of the 110th Congress.

Adfero created its first-ever Influential Blog Report to illustrate the blogosphere’s growing impact on the public policy agenda. Key decision makers increasingly use blogs as a primary source of information and as a tool to gauge public opinion.

“There’s no longer any denying the influence of the blogosphere in public policy debates, and this report is a must-read for any company or organization with an interest in engaging Capitol Hill,” said Jeff Mascott, Adfero’s Managing Director. “Organizations simply cannot afford to ignore what is being said online – this discussion has an impact on their legislative agendas, their reputation and ultimately their bottom line.”

Adfero’s Influential Blog Report analyzes blog content relating to 17 policy issues, ranging from immigration to stem cell research. The report summarizes activity for each topic during a 30-day period.

The report also breaks down each issue’s activity on the Adfero Influential Blog Index, a compilation of approximately 350 sites that are frequently read by decision makers on Capitol Hill.

“The Index represents a comparatively small yet extremely influential subsection of the blogosphere,” said Adfero Vice President Matthew Zablud. “Hill staffers are regularly turning to the blogosphere, but are very selective about which sites they read. Organizations must be able to cut through the clutter, and the Adfero Index allows them to focus on the blogs that matter most.”

Criteria for inclusion on the Adfero Influential Blog Index included:
• Focus on policy and/or political issues
• Links on other prominent policy and political blogs
• High influence ranking and traffic levels as determined by Technorati.com
• Presence of political or public affairs-related paid advertising

The Influential Blog Report also features representative excerpts for each issue drawn from blogs included on the Index, along with several case studies detailing how corporations and political campaigns have successfully engaged the blogosphere.

To obtain a copy, visit www.adfero.com/blogreport.

About Adfero Group
Adfero Group is a full-service public affairs firm that delivers high-impact strategic communications and coalition-building programs for associations, corporations, and government officials. The firm sets itself apart by leading with the latest in online and interactive tools, and integrates those elements with strategic messaging, grassroots, earned media and marketing programs for maximum impact. A sample of clients includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AARP, CTIA, NFIB, PhRMA, and over 150 members of Congress. For more information, please visit www.adfero.com.