Digital ad spend in the U.S. is expected to surpass television ad spending in 2016 according to a recent forecast from Mana Global.
This should not come as a surprise to Web pros of course, as they see firsthand how content consumption on desktop and mobile devices keeps growing. Garrett Gan, of ad network directory service Thalamus, notes that the current digital advertising landscape is very strong.
"Unless there is some major crash in the market (due to rising Fed interest rates, and as a corollary, a contraction in the economy) then digital advertising will only continue to grow," said Gan. "Even if there is a bump in the economy, this could mean more dollars flowing toward the more trackable and measurable mediums of digital and mobile advertising."
The digital advertising industry is growing, but that doesn't mean advertisers and publishers aren't facing significant challenges. Fragmentation, attribution and adblocking technology (learn more at ), for example, are just a few of the virtual hurdles advertisers will be forced to address in 2016.
Fortunately, Web professionals can make sure they are prepared for these challenges and other industry developments by regularly visiting Website Magazine's Internet Advertising channel at . In the meantime, discover just how much you know about digital advertising by taking February's Quiz Time:
1. True or False: Native ad guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) state that labels such as "advertisement" are necessary and need to be prominent upon first contact with the consumer.
Cheat sheet:
2. Which social network unveiled a "Brand Hub" in 2015 to make it easier for advertisers to understand their share of conversation across digital channels?
a. Facebook
b. Twitter
c. Instagram
d. Pinterest
Cheat sheet: wsm.co/brandhub16
3. Approximately what percentage of mobile in-app inventory is fraudulent?
a. 7 percent
b. 38 percent
c. 51 percent
d. 72 percent
Cheat sheet: wsm.co/inappad
4. True or False: Advertisers will pay five times as much to target someone by age/gender.
Cheat sheet: wsm.co/mastarget
5. Due to ad-blocking software, how much revenue is forecasted to be blocked in the U.S. by 2016?
a. $72.5 million
b. $392.1 million
c. $13.6 billion
d. $20.3 billion
Cheat sheet: wsm.co/adblock16
Answers:
1. True
2. b - Twitter
3. b - 38 percent
4. False
5. d - $20.3 billion