digital ad sales

There’s no question that digital advertising is on fire. New data out Thursday from Standard Media Index reveal that while the total U.S. ad market was relatively flat in April, digital media spending exploded as traditional TV advertisers shift their dollars into new media.

Bonten Media Group is a relatively small broadcaster in markets like Abilene, Texas, and Missoula, Mont., but Daria Rachlin, its SVP of digital media, says that’s no excuse to sit on the digital sidelines. In an interview with NetNewsCheck, she explains the particular challenges of smaller markets, especially in crucial areas like mobile, and how essential top executive buy in is for a robust digital future.

The Media Rating Council recently lifted its 18-month-old advisory against selling digital ads based on whether they are measurably viewed by consumers. It’s a move that will likely reshape the $50 billion ad marketplace and pit publishers against brands, while putting in motion a surge in the number of online promotions sold on viewability metrics — pricing that functions on how frequently ads are seen by viewers.

With agencies such as ZenithOptimedia forecasting digital advertising to grow at a compounded annual rate of 16% per year, optimizing digital ad sales operations is going to be one of the best ways for stations to radiate success in 2014 and beyond.

Stations are shortchanging themselves, says Gordon Borrell: “Traditional media’s relentless requirement to do more with less has led to underperformance in the…digital space… While I’d agree that digital media offers product extensions for existing newspaper, cable, TV, radio and magazine customers, I’d also say that a far bigger opportunity exists.”

BuzzBoard, a tablet-based sales tool app tailored to media companies offering SMB-targeted digital marketing services, does all the homework for sales reps, evaluating a client’s current Web presence and performance and allowing reps to pinpoint digitally needy local businesses.

Next year total ad spending in the U.S. will be up 3.5%, according to a forecast released today by ZenithOptimedia. By contrast, digital will grow by 18.1%. That’s triple the growth rate of the second-fastest-growing media, outdoor and cinema, both at 5%. That hot pace is on track with recent years, but what’s more interesting is that digital advertising now accounts for almost a quarter of all media spending, 22%.

Through their local ad sales teams, TV stations have relationships with the 5.6 million small- and medium-size enterprises looking to devote a larger share of the $38 billion they will spend on advertising to digital media next year. Not only can stations provide the display ad opportunities that command a significant portion of the digital ad spend, broadcasters have demonstrated their ability to drive that large number of people who spend their time watching TV to those ads.

Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate WGAL Lancaster, Pa. (DMA 41) has named Jeff Alboum its digital sales manager with responsibility for advertising sales on WGAL’s WGAL.com and WGAL.com mobile. Formerly product […]