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Articles
Online Advertising Industry blossoms
The online advertising industry in South Africa experienced the fastest growth in spending out of all English speaking countries in the world in 2008 and even outperformed the USA, according to the Online Publishers Association (OPA). It seems South Africa has developed the online edge, thanks to rapid technological advances in the country in recent years. Statistics released by World Wide Worx confirm a 38% increase in online media advertising spend for 2008, a trend which is expected to continue indefinitely. Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, attributes this phenomenal success to ‘the coming of age for online advertising’. Previously, this growth was held back by lack of awareness and technological limitations but both those factors have now fallen away as the South African public has bought into the internet in a big way. Internet World Stat published a survey of internet usage in South Africa which shows that over 10% of the population uses the internet. Coupled with this is the booming mobile phones industry; by the end of 2008 there were a massive 50 million cell phone connections and 34 million individual mobile users in the country. Mobile internet usage is an increasing trend in a country where the majority, from the very rich to the poor, has access to a cell phone. Adrian Hewlett of OPA commented on the online advertising growth, “The Online Media in South Africa 2009 study reveals a maturing industry on a strong growth curve. There are obstacles which the industry as a whole need to address, but the forecast for 2009 is strong”. Some of these obstacles include the fact that companies are not taking full advantage of the online advertising market potential. Shirley Singer, researcher on the project said, "The conclusion is that companies need to invest time, money and patience in developing their online presence". Using a directory site, like Assist247, to advertise business is one way that companies can improve their visibility online and reach internet users without a huge advertising budget. Advertising on Assist247’s business listings comes with the following services so that service providers can manage their online visibility:
The internet is overtaking offline media and is becoming the place for advertising in South Africa. Fortunately, it’s also rather inexpensive to advertise your business online, which is particularly relevant for us during these tough times. Read on for ‘The Advantages of Online Advertising in the Recession’. |
