BIA: Almost Half of Local Ad Sales Will Be On Digital

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, March 15, 2021 | 10:30am CT

Of the $137.5 billion BIA Advisory Services estimates for total local advertising spending this year, an estimated $61.5 billion (or 44.7 percent) will come from digital media. The continued growth and opportunities in digital will be the focus of a Local Digital Event Series co-produced monthly by BIA and SalesFuel.

"The steady growth of digital presents substantial opportunities for local broadcast companies to attract advertisers to grow their revenue," said Tom Buono, CEO & Founder of BIA Advisory Services. "This year, we're drilling down to help them with their budgeting, benchmarking, and sales planning, by focusing on how different business verticals are spending their advertising dollars on digital (and traditional) advertising."

The series includes a webinar every fourth Tuesday of the month that will explore critical issues around vertical ad spending:

• What the vertical ad spend pie looks like in 2021,
• Continuing effect of COVID on ad spend decisions,
• Digital platforms that are growing the fastest,
• Best strategies for local sellers to win revenue.

"After a year of managing the effects of COVID, budgets are tight and broadcasters need to work with advertisers to determine what budgets may be available and how they can be maximized," said C. Lee Smith, CEO and President of SalesFuel. "We are excited to be partnering with BIA to put our data together in a manner that presents a clear examination of real-time opportunities for local radio and television sellers."

The series, which started in February covering Home Services, continues this month with a program entitled, "Road Trips," on Tuesday, March 23 at 1 pm ET. This webinar will especially examine several important sub-verticals including Traveler Accommodations: Hotels-Motels; Museums and Historical Sites; and Other Amusement Venues and Gambling and Lotteries. More details and registration HERE.

Other upcoming programs on the schedule include:

• April 27: Over-the-Top (OTT) HERE.
• May 25: Lawyers and Accountants HERE.