A report here (UK) last week revealed that for the first time ever internet advertising spend outstripped television advertising spend in the first six months of this year. It is thought this is the first time in any major country this has happened.
It is only a matter of time before you see this en masse, in totality.
Television revenue is in deep and steep decline. As mentioned, it is hard to thing about spending money on advertising when you are not sure your doors will be locked for good the next day.
Internet and mobile advertising represents a new medium that can be easily accomplished small and in-house. That is why you will be seeing the decline of many multinational and big names in advertising, as in the advertising industry on Madison Avenue. Their whole premise and purpose of being is to convince you that you can not make it without their help and guidance.
Bunk.
Today's start ups are very tech savvy and oriented kids. They know there are benefits in hiring someone good in web design, development, and programming. Those benefits are being able to control your own destiny at a fraction of the cost it would take to pay an agency on Madison Avenue. If you are inhouse, you are in control.
If you need advice, you consult a consultant or just post on Twitter or Facebook or something else that is media rich. Plus, your audience for television has shrunk dramatically. And anyone in the ad or television business who does not admit this is only prolonging the inevitable.
The down side of this money drain from traditional television is an increase in fees to help make up the cost. I look for football and other popular sports that are broadcast on regular channels or cable to become a PayPerView event. Imagine having to pay to watch the NFL playoffs, the world Series, or the Quarter Finals of the World Cup.
Media moguls are in trouble and they know it. That is why you are looking at many media moguls looking to get into internet connectivity business or telecomms. Those that were early into the game (Rupert Murdoch anyone?) will benefit the most. Just as in stocks or even a domain portfolio, the key to success in the media is to diversify, diversify, diversify.
I'm not surprised at all. Starting about two months ago I have been watching my AdSense revenue drop to about half of where it was. But I look at this as a time to continue developing and working on SEO - while other entities fail. Maybe, just maybe, when the economy improves (who knows when) I will be well positioned to make some real profits with my sites...
I think it may be a little near sighted to blame a drop in Adsense on a drop in online advertising revenue. That is the easy way out (or the easy explanation).
But lord knows there is nothing easy about Google.
We are looking at a years difference in spending. How many times has google changed their algorithms for adsense in that year? How have they changed the way they rank sites?
Plus, you mentioned it - SEO. You have to tweak to keep up with the changes google makes to its own system.
Besides, two months ago I had the best month ever with Adsense.
Just like people trying to connect the dots in drops in PPC with this. September was my best month on Sedo in over a year.
Again, it depends on the product. In our case, domains. And the keywords used.