The rise of social media, mobile commerce and the daily deals platform are driving significant growth in online local advertising, reports BIA/Kelsey's U.S. Local Media Annual Forecast.
Online ad revenues are estimated to reach $42.5 billion by 2015, nearly twice the $21.7 billion reported in 2010. That increase represents a compound annual growth rate of 14.4 percent.
As local advertisers increasingly rely on the Web and mobile devices to reach consumers, BIA/Kelsey predicts that digital media will represent 23.6 percent of all local ad spending by 2015. Local advertising is defined in the report as local spending by small and medium-sized businesses and national and regional advertisers making local buys.
Key drivers of local online ad spending indicated in the forecast include the following:
This year's forecast presents a comprehensive view of the local media landscape, consisting of 12 key segments: newspapers, direct mail, television, radio, print Yellow Pages, out of home (non-digital), cable television, magazines, online/interactive, mobile, Internet Yellow Pages and other interactive revenues generated by traditional media players.
Overall, local ad spending is expected to reach $153.5 billion in 2015, up from $136.3 billion in 2010 and representing a 2.1 percent growth rate.