An article published by EADP outlines the 2008 outlook for local online advertising in the USA, based on a study conducted by Borrell Associates.
The outcome of this study predicts that local online advertising will continue to grow in 2008 but will require a dedicated sales organization to do so. These predictions can be attributed to the rising popularity of local search and the use of online video advertisements.
Most interesting for us, and of course our filmmakers, is the fact that locally placed online videos are set to triple, reaching $1.3 billion!
Here are some of the other key figures presented in the study:

• Local online ad spend is set to increase by 48% in the USA in 2008 (this would bring it to $12.6 billion)
• Local search marketing will reach $5 billion (more than double the previous year)

One of the interesting points made in the study is that local media companies, such as Yellow Pages publishers, will need to invest to create a dedicated online sales force to be able to satisfy the strong growth predictions outlined above. Their traditional sales structures and strategies, according to Borrell Associates, will simply not be able to cope in 2008. This is underlined by the fact that most of these large media companies are beginning to lose market share to newer players who focus just on the internet for their business.