Micro-blogging emerges as driver of Mobile Internet usage:

NOVARRA, the Internet Mobility company, has today revealed that micro-blogging  sites such as Twitter are introducing new consumers to internet via mobile and driving significant usage, with page views of bit.ly and tinyurl.com having grown by 1068 per cent to date in 2009.

The growth supports the findings of Novarra’s latest Mobile Internet Experience Update (October 2009) which noted that page views of Twitter grew 3500 per cent in the first half of 2009. Tiny URLs and bit.ly links - shortened URL services regularly used in tweets - are often used to share online content via Twitter and other micro-blogging services because the shortened web links fit easily into 140 character SMS messages. The surge in their use shows that links shared in micro-blogs are becoming an increasingly important driver of internet use via mobile and a catalyst for bringing new mobile users online.

Novarra’s data indicates that neither bit.ly or tinyurl.com were in the top 1000 sites accessed on the mobile at the start of 2009, but the tenfold growth this year has seen them skyrocket in the rankings. UK mobile users lead the way, with tinyurl.com now ranking in the top 200 sites accessed last month.

Randy Cavaiani, vice president of marketing at Novarra commented on the findings: “The growth in mobile traffic to sites that shorten URLs demonstrates that Twitter is a great viral tool for exposing consumers to new and interesting content. Much of the content shared this way is from ‘long tail’ sites that are personally relevant and important to consumers and their circle of friends.” Regards….. Toby, IT Bloke – London.